AT ONE LATE EVENING
ROSALIE’S POINT OF VIEW:
I think I am dying. The harsh hospital lights above buzz like a swarm of angry insects. I want to close my eyes, but they stay open, staring at the cracked ceiling tile. The air tastes cold and sterile. The oxygen mask over my mouth feels suffocating, like a cage. My fingers twitch, but they don’t move. My legs feel numb, like they belong to soone else. I try to rember how I got here, but it’s all a blur, the ambulance ride, the panic, the sirens... I rember none of it.
No one is here with . No loved ones holding my hand. No whispered prayers. Just this white room. Is this really how it ends? Quiet. Alone. Forgotten. I have never mattered much in life. No one cared about beyond small talk and polite smiles. No one waited for to co ho. No one missed . I once read a book, ’How to Hide the Emperor’s Child in the Apocalypse’. A tragic tale of a mother who raised a secret heir to a dying empire, fighting to protect her child from the tyrant’s wrath.
I always wished I could be like her. Strong. Brave. Important. But I’m not. I’m Rosalie. I try to swallow, but my throat is raw and dry.
"If... if anyone is out there... God, fate, whatever you are..." I whispered, voice cracking like old paper. "Please... just one more chance. Let live again. Anywhere. Anywhere but here. Let matter. Just once."
Tears burn my cheeks, but I can’t wipe them away. Darkness presses against my eyelids. And then, just before everything slips away, a voice. Soft, cold, unrecognizable.
"Very well. I found my new toy."
White light surrounded , soft and endless. I felt weightless, like I was floating sowhere between life and death. A calm voice broke the silence.
"Rosalie, I am giving you a second chance."A voice said.
I blinked, confused and afraid.
"Who... who are you? Where am I? Is it heaven?"
The voice didn’t answer my questions. Instead, it simply said, kindly.
"I giving you a new life. This chance is a gift. Use it well."A voice said.
When I opened my eyes, everything was strange, cold stone walls, flickering candlelight casting long shadows. My heart slamd against my ribs like it wanted to break free. Where am I? Then, like a weight crashing down, the mories hit .
i Shen. A beautiful dark dark-haired woman. I am not Rosalie anymore. I’m a side character in a story I once read. Before I could even think, the door flew open.
"Lady i Shen!" A young maid burst in, eyes wide with panic. "You must rest! The wedding is tomorrow. You can’t be seen like this!"
I tried to speak, to ask questions, but my throat was dry, my voice caught. The maid hurried over, pulling a heavy blanket over .
"Shh. Sleep now. Everything will be fine."She said.
I closed my eyes again, but my mind scread. This isn’t a second chance. It’s a trap.
The next morning, cold dawn light seeped through the narrow window, cutting thin lines across the stone floor. The room slled faintly of lavender and burning wax, but oddly calming. Outside the door, muffled voices and hurried footsteps echoed. A soft knock interrupted the silence. The door opened, and the maid from last night stepped inside, her eyes wide but careful.
"Lady i Shen, it’s ti. The ceremony begins soon." She said, bowing her head slightly.
I blinked, the na strange on my lips.
"Ceremony? What ceremony?"I asked.
She hesitated, then answered gently.
"Your wedding to the emperor, my lady."She said.
My breath caught. Wedding? Emperor? The words were heavy, unfamiliar, like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. Monts later, I realized I was in the novel and it was not a dream but a reality I must face.
"I... I don’t understand." I whispered.
The maid took my hand, steady and warm.
"There isn’t ti now. You must get ready."Maid said.
I nodded, heart pounding, and followed her through cold stone halls to a large chamber filled with mirrors, dresses, and servants moving with practiced grace. An older woman stepped forward sharp eyes, no nonsense tone.
"I am Mada Renee. I will prepare you."She said.
Her hands were steady as she brushed my hair, smoothing the dark strands into an elegant style.
"Are you well, lady i Shen?" She asked softly.
I caught my reflection, a woman with wide eyes and trembling lips, dressed like a queen but feeling like a stranger.
’Who is he?’ I asked the maid quietly. ’The emperor?"
The maid glanced away.
"The ruler of the empire. Dangerous, ruthless. But you have a role to play."She said.
I swallowed the knot in my throat. A role. The servants dressed carefully, layers of silk and velvet, heavy jewels that clinked softly. When it was done, mada Renée stepped back proudly.
"You look every part the Empress now."She said and nodded in approval.
But inside, I felt nothing but cold fear. The maid’s voice was low, urgent.
"Rember, this life may not be yours anymore, but your choices will shape what cos next."She said.
I closed my eyes for a mont, steadying myself. Monts after I felt gust of wind near .
"I see you enjoy your life."I heard a familiar voice. "You’re alive, just like I promised. You asked for a second chance."
I clenched my jaw, bitterness tightening my chest.
"You lied." I said quietly. "You said I would matter. You said you cared."
A soft, amused chuckle echoed in my mind.
"Oh, i Shen, I am Zeyrith, god of death and rebirth." Zeyrith said, smooth and calm. "I do care. Deeply. About the story you’ll give ."
I looked away, not wanting him to see the tremble in my hands.
"You brought back just to watch suffer, didn’t you?"I asked.
He laughed again, low and pleased.
"Not just to watch. To savor. You’re so beautifully defiant. It’s... entertaining."He said.
"I’m not your toy." I whispered. "I’ll find my own way."
Zeyrith’s voice softened, almost fond.
"Good. Because your fight is the best part. The entertainnt I never tired of."He said and disappeared.
I knew that I would survive in this world and I knew that i would make this god pay for making a aningless side character.
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