"Chapter 1: The Awakening

Darkness. That is all she remembers before the world comes rushing back.

A faint beeping echoes around her, steady and rhythmic. The scent of antiseptic fills her lungs as she takes a shaky breath. Her eyelids feel heavy, her body weak, yet something feels… different.

With great effort, she pries her eyes open. The bright white ceiling of a hospital room greets her. A wave of dizziness washes over her as she turns her head slightly, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Her throat is dry, and an unsettling fear creeps into her chest.

She tries to move her hand and feels a soft weight pressing against her belly. Instinctively, she looks down—and freezes.

A swollen stomach.

Her breath hitches, panic bubbling inside her. This isn’t possible. She has already given birth. She has already… died.

Before she can spiral further, the door creaks open. A nurse steps in, offering a gentle smile. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

She opens her mouth, but no words come out. Her mind races, trying to grasp the impossible situation she finds herself in. Finally, she forces out a whisper, "What… what happened?"

The nurse adjusts the IV drip beside her bed before speaking. "You collapsed from stress. You’re seven months pregnant, so you need to take care of yourself."

Seven months.

Her hands tremble as she touches her stomach again. A soft kick responds, confirming what she already knows but refuses to accept.

She is reborn. But how? Her mind refuses to accept it. She isn’t supposed to be here, not in this time, not in this body again. Her fingers dig into the hospital sheets as panic surges through her. This has to be a dream, an illusion—anything but reality. How can she so easily accept something that defies all logic?