I've Got Seven Days To Live

Lana stood in front of the mirror, for what felt like an entire lifetime.

She stared at the red-haired woman staring back at her.

The woman blinked when she blinked.

She raised a hand, the reflection raised hers.

She lowered it, the reflection did the same.

“Okay..” Lana whispered.

“This is real.”

She moved slightly away from the mirror.

“I’m inside my own novel.”

She paced back.

“No.. That’s impossible.. It makes no sense.”

She stared at herself again.

“Me being inside my own novel?”

She paced away.

“That’s completely impossible.”

Then, she spun around.

“What if being trapped in my own novel is possible?”

Lana stopped, and laughed.

“What a joke, Lana.. You're having a mental breakdown.. Perhaps, you've finally become a mental patient who hallucinates things that aren't even real.”

That explanation felt considerably more reasonable.

Unfortunately, the room continued to look exactly like the bedroom she had described for Luna Isadora.

The carved bed, silver curtains, massive wardrobe, the balcony overlooking the forest, even the stupid little crystal lamp beside the bed.

Lana had written every detail.

She had never expected to see any of it.

She sat on the edge of the bed, and pressed both hands against her face.

“Think, Lana... Think.”

Her mind immediately supplied the answer.

“Seven days.” She whispered.

Her heart dropped.

“Oh, no.”

She lowered her hands.

“Seven days.”

She remembered the opening timeline perfectly.

Isadora’s death wasn’t supposed to happen immediately.

Lana had deliberately given her character seven awful days to live, before Seraphina’s first successful assassination attempt set everything into motion.

Now, she had seven days, before the story began swallowing Isadora whole, and seven days before the woman she currently is, becomes a corpse.

Lana jumped off the bed.

“I'm certainly being punished for my crime of torturing female leads.”

She began pacing.

“But, it shouldn't be this way.. Not making me Isadora..”

She made a sober face.

“Dear universe, I'm not ready to die.. Not when i'm still very young... If you let me be Lana again, i promise to treat Isadora fairly.”

She breathed anxiously.

“I need to stay alive.. Lets see.. What are seraphina's plot again..”

She raised one finger.

“The poisoned wine.”

Then, a second finger.

“The manipulated servants.”

The third finger.

“Oh, hell no.. Not the tampered clothing too.”

Then, the fourth finger.

“Ugh!.. The male servant and Seraphina’s conspiracy.”

Finally, she raised the fifth finger.

“The brothel..”

She shivered.

“And that very ridiculous cheating accusation.”

That one was particularly insulting.

In the original story, Seraphina’s final major move was to fabricate evidence, suggesting Isadora had been unfaithful to Cassian with a handsome male courtesan from a brothel.

Lana had written the entire thing.

She remembered every letter, every witness, and every carefully planted rumor.

She had even written Cassian’s reaction.

The betrayal was supposed to destroy whatever little trust remained between him and Isadora.

Then, Seraphina would finally use the opportunity, to poison Isadora one final time.

Cassian would be free from the political marriage, while Isadora would die a disgraceful death.

And Lana, sitting in her apartment several hours ago, had thought the plot was brilliant.

Now, she wanted to slap her former self.

“You, absolute idiot.”

She pointed accusingly at the ceiling.

“Why did you make the heroine’s life so difficult?”

Silence responded.

“Right.. Because you’re the author.. You think the heroine's life didn't matter.”

She resumed pacing.

Lana knew exactly what happened to Isadora, that was the one advantage she had.

She knew every trap, every betrayal, every dangerous person, and every terrible decision.

She could simply stay alive, by avoiding all of it.

The solution suddenly seemed beautifully simple.

She didn’t need to fix the story, fall in love with anyone, become some graceful political Luna, attend ceremonies, or sit through council meetings.

She certainly doesn't need Alpha Cassian.

Cassian could keep his golden eyes, broad shoulders, handsome face, and his complicated childhood romance, to himself.

Lana wanted none of it, she only wanted to survive.

“I just need to survive seven days.”

She held up seven fingers.

“That’s it.”

She smiled.

“Seven days, Lana... Then you’re safe from the love triangle.”

She paused.

“Assuming the universe doesn’t find a creative way to murder you.. It sends you to your own evil writing.”

Her smile vanished.

“Don’t think like that, Lana.”

She immediately began planning.

She would avoid the wine, inspect every servant, wear nothing she hadn’t personally chosen, stay away from suspicious routes, never go near a brothel, not even when a cute looking guy is involved.

And, she would avoid Seraphina at all cost.

Most importantly, she would never do anything that could accidentally make the plot worse.

“Perfect..”

Lana nodded firmly.

“I can do this.”

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

She jumped so violently that she nearly fell over.

“Who is it?” She questioned, panicking.

“Luna?”

The female voice sounded uncertain.

Lana glanced at the door.

“Oh.. Right.”

She straightened her nightgown.

“Come in..”

The door opened.

A young woman stepped inside carrying a tray.

She had cheerful eyes, dark-blond hair, and an expression that changed from pleasant to concerned, within seconds.

She stopped.

“Luna?”

Lana smiled nervously.

“Yes?”

The woman stared.

“You’re awake.”

“Apparently.” She replied, trying to maintain composure.

The woman raised a brow.

“Are you feeling well?”

