A muffled word broke the silence, and the soft hum of chatter in the distance seeped through the walls.
Slowly, a girl blinked her eyes open, only to be greeted by a grand chandelier hanging from a ceiling so high it seemed to scrape the heavens. Light from the windows poured in, bathing the room in a golden hue.
'Where am I?' she thought, instinctively trying to sit up. A sharp pain flared in her chest, forcing her to fall back onto the plush mattress. Her head felt heavy, her limbs strangely weak. She glanced down, her small, chubby hands trembling against a silky white sheet.
Wait.
Her hands were... small? Wasn't she seventeen? Was this some form of hallucinatory treatment?
Her heart pounded as she touched her face, feeling soft, rounded cheeks and smooth skin.
There was no soreness, no bandages, and—wait, her head felt strangely heavy, and as she turned, a few fiery strands of hair fell into her vision.
Red.
RED!!!
Her eyes widened. 'Hair? Didn't I lose it all during chemotherapy?'
"Red hair! I have red hair!" she muttered in disbelief.
The door creaked open, and a maid rushed inside, nearly dropping a stack of folded clothes. Her eyes widened at the sight of the girl awake.
"Princess Evelisse! You're awake!" the maid cried, her hands trembling as she hurried closer.
'Princess...?' her mind reeled. Why was this woman calling her Evelisse? Was this a dream? Did she die?
But this… this was different.
She reached up, trembling fingers tangling in the thick, fiery red locks that cascaded over her shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched.
'This isn't… me. This can't be me.'
Her mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of her last moments. She remembered the cold, echoing beeps of the heart monitor, the sterile walls, the distant chatter of nurses… and the slow, agonizing betrayal of her own body, how it ate at her, how she lay helpless in the hospital bed, and how her so called family rarely visited. She had been bald, the last of her hair falling out months ago, hidden beneath a thin, floral scarf a kind nurse had gifted her.
Before she could voice her confusion, the maid bolted out the door, shouting, "She's awake! Inform His Majesty and Her Grace! The princess is awake!"
Emily's breath hitched, and panic bubbled in her chest. 'Princess? Majesty? What's going on?'
She glanced around, taking in the room—the velvet curtains, the detailed wallpaper, the soft, luxurious bed, and the faint scent of lavender in the air. Everything felt too real, too vivid to be a dream.
The door burst open again, and a flood of people rushed in. The first was a tall, regal man with blonde hair caught in the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows, casting a golden halo around his head. His eyes, a deep, piercing green, locked onto her with a mixture of desperation and disbelief. He froze at the doorway, eyes widening as he took her in.
A beautiful woman with fiery red hair and blue eyes stumbled in after him, her hands covering her mouth, tears already pooling.
"Evelisse?" His voice was a deep rumble, shaking with barely contained emotion as he approached the bed. He dropped to one knee beside her, his large, calloused hands reaching out but stopping just short of touching her, as if afraid she might vanish if he did.
She shrank back instinctively, confusion and fear swirling in her mind. 'Why… why are they calling me Evelisse? No... I'm Emily... but why does everyone think I'm her?'
The man's jaw tightened, and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He slowly lowered his head, his coat falling over his clenched fists. "You… you don't remember us, do you?"
A pang of guilt twisted her heart, though she couldn't understand why. The woman beside her let out a quiet sob, covering her mouth with a trembling hand.
Before she could force herself to speak, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the hall, and the doors flew open once more.
This time, a line of boys—no, young men—all varying in height and build, their eyes flickering with hope, they all shared the same striking features: clear blue eyes and varying shades of blonde hair, like the man kneeling beside her.
The woman rushed forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace, sobbing against her shoulder.
"Oh, my sweet Evelisse! I thought we'd lost you," the woman wept.
Emily sat stiffly, unsure how to react. The man placed a gentle hand on her head.
"It's alright, our precious flower. You're safe now," he whispered, his voice cracking.
One of the boys, a tall, muscular one, stepped forward. "Sis... you scared us half to death," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Another boy, younger with a mop of curly blonde hair, pouted. "You can't just sleep for so long without telling us you'd wake up," he huffed.
Emily's eyes darted from one face to another. There were seven of them—brothers, she guessed, based on how they talked to her. The oldest looked around twenty, while the youngest seemed about fourteen. Their presence was overwhelming, and she couldn't help but feel her throat tighten.
"I... I..." she stammered, unsure of what to say.
The door opened once more, and an elderly man with a kind face and gentle eyes stepped in. He wore a dark robe and carried a leather bag.
"Your Majesty, Your Grace," he greeted the couple with a bow. "Please allow me to examine the princess."
The queen reluctantly released Emily, and the doctor approached, setting his bag on the bedside table.
"How do you feel, Your Highness?" he asked, voice soothing.
"I... feel strange," Emily whispered, her voice tiny and unsure.
He nodded. "That's understandable. You've been through quite the ordeal for a young child of your status. Do you remember anything?"
Emily hesitated. 'Should I tell them the truth? That I'm not their princess? That I'm someone else entirely? Would they believe me?'
"I... don't know," she mumbled.
The doctor glanced at the king and queen, his expression grave. "Amnesia is common after such trauma. Her Highness needs gentle reintroduction to familiar faces and routines. Overwhelming her may cause further confusion."
