She stepped back a few paces, her breath short, thoughts swirling in her head.
— Wait… What do you mean, not my time? she repeated, her brows furrowed, a mixture of fear and confusion in her voice.
Fran, still motionless, stared at her with a strange compassion. His eyes glowed with an enigmatic light, but he didn't reply right away. His silence, heavy with meaning, made a dull anxiety rise within her.
— Say something! she cried, her voice trembling, almost pleading.
Fran finally sighed, as if the words he was about to say weighed a ton.
— It wasn't supposed to happen like this, Mia, he said softly. Something… disrupted the natural course of things.
Mia felt her legs weaken. She placed a trembling hand on her forehead, desperately trying to piece together the fragments of her thoughts.
— Disrupted? What does that mean? she whispered, her breath short.
A wave of nausea swept over her, accompanied by a visceral fear.
— So… I'm… stuck here? she asked in a broken voice, barely a murmur.
Fran took a step toward her, but she instinctively stepped back.
— Not here exactly, he replied with strange gentleness. But… let's say you're between two states. Neither alive nor completely gone.
His words hit her like a blow. She felt a cold sweat run down her neck as she struggled to breathe.
— Why me? Why is this happening to me? she whispered, tears blurring her vision.
Fran briefly looked away, as if searching for the right words.
— I don't have all the answers, Mia, he admitted. But I know one thing: because of this disruption, I can't take you… not yet. The only solution is for you to return to your body.
— No, she cried, shaking her head violently. I don't want to! I'd rather stay here… here where nothing can hurt me, where no one can hurt me again.
Fran frowned slightly, but he didn't seem surprised. He crossed his arms and observed her for a moment, his gaze almost analytical.
— You're joking, aren't you? he finally asked, his tone harsher. Do you realize how many people would give anything for a second chance? And you're throwing it away like it's nothing?
Mia fell to her knees, overwhelmed by a wave of emotions. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
— You don't understand, she sobbed. You don't know what it's like to live a life filled with insults, rejection, abandonment… I don't want that anymore. What's the point of living if it's just to suffer again and again?
Fran remained silent, his features marked by an unreadable expression. Then, after a long moment, he crouched down to her level and spoke in a gentler tone:
— Mia, if I could fix things, if I could make your life better, would you agree to return to your body?
She raised her head, incredulous, her eyes red from crying.
— Fix my life? How… How would you do that?
A mysterious smile stretched across Fran's lips.
— Let's just say I can influence certain things, he said. But it would only be temporary. In truth, I need to take a soul in a hundred days. If you truly want to end it all, you could trade your place with that person.
Mia's eyes widened.
— You mean… I'd have to live a hundred more days? And then, you'd come back for me?
Fran nodded.
— Exactly. But it will be up to you to decide what to do with those hundred days.
Mia hesitated, her heart pounding wildly.
— And if I refuse? she murmured.
Fran gave her a sly smile.
— Then you go back to live the rest of your life. And if it's years, well, tough luck.
Mia remained silent for a moment, her chest rising and falling under the weight of her conflicting emotions. Then, slowly, she nodded.
— Okay… But just for a hundred days. After that, you'll take me.
Fran extended his hand.
— Think carefully, Mia. Once we seal this deal, there's no turning back.
She shook his hand, and a bright light burst forth, enveloping her body. A soft, comforting warmth engulfed her as she slowly lost consciousness.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the ground. A deep, worried voice echoed above her.
— Miss? Miss, are you all right?
Blinking, she saw a young man leaning over her. His blond hair framed an angelic face, and his violet eyes shone with captivating intensity.
She sat up slowly, staring at him in astonishment. That face… she knew it. Then, a flash of memory crossed her mind, and she murmured, stunned:
— Cid Dante… The famous actor?