Emma felt the last breath of her life slip away. The real world, cold and indifferent, seemed to have always rejected her: painful divorces, betrayals, profound loneliness. Every moment of her life had reminded her that she would never experience genuine love or the warmth of a home.
Then, suddenly, a white, enveloping light emerged, engulfing her completely. Her body dissolved in a sensation both terrifying and exhilarating. Her mind remained, fully aware, while her body reformed elsewhere, in an unknown universe. She felt her memories and skills as a doctor merging with this new body: her delicate hands, her reflexes, and her intelligence fused with a mysterious energy she had never known.
— Where… am I? she murmured, her voice foreign to her own ears.
Then a man appeared. Franck, in dark attire, his piercing eyes seeming to read her every thought. His expression was stern, but a glimmer of curiosity passed through his gaze.
— You are awake, mage Emma, he said calmly. We feared we might lose you.
Mage? Emma felt a strange force coursing through her veins, merging with her memories and skills from the real world. This rebirth was not just a new life: it was a second chance to live fully, to learn to love, and to rebuild herself.
— I… I am… a doctor, she finally said, her voice trembling.
Franck slightly furrowed his brows but gave a faint, subtle smile:
— Doctor or mage, it matters not. The kingdom needs your talents. And you, more than anyone, may change destiny itself.
A messenger arrived, running, holding a sealed scroll.
— Your Highness, the situation is urgent. The council demands your presence to decide the future of the family and the kingdom.
Franck turned toward Emma, and for a moment, his eyes conveyed challenge, curiosity, and an unspoken anticipation.
— It seems your first lesson will be… to understand your role here, he murmured. And perhaps, to learn the ways of your new heart.
The shock came when she entered the family hall. Her father, imposing and austere, held a sealed scroll.
— You will marry the family's ally, he announced simply. No discussion. No objection.
Emma felt a chill run through her body: an imposed marriage, a destiny she had never chosen.
— But… I… I don't know this man! she protested, her throat tight.
— It matters not, her father replied, firm and definitive. It is your duty.
Thus began Emma's life in this new world: reborn, a stranger in a familiar body, a hostage to a marriage she did not desire, yet with an emotional rebirth offering her the chance to discover love and her own strength.
The wind blew through the open windows, carrying a whisper that felt almost magical: warning, call, promise. Emma inhaled deeply. The world had changed, but for the first time in a long while, a spark of life was reborn within her.