1. Waking Up

Third-Person Point of View

Riley's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze blurry as it gradually focused on the sterile whiteness around her. The soft beep sound of the machines and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air. She blinked a couple of times, trying to clear away the heaviness she felt on her eyelids. Her whole body felt stiff, disconnected from her soul, as if she were a stranger inhabiting it.

The bed beneath her felt rigid, and the humming sounds of the machines beside her seemed distant, almost unreal.

Maybe she is in a dream. She will wake up soon, but wake up to what? What was she doing before? Why is it this hard to recall?

She pinched herself on her arm to make sure she was dreaming.

Unfortunately, she felt the pain... It is not a dream... This is the reality...

Riley closed her eyes again, seeking refuge in the darkness behind her eyelids. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, to untwist the scattered memories that seemed just out of reach. Slowly, the fog in her mind began to clear, and with it came the excruciating pain in her heart caused by the flood of emotions she had long tried to bury.

Two extraordinarily handsome faces emerged from the depths of her mind. They looked so similar yet so different. The owners of those faces once made her feel like the happiest person on Earth. Their smiles had once been her sun and moon, guiding her through every day and night.

But as their images get more sharpened, so does the pain that comes with them. What had once been the reason for her to live had turned into the very reason she had to run- to escape the life she so painstakingly built.

Tears began to spill from her eyes, making her pale cheeks wet as they rolled down. She hadn't even realized she was crying, so consumed was she by the deep, indescribable pain that had resurfaced.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Riley opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at it. Subconsciously, she propped herself up a bit.

A middle-aged woman in a plain, somewhat worn-out dress stood by the door holding a plastic bag in her hand. She looked utterly drained; the depth of sorrow and frustration carved clearly into every line of her face. Yet, despite the traces of exhaustion, an undeniable beauty still lingered that couldn't be entirely erased.

As she saw Riley propping herself on the bed while staring at her, her eyes grew wider, and her jaws opened. The plastic bag in her hand dropped without her even knowing. In a split second, her eyes began to fill with tears.

Then, before Riley could even react, this woman flung herself onto the bed, wrapping Riley in a tight embrace. She began to sob uncontrollably as she kissed Riley's head.

"My baby... My beautiful Riley, you are finally awake... I knew the Moon Goddess would one day listen to Mom's prayers. See, you are finally in mom's arms after one year, hugging mom tightly...."

Riley was getting suffocated with how tightly the woman embraced her, but she couldn't worry. All her focus rested on one thing this woman said: cancelling everything else.

Mom... This woman said she is her mom...

But how could it be possible? Riley's mom passed away a few months before she fled from home. Riley had never seen this woman in her entire life. She didn't even have any relatives except for her mom. So, who is this strange woman claiming to be her mom?

"Oh! I have to call your dad... He just left the hospital, spending the whole night beside you. Oh! God! I don't even know if he gets a heart attack, hearing this good news." After kissing Riley's whole face while crying and praising the Moon Goddess, the woman took a phone from the side bag she had on her.

My dad? Riley fell into a greater dilemma after hearing those words. She had never had a father in her entire life; she didn't even know who her father was. So, how come she suddenly has a father now? A caring and loving father who spent an entire night beside her in a hospital room at that?

"Oh, my baby... Your dad will run all the way here..." The woman was about to dial a phone number but suddenly paused.

"My God, what am I doing? I got so excited seeing you awake. I completely forgot to call the doctors. Baby, Mom will be right back!" she kissed Riley's cheek and hurried towards the door.

Riley let out a sigh, staring at the closed door. Even if the words can deceive a person, not the emotions shown on that face or those continuously rolling down tears could be fake. No doubt this woman loves her daughter so much; even her husband seems to love their daughter a lot. A lucky daughter to have such loving parents. But that lucky daughter is not her!!!

Riley felt her headache becoming more intense with every passing second. This woman even called her Riley, saying she was awake after one year. What was the meaning of all these? How could she untangle this highly messed-up ball of yarn?

Right then, Riley saw that the woman had left her phone on the bed, as she had left in a hurry. Riley quickly picked up the phone; she wanted to check the date to see if a year had really passed since that incident.

As she held the phone, the screen lit up, showing the date, time, and a photo of a lovely girl on the lock screen. But none of these could catch Riley's attention, as her mind stilled when she saw her own reflection on the phone.

It took her a few seconds to process what she should do next. By then, the screen had gone dark, giving her a clearer picture of her reflection. Riley blinked a few times, thinking she must be hallucinating. But the girl on the phone screen blinked along with her. She touched her face, and the girl on the screen did the same.

Riley couldn't help but scream with indescribable panic and fear! Who the hell is this girl on the phone screen? Whoever she is, she is not her!!! She is not Riley Simons, who fled from her house because of those two devilishly handsome faces!!!