Aleya had never known love. As an orphan, she grew up without the warmth of a family. She had no close friends, no personal life—just long hours working as a corporate slave. The world had been her office, and it had chewed her up and spit her out, leaving her exhausted and empty. She had no expectations from life, especially not love. At 32, she died in an accident—a truck crash triggered by an earthquake that rattled her entire existence.

Now, here she was, somewhere far from everything she had known, in a place that felt ancient yet strangely familiar.

Ayunda's eyes fluttered open. The room was warm, its light soft and inviting. Wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, while intricate tapestries adorned the walls. She blinked, disoriented, her heart racing as the scene before her gradually became clearer.

She was no longer in her modern apartment. She was no longer Aleya, the corporate worker. She was a child. A ten-year-old child, lying on a soft bed surrounded by unfamiliar furnishings. The weight of the fabrics on her skin, the gentle smell of incense, all told her she was in a place very different from the world she had known.

Ayunda slowly moved her hands, staring at them in confusion. Her body was small, delicate, and foreign. She looked around, taking in the strange room, and it hit her all at once—this was not her world. She was somewhere else. Someone else.

Memories of her previous life flickered in her mind. The cold, harsh world she had left behind, where she had been an orphan with no real connections. No friends. No family. Her life had been empty of love and warmth. She had simply existed, working without pause, until that tragic accident.

But now, she was… here. In this world that felt so different. She couldn't remember how exactly she had ended up here, but it was clear: she was no longer Aleya.

A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "Ayunda, are you awake?"

She turned to see a woman standing by her bedside, her expression filled with concern. The woman's gentle features radiated warmth, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Mother?" Ayunda croaked, her voice rough from disuse.

The woman smiled wider. "Yes, my dear. I'm here."

Ayunda's heart squeezed. It was a word she had never heard spoken to her in her past life, and for a moment, the weight of it nearly brought tears to her eyes. A mother. She had a mother. In this life, she wasn't alone.

But there was more. "I… I don't understand," Ayunda whispered, still struggling to process the situation. "What happened to me?"

Lady Sri, her new mother, sat down beside her on the bed, smoothing Ayunda's hair away from her forehead with a soft hand. "You were ill, my dear. After you fell into the pond, you had a high fever. We were so worried, but you are recovering now."

Ayunda blinked, her mind slowly piecing together the memory. The pond… yes, she remembered now. She had been wandering near the family's courtyard when she had accidentally slipped and fallen into the water. The cold had been shocking, and the next thing she knew, she had been pulled out, drenched and shivering, her body trembling with a fever. Her vision had blurred, and everything had become hazy.

"I fell into the pond?" Ayunda asked, surprised at how clear her memory of it seemed now that she had heard it from her new mother.

"Yes," Lady Sri said with a gentle laugh. "You must have been more tired than you realized. But it's a good thing you're strong. You'll recover soon."

Ayunda swallowed, feeling both physically weak and mentally disoriented. A fever? She was still shaking with the memory of it, the way her body had felt feverish, like it was burning from the inside out. The thought of it made her shudder.

Lady Sri squeezed her hand. "You've been resting here in the family courtyard while you recover. It's quiet and peaceful here. Your father is busy with his duties, but he will be happy to see you when you are well again."

Ayunda didn't think about her father yet. The word "father" felt distant, like a concept she had only just begun to understand. What mattered most to her now was the warmth of the hand holding hers. A mother. A family.

She wasn't sure where she fit in this world, but for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged.

Ayunda looked at her new mother, and gave a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered, the gratitude in her voice more than words could convey.

Lady Sri smiled softly, brushing Ayunda's hair away from her forehead. "Rest now, my dear. You need your strength."

As Ayunda lay back against the pillows, she felt the soft warmth of the room around her, the gentle care of her new mother, and the quiet comfort of a world that seemed so different from the one she had left behind. For the first time, she didn't feel so alone.

She didn't care about the kingdom's fate or the politics of the court. All that mattered right now was that she had a family. And for the first time in her life, that was enough.

End of Chapter 1