Rain poured without mercy that night.

The world outside her window blurred in streaks of gray and lightning, a reflection of the storm inside her heart. On the cold marble floor of her small apartment, Elara Vexley sat trembling, her hands clutching the crumpled photos that once meant everything to her

Each photo was a memory, laughter at school, smiles with friends, moments of trust, all lies

Her fingers shook as she traced the faces of the people who destroyed her. Mira, her best friend who spread the rumors. Axel, the man who played with her heart and humiliated her in front of everyone. Clara, the queen of manipulation who led the bullying while pretending to be kind

They ruined her reputation. They turned everyone against her. And when she begged for mercy, no one listened

> “You’re nothing but a burden,” she remembered Mira’s voice echoing through the school hallway, laughter following like knives slicing through her soul. “People like you don’t deserve sympathy,” Axel had told her with that cruel smirk

---

The rain masked the sound of her quiet sobs. She wanted to stop caring. She wanted to stop hurting. But pain had been her only companion for too long

The message on her phone glowed through the darkness, another post mocking her, another betrayal shared online. Her trembling thumb scrolled down until the words blurred from her tears

> "Elara Vexley tried to act innocent again. How pathetic"

---

Her lips parted in a fragile breath, the air thick with despair. “Why... why me?” she whispered. “What did I ever do to deserve this?”

No answer came. Only thunder.

Only the suffocating silence of loneliness

She stood and walked toward the window, staring at the endless night sky. A strange calm filled her, a silence that wasn’t peace but surrender

> “Maybe... if I disappear, everything will finally stop hurting”

---

She closed her eyes. The sound of the storm was the last thing she heard

---

When Elara opened her eyes again, sunlight filtered through lace curtains.

Her heartbeat quickened, the walls were different. The bed was different. The air smelled faintly of lavender and summer

She bolted upright, confusion flooding her senses. This wasn’t her apartment.

This was... her old bedroom

The posters on the wall, the stack of schoolbooks, the cracked photo frame on her desk, everything was the same as it had been five years ago

Her body trembled as she stumbled toward the mirror. Her reflection stared back, younger, softer, untouched by years of pain. Her hair wasn’t cut short from stress; her eyes weren’t dull with suffering

“No... this can’t be real,” she whispered, touching her face. “I died. I-I remember dying”

Memories crashed like waves, the betrayal, the fall, the pain, the darkness. Yet here she was, breathing again

Her phone buzzed on the desk. The wallpaper showed the date, April 4, five years ago.

The day everything started to fall apart

Her breath caught in her throat. Fate had thrown her back, not as mercy, but as a test

She clenched her fists. The warmth of her palm felt real. The heartbeat in her chest was strong.

And this time, she wouldn’t be the same weak girl who let others control her

A slow, cold smile spread across her lips

> “You destroyed my life once,” she whispered, eyes glinting with fire “Let’s see how you survive when I take everything from you”

The faint reflection of her younger self stared back, a mixture of innocence and vengeance.

This time, Elara wouldn’t beg for kindness.

This time, she would be the storm

\>To be continued to the next episode ඩා

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The morning sun spilled through the curtains, painting her room in soft gold, but to Elara, the light felt unfamiliar, too warm for a world she once escaped

She sat on her bed, gripping the bedsheet as the memories clashed with reality. Everything looked exactly as it was, her uniform neatly folded, her old phone model lying beside her bag, even the small bracelet that Mira once gave her before stabbing her in the back

Her chest tightened. “So it’s true… I’m really back”

The faint sound of her mother’s voice calling from downstairs jolted her from her thoughts. She hadn’t heard that voice in years, kind, gentle, still alive. The memory of her mother’s funeral flashed in her mind, the tears, the loneliness that followed

This time, she wouldn’t let that happen

“Elara! You’ll be late for school again!”

“I’m coming, Mom,” she called out, her voice shaky but alive with determination

She took one last look at the mirror, at the face of a girl who once suffered, who was now reborn with vengeance in her veins. Then she smiled. Cold,and ontrolled

---

The streets leading to the academy felt painfully nostalgic, the scent of morning dew, the chatter of students, the laughter she once found comforting. She had walked this path every day, unaware that those same voices would soon tear her life apart

When she reached the school gates, the memories flooded back, the stares, the whispers, the fake smiles

“Elara!”

