"Hu!"
Shiki woke up abruptly, her breaths ragged and her body cold with sweat. Her hands instinctively moved to her chest, searching for the scar that should mark her death, but all she felt was the softness and firmness of her skin. Slowly, she opened her eyes and was stunned by the scene before her.
Pink walls adorned with her photos and those of top celebrities loomed around her, a panoramic light capable of displaying aurora borealis glowed in the darkness, thick golden-accented curtains were drawn open, letting sunlight stream through the glass windows, and the room’s temperature was cool despite the sun being high in the sky.
Shiki lay on a plush bed with a beautifully carved canopy. Beside the bed stood a small table with a digital clock showing 09:25 and the date May 30, 2083. A humidifier gently exhaled a floral fragrance, adding to the coolness and serenity of the room. Shiki recognized this place immediately—her bedroom in Atta World, the room she had longed for since being confined in that trash-filled basement.
In the past, whenever she dreamed of this place, she wished she could stay in the dream forever and never wake up. But every time, she would wake up to face the harsh reality of life. This time, however, Shiki was certain she wouldn’t wake up again. She knew she had died on the battlefield. Her body was likely rotting away in the Procession Tower, or perhaps it had been preserved and desecrated by immoral people. But Shiki didn’t care what happened to her body; the dead had no right to care.
Now, all she wanted was to close her eyes and savor the room she had missed so much.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Young Lady, are you awake? Madam requests your presence after breakfast,” a voice called from outside the door, making Shiki’s eyes widen.
She recognized the voice—Andrea, her personal maid who had been with her since childhood. Hearing that she might meet her mother, even if only in this dream, filled Shiki with excitement. She quickly got out of bed and hurried to open the door. Standing before her was Andrea, bringing back a flood of teenage memories.
Back in her teenage years, Andrea had been a graceful middle-aged woman whose beauty still radiated, her figure well-maintained. The house servants wore black-and-white dresses for women and black tuxedos for men, always ready to greet guests. Even the smallest mistake could tarnish the great Ganko Family name. As Shiki’s personal maid, Andrea always conducted herself with poise and excellence. Her expression remained calm, even when Shiki was angry about being woken up.
But this time, the teary look in Shiki’s eyes broke through Andrea’s composure. When Shiki suddenly lunged forward and hugged her tightly, her calm demeanor faltered entirely.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Yo—Young Lady?!”
Andrea’s voice stammered, shocked by Shiki’s uncharacteristic behavior. Shiki understood Andrea’s surprise since she had never acted this way before, especially as a teenager. Back then, she cared for no one, and even the word selfish couldn’t fully encapsulate her arrogance. She always felt superior, looking down on everyone—including Andrea, whom she regarded as just a servant.
Even up until the moment Shiki was forced to teleport to the Procession Tower, she had barely ever looked directly at Andrea, speaking to her only to issue commands.
But now, Shiki didn’t care about any of that. Years of being trapped in a dark, trash-filled basement had made her realize how much she missed so many things—especially Andrea, who, in truth, could be considered her second mother. Andrea had been by her side since childhood, spending more time with her than her actual mother, who was often occupied with her vast business empire.
Shiki froze for a moment as she felt the warmth of Andrea's embrace. No matter how beautiful a dream was, it could never replicate this kind of warmth. The dream she was experiencing now felt so real that it almost made her wish it were reality. However, Shiki quickly pushed that feeling aside, unwilling to fall prey again to the hollow hope of her once-beautiful past life.
“Andrea, where is my mother? Is she in her office?” she asked hurriedly.
“Ah? Yo-young Lady, Madam is indeed in her office right now. But she suggested you have breakfast first before seeing her—”
“I don’t have time for that! Come on, take me to her! I’ve missed her so much!”
With an excited step and a broad smile, Shiki grabbed Andrea’s arm and led her toward her mother’s office. Andrea, still shocked and bewildered, could only follow. Even though Shiki had been away from home for a long time, she still remembered the layout of the house perfectly, as if she had never left.
Without knocking, Shiki pushed open the door to her mother’s office with a bright smile, followed by Andrea, whose face was still pale.
“Mother!”
At the center of the room, behind a mahogany desk covered with documents and a laptop, a youthful-looking woman looked up, startled to see her daughter so lively. Her bob-cut red hair glowed under the sunlight streaming through the window on the right side of the room, while her blue eyes sparkled like the ocean, brimming with intelligence and wisdom. Her face was stunning, with a straight nose and mesmerizing red lips, captivating anyone who looked at her.
She wore a cream-colored blazer paired with a white blouse that framed her flawless skin, along with a knee-length black skirt that accentuated her hips, enhancing her charm.
Although not of noble blood, her resilience in the business world had made her one of the wealthiest individuals in Atta World. By marrying a prince from the Ganko Family, this woman had become one of the most influential figures in Ignisira. She was Emberlyn Ganko, the grand matriarch of the Ganko Family. Despite her many remarkable achievements, her greatest pride was the day her daughter was born.
“Shiki!”
“Mother!”
Ignoring Andrea’s pale expression and Emberlyn’s wide-eyed confusion, Shiki leapt into her mother’s arms, holding her tightly. The warmth, safety, and tenderness of her mother’s embrace, long absent from her life, rushed back to her, reviving beautiful memories in her mind and causing tears to flow uncontrollably down her cheeks.