The rain was cold. Not just wet, but slicing, freezing, cruel. It mixed with the blood dripping down my face, soaking my ruined dress and cutting into my skin like knives. Every breath I took was a struggle. Every movement sent pain screaming through my body.
I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't even feel the right side of my face.
But I was still alive.
Barely.
Somehow, I had crawled out of the wreckage, the twisted, burning metal that used to be my car. Flames danced behind me, the scent of gasoline and scorched leather thick in the air. The smoke stung my eyes, but I could still make them out.
Three silhouettes.
Three people I trusted.
Julian Carter. My fiancé. The man I believed I'd grow old with.
Bianca Cruz. My best friend since we were twelve. The girl I would've literally taken a bullet for.
And Kai Grey. My stepbrother. My only remaining family.
They stood above me like they were watching a scene from a movie. Calm. Detached. Unbothered.
Julian held a sleek black umbrella, shielding Bianca from the rain. Not me. Never me.
My throat burned as I tried to speak. "Julian…?"
He smirked. "Still alive? Huh. That's disappointing."
My heart stopped. I must have misheard him.
Bianca clicked her tongue and crouched down in front of me, heels clicking against the wet concrete. "You were always a little too persistent, Ari. But you should've known when to quit."
I stared at her, not understanding. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Don't act stupid," she hissed, voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. "You think he loved you? That Kai actually gave a damn about you? You've been a tool since day one."
"No," I whispered. "That's not true. Kai wouldn't—"
"You were a stepping stone," Julian cut in smoothly. "We used your money. Your connections. Your family name. Now you've outlived your usefulness."
I wanted to scream. To crawl away. But I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
Bianca stood again and clutched Julian's arm. "Honestly, Jules and I make a way hotter couple. You were just the placeholder."
"And a terrible kisser," he added with a chuckle.
My stomach churned. I looked at Kai. My stepbrother. The one person I thought might still care.
"Kai…?" I choked out. "Tell me they're lying."
His eyes met mine. Cold. Empty.
"You were a liability," he said flatly. "Too emotional. Too soft. You wouldn't have survived the power game."
The power game.
I had been nothing but a pawn.
"Why didn't you just kill me outright?" I asked, tears mingling with blood. "Why pretend to care?"
Julian shrugged. "Because watching you suffer is more fun."
Bianca's laughter rang in my ears.
They turned around. Walked away like I didn't matter.
I watched them disappear into the mist.
No goodbyes. No mercy.
And then—
Darkness.
---
Silence.
And then—
> "System initializing… Syncing with host soul…"
"Host detected: Ariella Grey. Binding complete."
"Goddess System successfully activated."
My eyes snapped open.
I gasped, jerking upright. My body—whole. My skin—smooth. My limbs—working.
What the hell?
I blinked at the cracked ceiling above me.
White paint. That familiar peeling poster of the vampire prince I used to obsess over. The scent of jasmine incense.
My old bedroom.
I stumbled to the mirror.
And nearly screamed.
It was me—but younger. Barely seventeen. No scars. No broken bones. My face untouched by betrayal. My heart still full of hope.
But not for long.
> "Welcome, Host," the voice echoed again. Calm. Robotic.
"You have been granted a second chance. Your mission: rewrite your fate."
"I'm… alive?" I whispered.
> "Correct. You were selected by the Goddess System for reincarnation and evolution."
A second chance?
> "Mission 001: Survive the first betrayal. Bonus Objective: Make them regret underestimating you."
My mind reeled. Everything felt like a fever dream. But the memories were real. Too real. I could still feel the heat from the fire. Still hear Bianca's laughter.
And now I was here.
Back at the beginning.
Back before it all went wrong.
This time—I wouldn't be the pawn.
I wouldn't beg for love.
I would make them pay.
Every. Last. One.
> "Level 1 unlocked: Strategic Memory. Host may now recall events and manipulate decisions with 15-second foresight intervals."
Fifteen seconds into the future? That… was dangerous. Deliciously dangerous.
I grinned.
"Oh, I'm going to have so much fun."
---
That morning, I descended the staircase of the Grey mansion like a ghost resurrected.
My stepmother, Veronica, looked up from her tablet. She was already dressed in pearls and fake smiles, preparing for whatever social function she had lined up.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're up early."
I smiled sweetly. "I thought I'd accompany you to the Carter Foundation Gala tonight."
She blinked. "The gala?"
"Yes," I said, sipping the tea the maid had just poured. "After all, it's where I'll first meet Julian… isn't it?"
Her fingers froze over her tablet. "Who told you that?"
"No one," I lied. "Just a feeling."
A chill settled in her gaze. "Don't embarrass the family."
I leaned closer. "Oh, I
won't. But they will."
I walked away, leaving her staring after me.
This time, I wouldn't be the naive little girl who got walked over.
This time, I'd become the storm.