That voice, sweet, cheerful, dripping with poison.

'Mira'

Her best friend. Her betrayer

Elara turned slowly, schooling her expression into a warm smile. Mira ran toward her, her chestnut curls bouncing, her smile wide and familiar

“There you are! I’ve been texting you all morning!” Mira said, linking her arm with Elara’s. “You’re spacing out again — seriously, you’re too dreamy sometimes!”

Elara wanted to laugh. Too dreamy. That’s what Mira used to call her when she wanted to distract her from seeing the lies behind her eyes

“Sorry,” Elara replied sweetly, “I guess I didn’t sleep much last night”

Mira giggled, unbothered. “You’re hopeless. Anyway, Axel’s waiting at the courtyard. He said he wants to walk with us to class!”

Her heart twitched at the name. Axel Thorn, the charming, silver-tongued boy who used her affection only to humiliate her in front of everyone later

She inhaled deeply. This time, I won’t fall for you

When they reached the courtyard, Axel stood leaning against a tree, his tie slightly loosened, his usual smirk in place. His amber eyes found hers, and that familiar playfulness glimmered

“Elara,” he greeted, voice smooth as ever. “You look different today. Did you change your shampoo or something?”

Mira laughed, playfully shoving him. “You’re so obvious, Axel”

Elara tilted her head slightly, meeting his gaze without the shy, flustered reaction he expected. “Maybe,” she replied coolly. “Or maybe you just finally decided to notice me properly”

His smirk faltered, just for a second, something she didn’t miss

Inside, she smiled. Good. You’re not used to this version of me yet

---

Classes went by in a blur. She remembered everything that was about to happen, the quiz, the group project, the stolen notebook that would spark rumors about her “cheating.”

Not this time.

She made sure to guard her things carefully, watching Mira and her circle through the reflection of the classroom window. Their laughter, their glances, the whispers, she could almost predict every movement

At lunch, Mira invited her to sit with the group, the same one that would eventually exile her

“Elara, sit here!” Clara, the manipulative leader, waved her over. Her perfect nails and angelic smile hid the darkness beneath, the one who started every rumor but never got caught

Elara smiled politely and took a seat. “Thanks, Clara”

Mira leaned closer, whispering, “You’re so quiet today. Everything okay?”

“I’m just… thinking,” Elara replied. “About how lucky I am”

“Lucky?” Mira blinked

“Yes.” Elara’s tone was gentle, but her eyes gleamed. “To have friends I can trust”

The table fell silent for a split second before Clara laughed, pretending not to notice the weight of her words. “Of course, you can trust us! Who else would put up with you, right?”

Everyone laughed, except Elara, who only smiled faintly

Inside, her fury burned quietly. Enjoy your jokes while you can

---

When classes ended, she stayed behind, sitting by the window as the sunset painted the sky in crimson. The same color as revenge

Her reflection in the glass stared back, the face of the victim who had died once before

She whispered to herself, “You wanted me broken, Mira. You wanted me humiliated, Axel. You wanted me erased, Clara. But guess what…”

Her lips curled into a smile, cold and sharp

> “This time, I’ll play your game, and win”

The door creaked open. A boy with dark hair stepped in, someone she hadn’t seen yet today. Rowen, the quiet classmate who once tried to defend her before being silenced by the group’s bullying

He looked startled. “Oh, I didn’t realize someone was still here”

Elara looked at him, her expression softening slightly. “It’s fine. I was just leaving”

As she passed him, their eyes met. For a brief second, she saw kindness, something she hadn’t felt in a long time

Maybe, in this new timeline, not everything had to be darkness. But she would decide that later

For now, vengeance came first

As she stepped out of the classroom, her voice whispered like a vow carried by the evening wind:

> “They’ll regret the day they hurt me”

\>To be continued to the next episode ඩ

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The sky had turned a soft shade of orange when Elara left the school gates.

The wind was calm now, brushing against her hair gently, almost as if the world itself had slowed down, as if it knew she was no longer the same girl it once destroyed.

She walked along the familiar path home, her mind replaying the faces she had seen again, Mira’s fake laughter, Axel’s smug smile, Clara’s condescending tone. Each of them was alive, laughing, unaware that the girl they had killed once had returned.

Elara’s lips curved slightly. Enjoy your peace while it lasts.

