MasukI could even hear the faint cracking of my knuckles under the pressure, yet the knife handle still slipped inch by inch from my grip."Give it to me!" With Sylvia's furious roar, the knife was finally wrenched completely out of my hands.Sylvia raised the blade, its light gleaming as the tip drove straight toward my chest.Time seemed to stretch and freeze. I could see my pupils, blown wide with terror, reflected in the steel, and the cold touch of death from my past life wrapped itself around my throat once more.At that critical moment, the door was slammed open by tremendous force. Then, a tall figure carrying the chill of the outside air rushed in like a force of nature.It was Zephyr!With a swift and precise combat move, faster than the eye could follow, he managed to subdue Sylvia.Sylvia cried out in pain, her fingers instantly losing strength. The deadly fruit knife clattered down onto the cold cement floor with a sharp ring.Zephyr's tall frame shielded me completely
I stood up and pushed the window open, letting the December wind rush in and disperse the sickly sweet smell of cheap face cream on her. "Too bad... The person Zephyr's taking with him to the southwest base is me..."Sylvia laughed so hard she could not even straighten her back. "Laura, is it fun to lie to yourself?"I sighed and pulled out the military dependent approval form from the drawer; the bright red stamp blazing on the words was like a slap across her face: [Spouse: Laura Hayes]."Do you see it clearly now?"Sylvia stumbled two steps backward, knocking over the net bag. The withered apples rolled into the stove ash, coating themselves in a layer of dirty fuzz. Her lips trembled as she tried to curse, but only wheezing sounds came from her throat like a broken bellows.I put the papers away and said, "Since you've seen it clearly, you should head back. Let's each live our own lives."Sylvia seemed nailed to the spot, the last bit of color draining completely from her fac
In this life, the special gift Zephyr had gotten through military logistics weighed heavily in my arms. That weight made me straighten the back that had once been bent under the burdens of life.The attic door creaked open, and my dad's smiling, sweat-streaked face froze in the dim light. "Laura? Is Zephyr not with you?"As I unwrapped the cloth to reveal sheepskin knee pads, I said, "He's at drills on base. He specifically learned leather tanning from the veterans. He said your arthritis is worse than his frostbite from the frontlines..."Before I could finish, Sylvia's wailing suddenly exploded from downstairs.My dad peeked out, shook his head, and latched the door. "Sylvia's pressuring Miles to buy her a watch again." He sighed.Miles' suppressed roar drifted in through the window. "You're always competing with Laura! Look at the life she's living..."I looked down at my hands, which had become soft and delicate in this lifetime. I thought it was absurd how, in my past life,
In my past life, Miles always complained that I was dull and boring. Perhaps he finally realized how much quiet strength was hidden in that silence.The roar of the engine drowned out his murmuring.In the rearview mirror, Sylvia frantically tore at her veil and beat Miles' chest while he stood there stiff and lifeless, like a paper cutout.I rubbed the heirloom bracelet on my wrist and suddenly laughed out loud.Zephyr turned his head to look at me, his gaze deep and perceptive. "Feel better now?"I froze. "Huh?"Zephyr just patted my head. "From now on, I'm here. I'll protect you."I was a little surprised. After two lifetimes, this was the first time anyone had ever said they would protect me.Zephyr simply looked at me, his sharp brows framing eyes that shone like distant stars, while the shadow of his cap cut a clean, firm line down his nose.There was a seriousness unique to soldiers about him, as if he were making a vow before battle....The white walls and red rooft
Their argument tore through the quiet, moonlit courtyard. I leaned against the worn archway and stopped, my fingers absentmindedly picking at the peeling red brick.Sylvia's sharp voice, laced with tears, cut through the air. "She's faking it! That bitch..."Before she could finish, a loud slap cut her off.How ridiculous. In my last life, Miles had sworn over and over that 'there would only ever be Sylvia in his heart.' Yet, in this life, one lie from me was enough to turn him against her.Miles' hoarse sigh drifted through the wind. "Sylvia, you've changed..."Nonetheless, she was not the only one who had changed.When wedding decorations covered the dull brick walls of the factory housing complex, Sylvia held her head high. She had deliberately chosen the trendiest dress from the city, its sharp pleats swishing loudly as she walked, as if trying to crush every whisper around her."Mr. Williams Senior really dotes on Miles. They hauled in a whole truckload of furniture!""I h
I gave a small smile and shook my head. "Sylvia, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"Sylvia suddenly grabbed my wrist, her eyes locking onto mine as if she wanted to see straight through me. "Didn't you like Miles? Why are you willing to marry Zephyr?"I let her grip my wrist while my gaze drifted past her shoulder toward the courtyard wall. I could see the corner of a brown leather jacket peeking through the tiles at the top of the wall.I softened my voice further and replied, "Of course, it's to help you and Miles be together."Before my words even faded, a sharp gust rushed toward me. The same hand that had once slapped my face until it was swollen in my previous life came down again, filled with hatred.I thought, 'This is it!'I deliberately calculated the angle to make sure the person behind the wall could see me fall.Wild wallflowers growing through cracks in the stone pavement brushed past my ear as Sylvia's fingertips stopped just half an inch from my cheek.







