The first sound Serina heard wasn't the ringing of bells or footsteps of the maids below.
It was her own heartbeat.
Pounding. Wild. Disbelieving.
She gasped—lungs straining as if she'd just surfaced from drowning—pulling in cold, floral air that wasn't supposed to exist. Her fingers clawed at the bedsheets, twisted in lace and velvet.
Silk.
Not chains. Not blood.
She sat up so sharply her head spun. A polished mirror hung across from her bed, and for a moment she stared, her breath caught in her throat.
The girl in the reflection had smooth, unmarred skin. No iron collar. No branded mark. No blood crusted in her silver hair.
No scars.
Only wide violet eyes and trembling hands that clutched the academy uniform at her chest.
This was—
She choked.
This was before.
The towers outside the arched windows stood tall, without the soot marks. The air carried cherry blossoms and parchment, not smoke and iron.
Virellion Royal Academy.
She hadn't stood in this room in over five years. Not since…
Not since she'd been executed.
Executed for betrayal. For treason against the very crown she loved. For the death of the girl she once—
No.
Not again.
---
One Hour Earlier – Before Sunrise
The dormitory was quiet, save for the occasional whisper of wind through half-cracked glass.
Serina stood barefoot on the balcony, barely wrapped in her robe, letting the pre-dawn chill slice through her skin. She wanted to feel something real. Something sharp enough to prove this wasn't a dream.
When she pressed her fingers to her lips, they didn't tremble. They shook.
"You gave me another chance."
Her voice was hoarse. Quiet.
Whether it was a god, fate, or something darker… Serina didn't care.
All that mattered was the truth that screamed in her veins:
She was back.
She had time.
And this time… she wouldn't let Elyra die.
---
Later That Morning
The academy's great bell rang in the distance, calling students to the courtyard for orientation. Serina dressed slowly, still adjusting to the texture of fresh clothes that didn't reek of cell rot and despair.
As she brushed out her silver hair, a flash of memory sliced into her mind—
A moment.
A scream.
Elyra, falling.
The crimson-stained balcony.
Her hand outstretched.
Gone.
Serina gripped the comb tightly. Her reflection stared back, unscarred.
Not again.
She would rewrite everything. Even if she had to burn the world to do it.
---
Virellion Courtyard – First-Year Assembly
Sunlight spilled over gold-plated banners as students gathered in tight clusters, whispering about dorm placements, noble rankings, and inherited talents.
Serina stood alone.
As in her last life, no one noticed her. She had no known House. No family ties. Just a name that had once been cursed by nobles and forgotten by history.
Perfect.
She preferred it that way.
A flash of light near the stage drew her attention. Her breath stopped.
There she was.
Crowned in white and sapphire, eyes calm and unreadable as moonlight—
Elyra Virellion.
The Princess of the Academy.
Alive.
Serina's heart clenched. That face. That voice. That posture. The one who had once smiled so softly, and later wept while signing the execution order.
The girl she—
No. That word didn't belong here. Not yet.
Serina lowered her gaze and slipped into the crowd.
But not before Elyra's eyes flicked toward her. Just for a second.
Their eyes met.
Something flickered in the princess's gaze. Recognition? A chill?
Then it was gone.
---
Back in the Dorm – Nightfall
Serina inspected every corner of her room: the drawer with the secret key, the hollow in the stone behind her pillow. Everything was just as she remembered it.
Her hands moved automatically, hiding items she would need later. Sealing runes. Dust chalk. A thin dagger tucked under the mattress.
The past was her weapon now.
A letter slipped under the door.
No name. Just a silver seal.
She opened it. A single sentence.
> You don't belong here. Leave before the Solstice Ball, or you'll regret returning.
She stared at the parchment, then smiled coldly.
"You have no idea what I've already regretted."