Aria pov
"Please, don't kill me! I'll go away from here, I swear. I'll never bother you guys again… just let me go!" My voice, broken and desperate, echoed in the darkness. But there was no mercy, only coldness.
The last thing I felt was something piercing my heart, a sharp, searing pain ripping through me. A scream tore from my throat, and then… nothing.
I jolted awake, a cry escaping my lips, gasping for air as if I'd been held underwater. My breathing was wild, uneven. My heart pounded against my ribs, and a cold sweat clung to my skin, soaking through my clothes. I glanced around, feeling disoriented, my vision blurred.
This room… I knew this room. It was my own. Familiar walls, familiar bed. But how?
My mind reeled, struggling to make sense of it. Was it just a dream? No, it had felt far too real—the fear, the pain, the last desperate plea before I was silenced. I couldn't shake the feeling that it had happened. That I had died.
"Aria!" My mother's voice pulled me out of my frantic thoughts, and I looked up, seeing her rush into the room. Her face was pale, worry etched across her features, and she quickly knelt by my bedside. I could see her mouth moving, but her words were muffled, lost in the fog clouding my mind.
She placed a gentle hand on my forehead, as if trying to soothe me. "Oh dear, are you okay? Why did you scream, Aria?"
I stared at her, my thoughts racing. How am I alive? The question pounded in my head, relentless and insistent. I had felt the pain—I'd felt my heart stop. Yet here I was, in my own bed, safe and unharmed. It didn't make sense.
"Mom," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper, my hands trembling. "What's the date today?"
She looked at me, her worry deepening, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What's wrong with you, Aria?"
"Mom, please. Just tell me what day it is," I pressed, my voice cracking. "And the year… please, what year is it?"
Her eyes filled with alarm, and she hesitated before answering. "It's 2022, sweetheart. March 10. Why are you asking? Did you have a nightmare?"
2022… I repeated the year in my mind, letting it settle, sink in. March 10. I'd gone back in time, back to a point before everything had fallen apart. My hands clutched the blanket as realization dawned on me. I had another chance.
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I tried to process it. I didn't know how or why, but I had been given this opportunity. Fate had thrown me a lifeline, a chance to change everything.
My mother's worry grew as she watched me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. I reached out and hugged her tightly, burying my face against her shoulder. The relief of feeling her warmth and knowing she was safe overwhelmed me, and I had to swallow back the sobs that threatened to spill out.
"Mom, don't cry," I murmured, trying to reassure her. "I'm okay. I just… I just had a bad dream."
"Are you sure, Aria?" she asked, her voice filled with concern as she held me tightly. "You scared me so much."
I pulled back slightly, forcing a smile that I hoped would ease her worry. "I'm fine, really," I lied, knowing she wouldn't understand the storm raging inside me. "I was just… it felt so real. But I'm okay now. I promise."
She studied me, uncertainty flickering in her gaze, but she eventually nodded. "Alright. Your dad's waiting downstairs for breakfast. Come down whenever you're ready."
I watched as she left, trying to steady my breathing. My hands were still shaking as I reached up to wipe away the last traces of sweat on my forehead. The world around me seemed familiar and strange all at once, as if I were living in a dream.
How is this possible? My mind circled the question, searching for answers, but none came. There was only one thing I knew for sure: this was my chance. A chance to fix my mistakes, to protect myself, to right the wrongs.
I pushed myself out of bed, moving to the closet to grab my clothes with shaky hands. I needed to clear my mind, to try and gather my thoughts.
Once in the bathroom, I turned on the shower, letting the warm water flow over me. I closed my eyes, hoping it would help wash away the confusion, the fear. But as I stood there, the memories came flooding back, sharper and more vivid than ever.
Faces swirled in my mind—the people who had betrayed me, who had taken everything I cared about. I'd been so naive, trusting, willing to believe in them without a second thought. And in the end, they'd used me, broken me, and left me for dead.
A surge of anger rose within me, fierce and unyielding, chasing away the fear and replacing it with something else. Determination. This time, I wouldn't be their victim. I wouldn't allow myself to be deceived, manipulated, or broken. This time, I would be in control.
I turned off the shower, gripping the edge of the sink as I stared into the mirror. My reflection looked back at me, but I barely recognized the girl who stared back. She looked vulnerable, shaken. But I knew that would change. This time, I will be strong. I will protect myself.
As I dressed and prepared to go downstairs, my mind was already racing, piecing together a plan. I would need to be careful, to stay one step ahead. I couldn't let them suspect a thing. If they knew I was back, if they even suspected I remembered what they'd done…
But they wouldn't. I would be smarter this time, more calculating. I would rebuild my life on my own terms, and if they tried to stand in my way, they would regret it.