Chapter 1 : The Day I died
**February 2nd, 2025**
They surrounded her.
A circle of furious faces closed in, trapping Claire in the middle of the empty street. Someone shoved her hard from behind. Her knees slammed onto the rough pavement, sending a sharp jolt of pain through her body.
Laughter erupted.
Warm blood trickled down her forehead, blurring her vision. Her fingers trembled as she tried to push herself up, but another kick landed against her ribs, forcing the air out of her lungs.
“Finally on the ground?”
The voice was soft. Almost amused.
Claire froze.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Tasya stood in front of her.
Golden curls framed her pale face, glowing faintly under the flickering streetlight. She looked exactly the same as always — beautiful, confident… and terrifyingly calm.
“Sha…” Claire choked, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you… Don’t do this…”
A few girls behind Tasya snickered.
“You made too many mistakes, Claire,” Tasya said, tilting her head. “You thought you could treat people however you wanted and walk away untouched.”
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
“But every villain gets an ending.”
Something flashed in her hand.
Claire’s eyes widened.
“No—”
The knife plunged deep into her stomach.
Pain exploded through her body.
Her scream broke into a weak gasp as the world tilted violently. Sound faded into a distant ringing. The faces around her twisted into shadows.
Then she heard it.
A voice.
“CLAIRE!!”
Footsteps pounded against the pavement.
Through her fading vision, Claire saw a tall figure pushing through the crowd — Miko. His face was drained of color, eyes wide with shock.
“No… what did you do?!” he shouted.
He looked at her. Really looked.
But he didn’t move.
He didn’t stop the bleeding.
He just stood there… frozen.
Claire felt something inside her break before darkness swallowed everything.
---
**February 2nd, 2021**
“Claire! Wake up!”
A small hand shook her shoulder impatiently.
Claire’s eyes snapped open.
Air rushed into her lungs like she had been drowning. Her heart pounded wildly as she clutched her stomach — expecting pain, expecting blood.
There was nothing.
No wound.
No darkness.
Only the familiar pink ceiling of her bedroom.
“…Brian?”
Her voice came out hoarse.
Her little brother stood beside the bed, arms crossed. “Finally. You’ve been sleeping like a dead person. It’s already seven!”
Claire stared at him.
Alive.
Warm.
Real.
Her vision blurred.
Brian tossed her school uniform onto the bed. “Hurry up or Mom will yell at both of us.”
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Claire grabbed her phone with trembling hands.
The screen lit up.
**February 2nd, 2021.**
Her fingers went numb.
Her knees gave out as she sank onto the mattress.
*I’m back…*
Four years before her death.
Before the lies.
Before the cruelty.
Before the betrayal.
Fragments of memories crashed into her mind.
Diana crying in the bathroom.
Vienna laughing beside her.
Tasya whispering promises she never meant.
A knife sinking into flesh.
Claire pressed her palms against her temples, breathing hard.
“Not this time,” she whispered.
This time… she would survive.
---
Warm water streamed down her back as she stood under the shower, trembling.
A second life.
A chance to fix everything.
A chance to become someone better.
When she stepped out into the hallway, Imah, the maid, immediately appeared, wringing her hands nervously.
“I’m sorry, Miss Claire… I accidentally broke your favorite glass…”
Claire blinked.
In her past life, she would have shouted. Insulted. Humiliated.
But now…
“It’s okay” she said softly. “It’s just a glass.”
Imah stared at her in disbelief.
At the dining table, Brian frowned. “You’re weird today.”
Their mother entered, carrying a tray of sliced apples.
Claire’s chest tightened painfully.
In 2025… this woman would fall sick and never wake up again.
Before she could stop herself, Claire rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
Her mother laughed in surprise. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” Claire whispered, holding back tears. “I just… love you.”
---
The car stopped at the school gate.
Green Mint High School.
The place where her downfall had begun.
“Claire,” her mother said gently. “Please don’t bully anyone again. Last time your teacher called me.”
Guilt twisted inside her.
Diana.
“I won’t,” Claire promised.
---
Inside the classroom, Vienna waved excitedly.
“Claire!”
Claire forced a smile.
One by one, she recognized the faces of the people who would one day stand in that dark street.
“Why are you sitting there?” Vienna asked. “Your seat is with Tasya.”
Claire froze.
The memory of the knife flashed in her mind.
“I’m fine here,” she muttered.
At break time, Vienna grabbed her wrist. “Come on. Diana is back today. Let’s prank her again.”
Tasya grinned beside her.
Claire slowly pulled her hand away.
“I’m tired.”
Both girls stared at her in shock.
Claire walked out alone, her heart racing.
Near the garden, she spotted Diana standing quietly.
Fear filled the girl’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Claire said.
Diana blinked in disbelief.
“For everything.”
Claire turned and left before the girl could respond.
---
She collided with someone at the corridor corner.
A solid chest.
“Watch it,” the boy snapped.
Claire looked up.
Miko.
Her breath caught.
Memories flooded back — his horrified face… his voice screaming her name… his frozen body as she bled to death.
“I’m in a hurry,” she muttered, stepping past him.
Miko frowned, confused.
Since when did Claire ignore him?
---
Back in class, Claire tried to focus on the lesson.
She would change her fate.
She would uncover the truth.
She would never die like that again.
Something suddenly slid onto her desk.
A folded note.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Slowly, she opened it.
***I know how you die.***
Claire’s blood turned to ice.
With trembling hands, she turned around.
Someone was already watching her.
And when their eyes met, that person slowly raised a finger to their lips , a silent warning for her to stay quiet.
Then… they smiled.
Claire realized she could no longer trust the world around her. Every shadow might conceal a secret, every smile a hidden blade.
