The girl gazed upward, mesmerized by the stars' twinkling reflection upon the serene lake's surface. Thoughts of gratitude swirled within her mind, yet a lingering sense of emptiness gnawed at her. She closed her eyes briefly, her chest rising and falling with a silent release of frustration.
she got up to head to the car but was quickly grabbed by the neck and slammed into the lake behind her, their grip firm as they dragged her beneath the surface. Panic surged through her, limbs flailing in a desperate bid for freedom. Struggling against the suffocating embrace of water, she yearned to cry out, yet her voice was smothered by the liquid invading her lungs, igniting a searing agony that coursed through her veins.
As seconds stretched into eternity, her strength faltered, As time dragged on, her strength faltered, feeling like an invisible weight holding her back from escaping. Her eyes grew heavy with exhaustion, and eventually, she gave in to the darkness. , a whisper of an eerie voice echoing her descent into unconsciousness.
"Found you," it murmured as she slowly gave way to the darkness that enveloped her
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...t up ..et up, get up, Get up,GET UP!
Splash! Her eyes snapped open, teeth chattering, body trembling. Confusion engulfed her as she glanced down to find herself drenched.
"Hahaha," the sound of giggling drew her attention, and she spotted four girls clad in maid uniforms. "We told you to get up," one of them said, her grin sickeningly wide. Another approached, presenting a meal, "Here is your meal, my lady."
A wooden bowl slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor. "Oops, my bad," the girls let out a bellowing laugh, joined by the others in the room, their laughter echoing.
"Goodbye, my lady," a sarcastic tone in their voices as they left the room.
She stayed put, her mind a whirlwind of questions about the strange encounter. Looking around, she found herself in a dim, shabby room, its windows covered in dust, furniture worn and neglected. Her thoughts raced as she tried to piece together where she was and what was going on.
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But her thoughts were interrupted by an intensifying shiver, forcing her to confront her soaked state. As she focused, she recoiled at the sight of her own body. Bruises marred her skin, her small frame barely filling out the tattered clothes that hung loosely from her fragile body. Every contour of her bones was visible beneath her skin.
Alarmed by her appearance, she hurriedly rose from the bed, but as her feet touched the floor, they gave out and she collapsed. As she fell to the ground, strands of hair cascaded in front of her eyes.
Her mind swirled with confusion once again. Why were her once familiar locks now silver? What had happened to her?
She struggled to rise from the floor and caught sight of a broken mirror nearby. As she peered into the fragmented glass, she saw a reflection that wasn't her own. The words escaped from her lips, "Who is that?"
Approaching the broken mirror, she saw an unfamiliar face, staring back at her. Silver strands of hair seemed to illuminate from her scalp like the moon in the night sky, while her eyes shone like rubies.
She touched her face in disbelief as her mind raced once again, but it proved too much for her body to handle. Her vision slowly faded, her eyes refusing to stay open as her body began to sway backward. With a loud thud, she hit the floor, consciousness slipping away into darkness.
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"What happened?" She murmured as she slowly opened her eyes, the room spinning around her. She struggled to adjust herself on the bed, inching closer and closer to the decrepit pillow. Turning her head slowly, she gazed out the window to see what the time was, only to see the sun setting on the horizon.
She mustered up what little strength her body had and sat up, her eyes once again fixed on the broken mirror on the floor in disbelief. Wondering who this person was, she felt a name escape her lips as if in answer to her silent question. "Khalina Prerin," she whispered, the sound echoing in the dimly lit room.
As her head throbbed and the room spun once more, memories flooded back into her mind, filling in the gaps of her identity and surroundings.
"Khalina Lorianna Prerin," she repeated softly, the pieces of her past falling into place. She was the eldest daughter of Viscount Liorr Prerin.
With her memories flooding back, her mind calmed, allowing her to focus on the burning sensation in her body. Realizing she was still clad in her wet attire, she summoned what little strength she had and made her way to what appeared to be a wardrobe. Upon opening it, she was greeted with a sight that only added to her confusion and distress - old, tattered clothing, some appearing older than her, others riddled with holes.
Quickly shedding her wet nightgown, she replaced it with another tattered piece of clothing from the wardrobe. With aching limbs, she peeled off the damp sheets from the bed. Feeling feverish and drained, she concluded that the best course of action was to rest, hoping to regain what little strength remained in her weary body.