Beep. Beep.
The heart monitor hummed steadily, its rhythmic beeping the only sound in the quiet hospital room.
Amelia lay unconscious on the hospital bed, her face pale, almost lifeless, as if she were a porcelain doll. This was to be expected, as she had been pulled from the brink of death. No, that was an understatement. She had died, but somehow, she came back to life.
It had been a week since her admission, and she showed no signs of recovering, at least that's what it seemed like until her eyes fluttered open slowly.
Everything was blurry. It felt like a hazy dream of white lights.
"Where… Where am I?" she managed to whisper weakly, her voice raspy from days of disuse.
The nurse, who had been adjusting the IV drip in her hand, froze. She snapped her head toward Amelia, her eyes widening in surprise.
She quickly stepped closer to the bed to confirm that Amelia had truly regained consciousness.
Her eyes quickly caught Amelia's unfocused crimson gaze, and she shouted, "Doctor! The patient has regained consciousness!" Her voice was filled with urgency.
---
"You seem to be recovering well," the doctor remarked as he took down the state of her vitals in a notepad. "With enough rest and proper nutrition, you'll be discharged in no time."
Amelia managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Doctor," she murmured, her voice still weak.
Once the doctor left, the nurse placed a bowl of steaming congee on the tray in front of her. "Here, eat. It'll help you regain your strength," she said kindly, adjusting the tray for Amelia's convenience.
"Thank you," Amelia replied softly, taking the spoon into her trembling hand. She stirred the congee absentmindedly, staring into its pale surface as her thoughts churned.
She was not the real Amelia.
She was Amelia Volemont, the discarded empress of Akea. She had drunk the poison Cecilia had given her, and she could vividly remember the bitter liquid burning her throat, the cold embrace of death overtaking her.
Yet, against all logic, she now found herself here, in a strange world, occupying a body that wasn't hers.
Why? she thought, staring blankly at her reflection in the spoon. Why am I here? Why did I take over this body?
Everything was so strange. And despite the fact that she had the memories of the original owner of this body, the world still felt unfamiliar. It was as though she were an intruder in someone else's life.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the nurse's gentle voice. "Miss, could you kindly give me the contact of your family so that I can inform them of your condition?"
Amelia blinked, momentarily startled, then lowered her gaze to the untouched congee. After a pause, she looked up and forced a faint smile. It didn't reach her eyes.
"I don't have a family," she said softly. "There's no need to worry. I'll leave on my own once I'm discharged."
"Oh… I see," the nurse murmured, her eyes filled with pity for Amelia.
She felt that Amelia was quite pitiful. She had been brought to the hospital by a man who claimed she had jumped off the bridge and that he had saved her. The man paid a huge amount of money and then left. Ever since that day, no one had called her phone, and no one had come looking for her.
Amelia saw the pity in the nurse's eyes, knowing that the woman probably thought she was an orphan.
And it wasn't far from the truth.
The original Amelia, despite having a family in name, was alone in reality. No one cared about her. In fact, she was seen as a nuisance by those she called family. And just like her, she had been pitifully blinded by love, a one-sided love.
"Well," Amelia muttered under her breath as she gazed out the window, "since I've taken over your body, I will make sure not to repeat the mistakes we both made."
This was her new beginning.
Her second chance.