Chapter 1

"Bardhu hits nearly 122 Fahrenheit lately, and even the mosquitoes have disappeared."

"At least 85 dead in Bardhu from extreme heat in the past 24 hours."

"Continuous heatwaves in Bardhu leave 211 dead."

A string of heatwave alerts kept vibrating on my phone, jolting me back to reality.

I instinctively opened my mouth, feeling like a fish breathing for air on dry land. I grabbed the cup of water on the table and gulped it down. Cool water ran down my chin and onto my skin, and the long-awaited sensation of moisture made me let out a contented sigh.

Even so, the suffocating feeling of every drop of water evaporating out of my body in my previous life was still etched deep into my soul. Only when the cold air from the air-conditioner made me shiver did I finally have the courage to pick up my phone.

As soon as I unlocked it, the screen was flooded with more news reports regarding the heatwaves in Bardhu.

This time in my last life, I hadn't realized anything was wrong and was still scrolling through Facebook.

Crowds of people with blank stares and cracked lips were gathering by the Grand River, scooping up handfuls of the polluted river water just to drink.

Back then, I was just grossed out by the state of the Grand River and grateful that I was born where I was. Our forefathers didn't just pick the right spot to build a nation, but also continually improved the environment, so we could live as well as possible.

Learning from what happened last time, I started searching for everything I could about heatwaves.

Right then, my sister's message popped up right on time.

"My darling little sister, I miss you! Can you take some time off and come and stay with me for a few days?"

Who would've guessed that this sweet message would become the shackle that cost me my life?

My sister, Katie, and I were orphans. Our parents died in a car accident when we were still in high school, leaving just the two of us behind.

When there were two kids in a family, it was hard to treat everyone exactly the same. Mom used to tell me when I was little that my older sister just had a bad temper, but loved me deep down. She said Katie's attitude was just because she felt left out after I was born and was never able to let it go.

So, I always tried to convince myself that Katie really did love me.

After our parents died, they left us a hefty inheritance and two houses. That was the first time I ever started to feel uncertain.

Katie took the old, rundown apartment in the city center. Even though it was old, it was in a top school district and worth a fortune if she sold it. I kept the newer house my parents bought in the suburbs. While it was in one of the city's most expensive retirement neighborhoods, it still couldn't compare to the city center.

Katie said since she took the old apartment and left me the newer house, I should let her have more of the money. She claimed she was looking out for me and that I should be grateful.

Later on, I learned the real reason she picked the older apartment was that all the rich and powerful locals lived there.

In short, she picked it so it would be easier for her to get herself a rich husband.