“Haze! Haze!!! HAZEL VICTORIA JENNINGS! You’re still playing that game? You’ve been at it for a full week now?” My sister, Melissa, barged into my room, shouting.

I have to admit that she was right, I have been obsessed with this Otome game recently and I might have gone overboard. After staying up almost four days in a row, I’ve completed 4 out of 5 routes and won over most of the capture targets. Lovely Goddess, I’ve been waiting for this game for a full year now and I had no plans of going anywhere or doing anything else before completing all the routes available.

“Get out! I’m almost done and you’re bothering me”, I shooed her away before focusing once again on the game.

“Mom sent me to tell you that she’s going to confiscate your computer if you don’t stop this nonsense” she said, entering the room and lying on my bed.

“Give me an hour, I’m almost done.”

“Mom’s not going to be happy” she laughed “as a matter of fact, you’re already grounded for skipping school. I just came here to see my future room since Mom’s probably going to kill you and I get to take your room, your clothes and shoes.”

“Did you also come here looking for death? Because if you don’t quietly exit this room, that’s what you’ll get.” I hissed.

Despite being twins, my sister and I had always been at odds. More like she was super annoying and dealing with her was exhausting! I still love her though… but I also want to slap the shit out of her. Especially now, her voice was getting on my nerves.

As I turned back to the screen, I suddenly felt a violent and agonizing pain in my head. I collapsed on the floor of my room holding my head in pain. The last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was Melissa rushing toward me screaming and crying.

I have a lot of regrets in my life. The main one being dying in such a dumb way. I was merely 17 years-old and didn’t even get to graduate High School.

I wonder if Melissa will be okay, I wasn’t the best sister to her, but she’ll probably cry and miss me lot, right? And Mom… I really messed up this time.

I was never the best daughter, I wasn’t obedient, I didn’t help her around the house as much as I should have and even after dying, I still bring her so many problems and so much grief. I know you can’t hear me, but I am truly sorry Mom, I hope you won’t cry too much because of me.

I’ve always been reckless and impulsive, but Melissa was there to pull my brakes. I used to find her annoying but at the same time, I was glad she was there, she was my security blanket. Always with me when I needed her the most. I regret being an ungrateful brat now, I never got to thank her for being there, for taking care of me, for being a better person than I ever was.

They say when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes, for me, it came as a realization of my own selfishness compared to the love and care I was bathed in by my family. Just thinking of Melissa, crying and holding my corpse in her arms, Mom coming back home after a long day at the hospital only to find out her daughter died.

All this for a game. A stupid. fucking. game.

If I could cry right now I would. If I could grab onto something, anything to climb back to life and apologize for being a shitty daughter, a horrible sister; I would promise to do better, be a better person, work harder at school, spend more time outside, help more at home… anything.

But there is nothing to grab onto, nothing to see or feel, nothing except me and my regrets.

I feel myself succumbing to slumber once more, this time forever.

I don’t how long I’ve been asleep when I felt my whole body burning. Am I in hell? Am I being punished for all eternity for making my family suffer? Isn’t that a little excessive though? Sure, I wasn’t a virtuous monk, but I didn’t kill anyone, I wasn’t a thief, a drug-dealer or a human trafficker! What did I do to deserve hell? God, if you exist, aren’t you being a little too demanding? I am but a flawed human. You created me so you should know not to expect much. At least send me to purgatory, I promise I can be redeemed.

The heat suddenly subsided, replaced by a sudden coldness that spread from my heart to the rest of my body. What the hell is going on? I opened my eyes only to be met with a white sheet covering my face. I tried moving my hands, but I felt weak, lethargic. Was I in a morgue? I’ve heard of instances where people die, as in their heart stops beating, only for them to wake up hours later in the morgue.

I tried to move again, the last thing I wanted was for them to dissect me thinking I’m dead. It was hard, it felt like my body refused to obey my brain. I sent the order “move” but my arms stayed immobile, they didn’t even flinch. I tried opening my mouth. Nothing. I couldn’t produce any sound either. What was happening to me? Was I really alive or was this my eternal punishment?

The heat returned, hotter than before, clashing with the coldness that already occupied my body. It was excruciatingly painful, but I couldn’t scream or cry, I could just endure. I can’t do this, it’s too much. I was about to lose consciousness when I heard a voice next to me.

“The young lady has been dead for a day now, is it not time to bury the body? Leaving her here could spread diseases”

“Do not speak like that Angela!”

Yeah don’t speak like that Angela, nobody taught you to respect the dead? I could come and haunt you, ya know.

“It is not like she can hear us. No one comes here anyway. It is not like the duke or duchess will rush here to defend their dead daughter’s honor, they did not even come when she was sick.”

“Still! you should respect the dead or Pradma Hafta will curse you.”

“Ugh! How dramatic! Let us go anyway, this room is getting creepier and creepier.”

Okay, now I’m confused. Am I not in a morgue? Duke? Duchess? What the fuck is going on?

Distracted by the two strangers’ conversation, I almost didn’t notice the pain subsiding. I almost didn’t hurt anymore and I felt more alive than before. I could feel my chest moving up and down as I breathed, I could feel the sheet on my skin.  I instinctively lifted my hand to push away the sheet.

I wasn’t in a morgue. The room I was in didn’t even remotely look like a morgue. I was in a very fancy room as indicated by the fluffy king-sized bed under me.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

I turned my head toward the scream that almost pierced my eardrums, there were two women on the floor, pointing toward me. Both of they were wearing maid outfits.

“Umm… excuse me, where am I?” I asked.

One of the ladies already fled the room while the other was trembling on the floor. She thought I was dead so I can’t really fault her for being terrified.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a ghost” I tried to reassure her. I lifted my upper body, attempting to leave the bed but failed miserably as I stumbled and fell on the floor. Immediately, the maid rushed toward me and easily carried me back to the bed.

“My lady do not move! Wait for the doctor here. It is a miracle! Pradma Hazn be praised.”

Either I lost a fuck ton of weight or this woman was stronger than she appeared to be able to lift me like that. I looked down at my body: it looked shorter and smaller, my skin looked pale, almost sickly and my hair was super long. Is this the effect dying has on the body?

After the doctor examined me, I was fed and left to rest. I still don’t know where I am and who these people are, they don’t look like hospital staff either. Something about this whole ordeal feels weird but I'm so glad I'm not dead.

Have they called Mom and Melissa? I hope I can see them soon, I miss them.

Nidange

Hey!  Meet Hazel she's our beloved protagonist :)

This is my first story ever. I didn't realize how hard it was not to get super excited and give away the whole story in the first chapter XD.

Anyway, I hope you'll like this story.