Chapter 01 [arc one]

'I just want one more chance to live!'

A shrill scream escaped Karilyn's mouth as she opened her eyes. Her life had been turned upside down when she was struck by a bus while crossing the street moments earlier. She had gotten off work late and had gotten a call from her mother. When she put the phone to her ear, that was when she felt her body lift off the ground. Before she could even react, the twenty-two-year-old was sent flying. Her bag, her phone, everything disappeared, and all there was darkness.

Panicked, she grabbed at her face and sobbed in relief. She was not plastered on the side of the road, suffering from the impact. Her hands went to her chest and then her thighs as she felt her body was intact. Tears of relief left her as she nearly collapsed. The woman was sure she had died. Everything had happened so suddenly, she was not sure what to do. She looked around and saw that she was in a medical room. 

'Maybe the bus driver called an ambulance,' Karilyn was confused by how the room looked. She had never been to a hospital so expensive, the room was rather large too. There was a large clear sheet blocking off the doorway and the windows. 'Did they have to airlift me somewhere?'

The thought made her grab at her face and shutter. Her mother was probably in hysterics. She wished she had not answered the call. The older woman had to have heard the whole thing. If she had caused her to have a heart attack or faint from the shock, she would lose it. The twenty-two-year-old decided to call her mother as soon as a doctor came. The woman needed to know she was perfectly fine.

Abruptly, she frowned as she realized something. 'Why do my cheeks feel so sunken in? Did they give me facial reconstruction?' Her chest tightened as she imagined the worse. The possibility of disfigurement had not even crossed her mind. 

Whatever her face looked like, she would take it instead of the other option: sudden death. She'd prefer being alive and healing every single time. But still, the idea of being permanently changed was horrifying. In a panic, she felt the rest of her body and pulled at her hair. The texture felt the same, but she noticed something off. She pulled at her hair again and looked at it. The color was completely different. Her stomach turned as she found herself curling over. 

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'What the hell is this? I am suddenly a redhead and my body feels so skinny.' Karilyn tried to stay rational but she could not. All of this was insane. She had to be in some sort of dream. 

To avoid losing it, she went over her memories. She was walking home late from work and was exhausted. The night before, she had stayed up to play a video game. By the time she beat both parts of the game, she had only three hours of sleep. At work, she had a shitty day with a mother yelling about overdue books in her face and wanted to just go to bed. Then she hit the crosswalk and her phone started ringing. Against her better judgment, she picked it up and was hit. And now she has woken up malnourished and alone. In some strange hospital room with dyed hair.

"Young lady," she heard the voice of an older woman outside the room. She could see her walking towards the sheet, wearing red. "Are you awake now? You slept for days."

The twenty-two-year-old did not know what to do besides answer the question. "I was asleep for days? Am I in the emergency room?" She decided to play dumb. Maybe she could get some answers about what was happening. 

"Honey, you don't remember being brought here by your master? Are you alright?" The woman sounded worried. She came closer to the sheet, allowing Karilyn to see her frown. 

When she came closer, Karilyn recoiled and pushed herself backward. "My master? What the hell are you talking about? What is this?" 

The questions rang in her thoughts like a bell. She put her arms around her legs and held them against her chest. Everything in her wanted to get up and run. This whole situation felt like a nightmare. She did not know how this woman could say such a thing. The redhead was not some piece of meat. She was a grown woman. Suggesting some man or woman owned her and made her feel ill. Her nausea grew as she swallowed thickly.  

The woman did not answer her and held what looked to be a walkie-talkie up. "Please send in the trauma team. The girl appears to have a concussion. She is slurring her words and is unsure of where she is." 

Karilyn broke into a cold sweat. She thought she sounded normal. While she sat in shock, the older woman pushed the plastic sheet back, allowing her to see the woman fully. She wore a long red coat and a surgical mask on her face. The walkie-talkie dropped to her side as she looked at the young woman. There was something familiar about her outfit that made her feel ‌dizzy. There was a metal pin attached to her right coat pocket. It was in the shape of a crescent moon. If what she thought she saw was real, she might pass out. 

Her eyes bulged out of her head as she gulped. ‘Is this a fucking video game?’