As she turned the corner of the park near her neighborhood, she froze.

A tall figure stood beneath the old oak tree, the one where she used to spend her afternoons as a child, drawing and reading books. The boy’s back was to her, his hair catching the sunlight, messy yet familiar. Her heart skipped a beat.

That silhouette... she knew it. She could never forget it.

“Joshua...?” she whispered.

He turned.

And for the first time in years, or rather, in lifetimes, she saw Joshua Hale, her childhood friend. The one who had once been her light in the darkness.

His brown eyes widened in disbelief before softening into warmth. “Elara? Wow… it’s really you”

The corners of his lips lifted into the same smile she remembered, honest, gentle, untouched by cruelty.

She couldn’t speak at first. Her chest felt tight. The memory of him crying at her grave flashed vividly in her mind, his trembling voice saying he was sorry for not protecting her.

And now, here he was again, alive and breathing, standing before her as if fate had given her another miracle she didn’t ask for.

“You still come here?” she managed to ask, her voice low.

Joshua rubbed the back of his neck, a little shy. “Yeah. Guess I never grew out of it. This place just… feels peaceful, you know?”

Elara smiled faintly. “You’re still the same”

He laughed softly. “And you… you’ve changed. You look… stronger somehow”

She tilted her head. “Is that a compliment?”

Joshua chuckled. “It is. You used to hide behind me when we were kids. Now you look like the one who’d protect me instead”

Elara’s heart warmed at his teasing, though behind her smile was a shadow of sorrow. If only you knew how broken I really became.

They walked together toward the park bench beneath the oak. The moment felt surreal, as if the universe was trying to remind her of what she had lost… and what she still had the power to change.

“So,” Joshua began, looking at her curiously, “what brings you here? Haven’t seen you around this park in years”

Elara hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “I guess I just… wanted to revisit some memories”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. This place holds a lot of ours, doesn’t it? Remember when we used to build forts here? You always insisted yours was better”

She laughed softly. “That’s because mine was better. You just didn’t want to admit it”

Joshua smiled at the sound of her laughter, a sound he hadn’t realized he missed so much. “I’m glad you’re smiling again, Elara. I don’t know why, but I had this feeling something bad happened to you before… and seeing you now, it’s like the world’s back in color”

Her heart stuttered at his words.

If only he knew how painfully close that feeling was to the truth.

She turned to him, her expression softening. “Joshua… have you ever felt like life gave you a second chance?”

He blinked, surprised by the sudden seriousness in her tone. “Hmm. Can’t say I’ve ever thought about it that way. Why?”

Elara looked up at the fading sky, her eyes distant. “Maybe because I feel like I’m living mine now”

Joshua’s gaze lingered on her, something about her felt different, deeper, almost fragile beneath her calmness. “Whatever happened, Elara… I’m just glad you’re here”

The sincerity in his voice hit her harder than she expected. In her first life, she had been too blinded by false friendships and toxic love to notice the one person who truly cared for her. The one who never once hurt her.

In this life, she wouldn’t make the same mistake.

“Joshua,” she said softly, turning toward him. “Thank you… for being you”

He smiled, a little confused but touched. “You’re welcome, I guess? Though I’m not sure what I did”

“You existed,” she said simply.

That made him laugh. “You always say weird things, Elara”

She smiled back, though her eyes shimmered faintly. “Yeah, maybe I do”

---

As the sun dipped lower, they walked home together, just like they used to. The air between them was filled with the kind of warmth that Elara hadn’t felt in years.

For a moment, revenge faded from her mind, replaced by something fragile, something she thought she had buried long ago: comfort.

Joshua stopped in front of her gate. “So… see you tomorrow?”

Elara blinked, caught off guard. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “I pass by your house every morning anyway. Might as well walk together. You don’t get to say no”

Elara laughed quietly. “You haven’t changed at all”

He shrugged, his grin widening. “And I hope you don’t either, at least, not too much”

She watched as he waved goodbye and walked down the road, the sunset framing his silhouette like something out of a forgotten dream.

When he disappeared from view, Elara placed her hand over her heart.

“Joshua…” she whispered. “In my last life, you cried for me. This time, I’ll make sure you never have to”

Her eyes hardened slightly, the softness in them now lined with purpose.

> “But before peace… there must be revenge”

\>To be continued to the next episode ඩා

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