ARIELLE
"This can't be real..." I muttered as I blinked at my reflection, completely stunned by what I was seeing.
Since the moment I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the small, round mirror in my shabby old room, I had probably spent hours scrutinizing it, unable to believe my eyes.
It was not the woman I remembered staring back at me. No, it was a girl no older than eighteen, with long, wavy brown hair, deep blue eyes shining like the ocean surface in the early morning, pale, yet smooth skin with a pinkish hue still lingering right under its surface.
I wasn't a stunning beauty by any means, but I looked radiant and youthful, with no trace of stress or exhaustion that had marred my complexion right before my imminent demise.
"It's me," I murmured, now twirling naked in front of the mirror in search of something that would prove me otherwise. "It's definitely me. I was... born again..?"
The thought itself made me shudder in confusion. How was it even possible? I definitely remembered dying at Serena's hands, sprawled on the cold floor as my cold blood covered the stone below me.
But here I was, completely fine again. Back in the past, right before my life had turned into a complete mess.
A loud knock shattered the silence in my room, making me spin on my heels toward the door.
"Are you still asleep, you lazy girl?!" A woman grumbled behind the door, her tone bursting with anger. "It's seven in the morning already! Get dressed and drag your ass down to work, or I will send the master to drag you out himself!"
"Work?" I whispered to myself, and all of a sudden, everything clicked as if the scattered pieces of my mind's puzzle completed the picture all at once.
This must be the rogue working house I grew up in, I then remembered, taking a moment to finally look around the room.
It was a small, suffocating place filled with dust and all kinds of unpleasant odors seeping inside from all around the house. There was barely any furniture, so I had to make do with a bed, a broken closet, a chair, and a small desk with a round mirror on it.
I was one of the maids in the Eastern Rogue Settlement, and although I was born a female, due to my sturdy build, I had to work with others at the moon crystal mines. It was hard work, and it was thanks to it that I had a more masculine physique despite having developed quite outstanding curves.
This build of mine... had often been the reason for mockery in the past. Or... rather, in my previous life.
"I haven't shifted yet," I mumbled as I put on my work attire, "which means I haven't turned eighteen yet. Well, this is... something."
As I finished my preparations and finally exited my room, I faced the woman who had come to fetch me.
She looked younger than her voice suggested, but the nasty mug on her tanned face made her instantly recognizible.
"Morning, Mary," I threw her a fake smile, marching ahead without waiting for her reply. She proceeded to yap about my tardiness, but I couldn't care less about what she had to say.
My head was still spinning from the mere thought of having been born again, but there was also something else that wouldn't leave my mind alone.
I had to do something.
I had somehow been given this incredible chance to start my life again, so I needed to do something to rewrite my horrible fate and protect myself from the enemies I had yet to encounter.
But where would I even start?
"Oi! Are you listening?" Mary's rumble suddenly cut through my thoughts, forcing an annoyed frown between my brows.
"What is it?"
"Talking back to me, are we?" She snarled, poking her meaty finger at my chest in a threatening manner. "I gotta talk to the alpha about your behavior – it's been getting out of hand lately! Who do you think you are, huh? You are just a dirty rogue like everyone else here, so don't you ever fucking talk down at me again!"
What a nasty bitch! I spat internally, doing my best to force another smile.
"I'm sorry," I purred, hoping she would get off my back somehow. "What were you saying?"
"You keep slacking off, and it affects our team's performance," Mary replied, hurrying her steps to take the lead. "You'd better shape up or I will have the guys do it for you!"
"Yes, I'm sorry," I tried to sound as calm as possible, even though I knew perfectly well that the only one who had always been slacking off was she and her little gang.
"Hey, don't just dismiss me like––"
"Oi, Arielle!" Another female voice made Mary finally shut up. We both turned around and saw a short, skinny girl run toward us, panting as she tried to speak. "There is someone to see you. It's urgent. They are from... ehm, yes – the Blackstone pack!"
"What?" Mary snarled. "What the fuck does she have to do with them?"
The girl could only shrug dismissively. "They said they came here to pick her up."
Oh... I smiled to myself, my heartbeat racing. So it's that time. Perfect.