The king sighed heavily. "As long as she's safe, that's all that matters."
The queen sniffled, wiping her tears away. "Yes. We'll take it one day at a time."
The brothers nodded in agreement, although they looked visibly distressed.
"Your Majesty. Considering the trauma of her ordeal... it would be best to reintroduce yourselves gently."
The woman stroked the girl's cheek, her touch tender. "Evelisse, it's me. Your mother. Queen Seraphina."
The words felt foreign, yet the warmth in the woman's touch made her want to believe it. She glanced at the towering man, whose fierce green eyes softened as he held her hand.
"I'm your father, King Aldric," he said, his voice barely holding back emotion.
The young men stepped forward, one after another, each bowing slightly.
"I'm Lucien, your eldest brother," said the muscular one and a serious expression.
"Jared, second eldest," announced a tall, lean boy with a cocky smirk, though his eyes were damp.
"Callum," mumbled the third, his platinum blonde hair falling into his eyes.
"Marcus," whispered another, his blonde hair matching their father's.
The next two, twins with curly blonde hair, smiled timidly. "Leo and Lance," they said in unison.
The last one, the youngest among the brothers but still much older than her, knelt by the bed and ruffled her hair. "And I'm Felix. You always said I'm your favorite, remember?"
She blinked, overwhelmed. Seven brothers. A queen and a king. All looking at her as if she were their most precious treasure.
The ache in her heart eased just a bit when the youngest brother slipped his hand into hers, squeezing gently.
"It's okay, Eve," he whispered. "We're here."
Tears pricked her eyes. A family that cared... It was so foreign to her.
The doctor gestured for the family to step out, giving her space to rest. As they filed out, talking in hushed tones, Emily caught snippets of their conversation.
"Is it really amnesia?"
"What if she never remembers?"
"She's still our little sister. That's all that matters."
Once the room quieted, Emily reached up, touching her vibrant red hair again.
'I'm Evelisse now,' she thought. 'A princess. A beloved little sister. But... why me? Why did I get another chance?'
Before she could spiral further into her chaotic thoughts, a soft, melodic chime echoed in her mind, startling her. She whipped her head around, her wide green eyes scanning the empty room. The air felt charged, tingling against her skin like a gentle, static pulse.
Suddenly, a tiny, glowing orb of pink light appeared before her, flickering like a playful firefly. It bounced in midair, spinning in circles before slowly expanding, its light stretching and warping until it solidified into the shape of a small, chibi-like creature.
Emily's breath hitched, and she clutched the silk sheets, her eyes locked on the floating figure. It was a tiny, fluffy pink fennec fox, no larger than her palm, with oversized ears, sparkling blue eyes, and a tail so bushy it nearly doubled its size. It hovered in the air, its tiny, rounded paws tucked under its chin as it gave her a wide, toothy grin.
"Eep!" Emily yelped, nearly tumbling off the bed as the creature blinked at her, its head tilting curiously.
"Oh! Did I scare you?" it chirped, its voice high-pitched and impossibly cute, like a child's laugh mixed with the tinkling of a silver bell. It flapped its tiny wings—wait, wings?—and spun in place, its tail swishing back and forth like a feather duster.
'W-What is that?! A... a fairy? A ghost? No... it's... it's too fluffy for that...' she thought, her heart racing as the fox creature floated closer, its big, round eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Hello, Princess Evelisse!" it chirped, doing a little flip in the air before settling into a comfortable hover just above her head. "I'm your Fluff System, here to guide you through your new, pampered princess life! My name is Fluffy, and I'm here to make sure you live your best, fluffiest life ever!"
Emily's jaw dropped, her mind struggling to process the absurdity of the situation. She reached up, hesitantly poking the creature with a shaky finger. It felt... soft, like cotton candy, with a faint warmth that tingled against her skin.
The fennec fox giggled, spinning in place as if delighted by her touch. "Oh! You're so cute when you're curious! I can see why you were chosen as our new host!"
Emily blinked, her fingers still hovering in the air where the creature had spun. 'Host? Chosen? What... what is this thing talking about?'
Fluffy's eyes sparkled as it noticed her confusion, its tiny, pointed ears perking up. "Oh, right! You must be very confused! Let me explain!" It puffed out its chest, its fluffy fur fluffing up even more as it cleared its tiny, imaginary throat.
"I am the Fluff System," it declared, its voice taking on a dramatic, sing-song tone. "I was assigned to you, Princess Evelisse, to guide you through your new life as a pampered, beloved little princess! In exchange for granting you a second chance at life, you must complete weekly fluffy tasks to maintain your status as the kingdom's most cherished flower!"
Emily's heart skipped a beat, her mind reeling as the fox's words sank in. 'Second chance at life? Does... does that mean... I really... died? That I'm... not Emily anymore?'
Before she could fully process the implications, the fox continued, its tiny wings fluttering as it floated closer to her face, its big, sparkling eyes locking onto hers.
"Of course, there's a catch!" it chirped, its tone turning slightly more serious. "If you fail to maintain your new life as the beloved Princess Evelisse, your body will return to its vegetative state, and your soul will be forced to wander the void for all eternity! Isn't that exciting?!"
Emily's heart lurched, her small hands clutching the sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white. 'What... what kind of fucking twisted deal is this?!'