The sharp blade glinted under the harsh sun as Amelia was dragged onto the execution platform.
One by one, prisoners were forced to kneel on the cold, bloodstained stone slab—their final moments witnessed by a roaring crowd and merciless officials. Amelia's knees scraped against the rough surface as they shoved her forward, her arms still bound, her heart screaming in her chest.
This is it. I'm really going to die… again.
She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from trembling.
Why? What kind of karma did I carry from my last life that I have to die like this?
But then—
Silence.
A stillness, unnatural and complete, washed over the world.
When Amelia opened her eyes again, everything had stopped.
The executioner stood frozen mid-swing, blade paused inches above the next prisoner. The crowd had turned into statues, their expressions locked in various states of glee, disgust, and boredom. Even the wind had ceased to blow.
The only sound was the rapid beating of Amelia's heart.
She gasped, stumbling back slightly on her knees. "Wh–what…?"
Her voice echoed in the silence. The world was dead around her—except her.
Then a voice—deep, calm, and strangely soothing—whispered in her ear:
"What's the rush to admit defeat so easily?"
She flinched, whipping her head left and right. "Who's there?"
The voice didn't come from any direction—it seemed to resonate inside her mind.
"Didn't I already make a contract with you to save your life?"
Amelia's breath hitched. Contract… Her thoughts flashed back to the blood-signed paper. "Elara?" she called, confused.
A low chuckle echoed around her—warm, mocking.
"Yes. Elara."
She frowned. "But… your voice—it's nothing like hers. Elara's a girl. You're… clearly not."
The voice ignored her question.
"This magic won't hold for long. I don't have time to waste."
"I will keep my promise. I'll save you… but you'll have to prove your worth."
Amelia's eyes narrowed. "Prove? How?"
"Among the prisoners here, some are mine. You'll need to free them as well. That's your task."
"What?!" she cried. "I can't even free myself! How do you expect me to—? I don't even know who they are!"
"They're not ordinary prisoners. If you use your mind, you'll know them when you see them."
"I'll create the opportunity. But you have to seize it."
And then… silence.
The voice faded. The chill in the air lifted.
The world snapped back into motion.
The sound of the crowd returned, the executioner resumed his swing, the guards barked orders. Screams and cheers echoed once more.
But Amelia was no longer the same.
Her heart still thundered, but now… there was fire in her chest. A purpose. A chance.
He's going to help me… I just have to be ready.
Now she wasn't just surviving—she was planning.