Chapter three

Summer

The first thing I noticed was the endless beeping of machines. Beeping? In heaven? I thought, and a dry laugh slipped through my mind, not this life again.

I opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the harsh white light. Walls, ceiling, and that sterile smell, it was unmistakable. A hospital, not exactly the afterlife I imagined.

I tried to kick, to protest, to yell but my body felt like it had been stuffed with lead. Every limb ached, every joint screamed. I muttered silently, my teeth gritted in fury. “Moon goddess, really? Couldn’t I just die in peace? Like Rest In Peace for real?”

Even lying there, helpless, I couldn’t stop the anger bubbling up. The world was loud, cruel, and apparently had a sick sense of humor. And me? I was stuck in the middle of it, bruised, broken, and entirely unwilling to cooperate.

The darkness swallowed me again, cold and endless, pulling me into oblivion.

Then, slowly, light returned again,my eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, the shapes around me were blurred and unfamiliar. Standing above my bed was a man in a white coat, it took me a second to realize I was alive again.

The doctor stared down at me, “can you hear me?” He asked.

Scared to nod my head because of my broken neck, I tried to lift my leg, to my surprise, it moved with less effort than before. A small spark of hope lit inside me.

“Doctor,” I croaked, my voice hoarse and weak. “Can you help me sit up?”

He nodded gently and supported me as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. With his help, I settled into a sitting position.

I slowly tilted my head from side to side, bracing myself for pain but my neck held firm. My eyes widened in shock, my broken neck was suddenly firm while every other part of my body throbbed in protest.

I looked down at myself. Bandages wrapped me from head to toe, hiding the bruises, cuts, and wounds that marked my fall. My neck, miraculously, was intact.

Confusion and a hint of disbelief crept into my voice. “Doctor… how is my neck not broken, but the rest of my body are thorough injuries? How is that possible?”

I must be a cat with nine lives. There is no way anyone could survive a fall like that from those stairs and still have an intact neck.

The doctor frowned, studying my face as if trying to make sense of something impossible. “Hmm…” he muttered, his brow knitting in thought.

“Miss, only your head and body were affected in the accident,” he explained carefully. “The injuries are severe, but with time and proper care, you will recover completely.”

I blinked, disbelief gripping me tightly. “But I remember falling down the stairs,” I said, my voice shaking. “I remember my neck snapping. I can still feel the pain from that fall—it’s impossible to forget.”

The doctor’s expression softened, sympathy flashing in his eyes. “No,” he said gently. “You weren’t injured from falling down the stairs. You were hit by a car.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

“You were brought here immediately after the accident,” he said calmly, as if it were obvious. “Your neck wasn’t broken. Other parts of your body, including your head, were injured but your neck was completely unharmed.”

I stared at the doctor, blinking in disbelief. “Either I’m going crazy or you are so terrible at your job,” I muttered, my voice still hoarse from the accident.

He looked at me calmly, completely unbothered by my outburst. “Miss Elena,” he said quietly, his tone polite but firm.

For a moment, I just stared at him, my mind spinning. Then a bitter laugh slipped out of my lips, it hurt my chest, but I couldn’t stop. “Miss Elena?” I repeated, shaking my head in disbelief. “Are you serious? That’s not my name!”

Something is wrong, I must have either landed in another world, or the fall scrambled my brain completely. Nothing made sense anymore.

The doctor’s expression shifted slightly, confusion flickering across his face. “That is your name,” he said slowly. “Your friend confirmed it, and it is also on your records.”

I blinked at him, incredulous. “I don’t have a friend,” I said sharply. “And my name is definitely not Elena.”

Panic clawed at me as I struggled to push myself up on the bed. The doctor moved to stop me, but I swatted his hands away, stubborn and desperate. “Where am I? Are we even on Earth?” I paused, frowning slightly. “Wait, is it possible to be mad and still know you are mad?”

The doctor just stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face. I tried to stand, to prove to myself that I was still in control, but pain shot through every part of my body. I crumpled back onto the bed, gasping. My limbs refused to cooperate, and my strength was gone.

Exhaustion weighed me down, heavier than the pain. My eyelids grew impossibly heavy, and despite my willpower, I slipped once more into unconsciousness again!

“Are you saying she has amnesia and can’t remember anything?” a voice I didn’t recognize asked.

Amnesia? I thought bitterly. I’m not forgetting things, just woke up in the wrong world.

My eyelids fluttered open, and a woman rushed toward me. “Oh my God, doctor! She’s awake!” she exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. “Elena, can you see me? Do you recognize me?”

I tried to sit up on my own this time. To my surprise, the pain in my body had lessened. Some of the bandages had been removed, though my legs were still tightly wrapped.

I looked down at myself and froze. My body, my skin, my shape, my hair was completely different. My skin was lighter, my figure fuller, my boobs looked bigger. . My hair, once blonde, was now thick, wavy, and black, my eyes widened in shock.

I lifted a trembling hand to my head, then to my chest, then my face. Panic clawed at me. “What is happening?!” I screamed.

The woman, the doctor, and the nurse all jumped back, startled by the sudden outburst. Their eyes were wide, and their mouths hung open in disbelief.

“Please, can I have a mirror?” I said, my voice trembling but desperate.

They stared at me, clearly taken aback. I swallowed hard, trying again. “Is there a mirror in this hospital?”

The nurse pointed toward the bathroom. “There’s one in the bathroom,” she said cautiously.

Without waiting, I swung my legs over the bed and pushed myself up. They reached out to stop me but I bolted toward the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and froze. The reflection staring back at me, wasn’t me.