The clock had ticked past midnight, but Aira was still awake. Her small apartment was silent, save for the hum of her old ceiling fan. Books and half-finished notes were scattered on the table, the remains of another long day. She sighed and pushed her loose hair away from her face.
"Another sleepless night," she muttered.
This was not unusual. For as long as she could remember, she had found peace in stories. They were her escape from the same routine. An ordinary job, an ordinary day, and a life that often felt so distressing. But tonight, her escape would take a surprising turn.
Earlier that day, on her way home, she stopped and went to the secondhand bookstore, which was between the two closed shops. She found the old, weathered novel, which was hidden at the bottom of a shelf. When she opened it, the spine was cracked, and the gold lettering on the cover had faded with time.
Its title glowed faintly under her desk lamp: "The Cursed Princess."
"No author? No publisher?" Aira tilted her head and flipped to the first page. "That's strange."
The words inside were strangely attractive. The story was about a kingdom ruled by deceit, betrayal, and bloodshed. At its center was Princess Elira, a cruel and arrogant villain whom everyone ignored. She was about to meet a tragic end, but she was executed so that the heroine could have a happy ending.
Aira should have closed the book. She should have thrown it aside like every other fantasy story she read. But something about it caught her attention. The sentences felt alive, as if they were whispering directly to her.
When she reached the final chapter, the air in her room felt heavy. Her pulse quickened as she read the chilling final line: "The villainess must die... Her curse cannot be broken."
She blinked, and her chest tightened.
"The villainess must die...huh". Poor thing. "I guess she never got a chance."
Her eyelids grew heavy, but she couldn't put the book down. She leaned back in her chair, the story still echoing in her mind. Slowly, her vision blurred. The letters on the page flashed like fireflies.
Then-
Thump
Her heart beat. The book slipped from her hand and hit her chest.
WHOOSH.
A gust of wind blew through the closed windows, and the loose pages of her notebook scattered into the air. The curtains danced wildly even though the glass was tightly closed. The temperature in the room dropped, and Aira shivered.
"What the...?" she whispered, trying to stand. But her body felt unbearably heavy. Her surroundings distorted, and the walls of her room blurred into shadows. The ticking of the clock grew louder deafening.
Thump thump Thump
Her heartbeat was pounding like a drum in her ears.
And then...
The darkness swallowed her whole.
When Aira opened her eyes again, she had expected to see her cramped apartment. Instead, a blinding golden light greeted her.
The ceiling above was adorned with delicate crystal chandeliers. Heavy silk curtains framed the windows, and the soft surface beneath her was nothing like the worn mattress she had slept on for years.
"What…?" she whispered, sitting up. Her hands froze.
Her arms were thin and pale. Her skin shone as if barely touched. She glanced aside and almost fell out of bed. A mirror stood in the room, and in it she saw a girl who was not her.
The face was beautiful, sculpted, and almost unnaturally beautiful. Long golden hair curled over bejeweled shoulders. She wore the clothes of royalty. She wore a gown that was fitted for the occasion, heavy with pearls and embroidery. A crown rested on her head, small but unmistakably real.
"No, no, it's not me."
Her trembling fingers touched her reflection, and a cold feeling came over her. She recognized the face. She had seen the pictures in the book.
The name flashed through her mind like poison.
Princess Elira. Villainess.
Her blood ran cold.
Memories of Elira's arrogance, her cruelty, the hatred of the people, and the prophecy that sealed her fate flooded back to her. The cursed words of the book echoed in her ears:
"The villainess must die. Her curse cannot be broken."
"No!" Aira gasped, clutching her chest. "It can't be happening. I...I was just reading a story. It's not real. This can't be real!"
But the cool silk sheets beneath her fingers and the weight of the crown pressed to her forehead were all real.
Suddenly, the heavy doors of the chamber swung open. A maid in a black and white uniform entered, her expression a mixture of fear and disgust.
"Your Majesty," the maid bowed coldly. "The council awaits you."
Aira's stomach churned. She didn't know the council, and she didn't know what they wanted, but a terrible instinct told her that this was the path that led to the downfall of the villainess.
The bells of the kingdom rang in the deep distance, an ominous chime that shook her bones.
Each strike felt like a countdown.
Her cursed fate had begun.