“I'm excellent.”

Lana's response was immediate.

The woman glanced at her bare feet, her messy hair, and finally her expression.

“You don’t seem excellent to me.” She said.

Lana didn't think before responding.

“Thank you.”

The woman looked at her suspiciously.

“That wasn’t a compliment, Luna.”

She breathed anxiously.

“I know.”

The woman slowly set the tray down.

“You act like you don't know who i'm, Luna.. It's me Valerie.. Not one of your maid servant. ”

Lana stared at her, embarrassed.

'Of course.. Valerie, Isadora’s companion.' She thought

She had written her as one of the few people Isadora genuinely trusted.

She smile akwardly.

“Valerie.”

Valeries's gaze still remained with her.

“Yes.”

Lana nodded.

“Wonderful name.”

Valerie frowned.

“Why are you sounding like you’ve never heard it before?”

Lana’s brain stopped

“Oh, no.” She whispered silently.

She needed an excuse, quickly.

“I was… testing it.”

Valerie's brows furrowed.

“Testing my name?”

She nodded.

“Yes.”

Valerie looked increasingly worried.

“Why?”

“Because names are important.”

She smiled.

“Very important.”

Silence surfaced.

Then, Valerie stepped closer.

“Luna, are you sure you’re well?.. Because, you spent the last few minutes talking to yourself?”

Lana froze.

“You heard that?”

“You were shouting.” Valerie admitted.

Lana nodded slowly.

“I like… motivational speeches.”

Valerie raised an eyebrow.

“To yourself?”

She shrugged.

“I’m my own biggest supporter.”

Valerie blinked.

Then, surprisingly, she laughed.

Lana relaxed.

Maybe she could survive this, all she needed was a lot of information.

“So, how does this whole pack thing work?” She questioned casually.

Valerie’s smile disappeared.

“The whole… pack thing?”

Lana waved her hands.

“You know, the basics.”

Valerie stared at her.

“You’ve lived in Silver Moon Pack your entire life.. You are the Luna.. And, you’ve attended ceremonies.”

Lana coughed.

Valerie sat down.

“Luna, what happened to you?.. This is so unlike you.. You’re asking me how pack hierarchy works, now?”

She shrugged carefully.

“Maybe, i forgot.”

Valerie's eyes widened.

“You forgot?”

She shrugged, with a forced grin.

Valerie looked horrified.

Lana decided honesty would probably make things worse.

“So what happens during the mating ceremony.”

With a deep breathe, Valerie explained.

Lana listened, her eyes widened.

“That was actually my idea.”

Valerie frowned.

“What?”

She waved.

“Nothing.”

She had invented the ceremony herself, she had written the moonlit ritual, the silver candles, the ceremonial vow, and the symbolic exchange of blood.

She had thought it sounded romantic.

Apparently, it was sacred.

Lana slowly covered her mouth.

“Oh my God.. I made this world.”

Valerie tilted her head.

“What?”

She laughed loudly.

“I mean, the ceremony sounds lovely.”

Valerie continued explaining the traditions.

Some were familiar, others weren’t.

The more Lana heard, the more uncomfortable she became.

She had created these customs for atmosphere, but people here treated them as ancient laws.

She had once written that Luna’s ceremonial moonstone, represented the spiritual connection between a Luna and her pack.

Apparently, losing it was considered a serious spiritual offense.

She had invented that too.

She stared at Valerie.

“What if someone breaks a sacred tradition by accident… Would that person be punished.”

Valerie’s expression became serious.

“Definitely.. And it'd be badly.”

Lana swallowed.

“What if the person who broke it was… me?”

Valerie stared.

“But, you haven’t broken anything.”

She smiled weakly.

“I’m just planning ahead.”

Valerie shook her head.

“You’re acting quite strangely today.”

She made a face.

“I’m going through a phase, Valerie.”

Before Valerie could respond, Lana noticed a stack of papers on the table.

She picked them up, her stomach sank.

It was Isadora’s schedule.

She scanned the list.

“Morning, council meeting.. Political luncheon.. Luna’s ladies gathering.. Afternoon, ceremony preparation.. Evening, dinner, and a private meeting with Alpha Cassian.”

Lana stared at the page.

“No.”

Valerie smiled.

“You have a busy day, Luna.”

She feigned a sobbing face.

“I don’t want a busy day.”

“But, you’re the Luna.” Valerie pointed out.

She looked away.

“I reconsidered.”

Valerie laughed.

Lana glanced at the schedule again.

'This is terrible.'

She had planned to hide for seven days, but Isadora’s life had other plans.

She dropped the papers on the table.

“I need to cancel everything.”

Valerie looked shocked.

“Everything?.. Why?”

Lana opened her mouth.

'Because I know I’m going to die.. Because I’m not actually Isadora.. Because I wrote this entire world.. Because the woman who is supposed to murder me is probably somewhere in this castle pretending to be charming.'

But nothing came out.

Instead, she smiled.

“I need rest.”

Valerie nodded sympathetically.

“That makes sense.”

She sighed with relief.

Then, Valerie picked up the schedule again.

“There is this one schedule, you can't cancel.”

Lana’s heart tightened.

Valerie smiled.

“You have a meeting with the Alpha this morning, Isadora.. And, it can't be canceled or rescheduled.”