"Ah, I'm all ready at the end—oh my god, the story was so good!" I muttered to myself, hugging the paperback novel close to my chest. "I should head home fast and enjoy some food. Maybe even reread my favorite parts again."
My steps were light as I left the café, still lost in the aftertaste of the dramatic ending. The book's heroine had won her love, the villainess had met her ruin, and the world felt perfectly complete. It was the kind of story that made you sigh with satisfaction, the kind of tale that lingered in your heart long after the last page.
The traffic signal blinked red to green, and without thinking, I stepped off the curb. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I glanced down at it, mindlessly tapping at the screen. I never noticed the heavy truck barreling toward the crosswalk.
The horn blared. Too late.
There was no time to scream. Just a deafening crash, then nothing.
When I opened my eyes, I expected pain. Instead, I was met with a soft mattress beneath me, curtains fluttering with the scent of lavender, and the faint rustle of footsteps in the distance. I blinked rapidly. This wasn't my apartment. This wasn't even my world.
"Wha—what's happening? Did I die?!" My heart hammered against my chest.
I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the polished mirror on the wall. The reflection staring back at me wasn't my own.
Her hair shimmered like molten silver under the sunlight, falling in a smooth cascade past her waist. Her eyes—impossible, dazzling—were a deep, dark purple, like polished obsidian gemstones glinting in the light. Her face was beautiful, elegant, and untouchable.
"No, no, no… this can't be me," I whispered. My trembling hand rose to my cheek, the unfamiliar softness making me want to cry. "This is… Seleria Elyndra Lioran?"
I knew that name. My jaw dropped. Seleria wasn't just a character—she was the villainess from the very novel I had just finished reading. The jealous fiancée, the cold-hearted noblewoman who plotted against the heroine, the one fated to fall in disgrace and ruin.
A shiver ran down my spine.
"No way. I can't be her…!"
My chest tightened with panic. I clutched at my head, desperately trying to make sense of it all. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe I had hit my head too hard and my brain was making things up.
But the weight of the gown around my body, the faint perfume clinging to my skin, the sound of approaching footsteps—it all felt too real.
The door creaked open. A maid entered, bowing deeply. "My lady, you are awake. Thank the heavens. The duke has been worried sick."
I froze, words sticking in my throat. The duke? Her father? My father?
The maid's worried eyes searched mine, but I could only stare back in stunned silence. She curtsied quickly and rushed out, perhaps to summon someone else. My knees wobbled, and I sat back onto the bed, biting my lip.
"Okay, okay… think, think." I whispered to myself. "If this isn't a dream, then… maybe I really was reincarnated. Into the villainess. Into Seleria Elyndra Lioran."
A mix of dread and excitement swirled inside me. She was supposed to be the enemy of the heroine, destined to fall. But… what if I could change that? What if I could live as her differently?
Before I could dwell further, the sound of hurried footsteps thundered toward the room. The door burst open, and a tall man entered. His presence filled the space at once—broad shoulders, sharp features, and eyes that softened the moment they fell on me.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward, pulling me into a tight embrace.
But then—he froze. Just for a moment, his body stiffened against mine, as if something about me startled him. His breath caught, lingering in silence. Then, just as quickly, he regained his composure and held me even tighter.
He pulled back slightly, his voice low but urgent, trembling with worry.
"How are you? Does your body still hurt?"
I blinked up at him, utterly lost. My heart raced, confusion swirling with a strange ache in my chest. Who was he? Why was he looking at me like that?
Before I could stop myself, four words slipped out, shaky and uncertain.
"Umm… who are you?