The moment I opened my eyes…

…I was lying on cold marble, surrounded by people who wanted me dead.

The first thing I felt wasn’t fear.

It was pain.

A sharp, burning sensation spread through my throat, like I had swallowed fire. My fingers twitched weakly against the polished floor. My vision blurred, then sharpened—and that’s when I realized…

This wasn’t a hospital.

This wasn’t my room.

This wasn’t my life.

“Your Majesty, look! She’s still breathing!”

A woman’s shrill voice pierced the air.

Footsteps rushed toward me.

Heavy. Urgent. Royal.

I tried to sit up—but my body refused to cooperate. My limbs felt чужा… чужा नहीं—alien. Like they didn’t belong to me.

“What… is…” My voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar.

Not mine.

Not even close.

A shadow fell over me.

I forced my eyes upward—and froze.

A man stood there, draped in royal silk, his presence suffocating. His sharp features were carved in cold authority. Eyes like steel. Emotionless. Watching me like I was something… disposable.

The King.

No—wait.

Not just a king.

Danger.

Every instinct in my body screamed it.

“She was poisoned, Your Majesty,” another voice said. Calm. Calculated. “But it seems… she refuses to die.”

A ripple of whispers spread across the hall.

Poisoned?

My heart skipped.

That’s when memories—not mine—crashed into my head like a storm.

A palace.

A girl.

A princess.

Hated. Isolated. Doomed.

Execution at dawn.

My breath hitched.

No.

No, no, no—

This wasn’t possible.

I was just studying last night. My exams. My life. My—

“Princess Arya,” the king’s voice cut through my panic like a blade, “you were caught attempting to poison the Queen.”

Silence.

Heavy. Crushing.

All eyes were on me.

Accusing.

Waiting.

“I…” My mind raced. Fast. Logical. Survival mode.

Poison. Execution. Palace politics.

This isn’t a dream.

This is a setup.

I swallowed, forcing my brain to stabilize.

Think.

Modern problem-solving. Evidence. Motive.

If she actually poisoned someone, why would she still be alive?

If I was poisoned too… then—

“I didn’t do it,” I said, my voice steadier this time.

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Bold.

Too bold.

The king’s gaze sharpened.

“Are you denying the evidence placed before the court?”

Evidence?

Good.

That means it can be challenged.

I pushed myself up, ignoring the dizziness. My head spun, but I forced my body to cooperate.

“I’m saying…” I paused, scanning the room.

Jeweled pillars. Guards. Nobles.

And then—

Her.

A woman seated beside the throne. Elegant. Composed. Eyes filled with something darker than anger.

Satisfaction.

The Queen.

She smiled.

Just a little.

That’s when I knew.

She did this.

“I’m saying the real culprit is still in this room,” I finished.

Silence dropped like a blade.

The Queen’s smile didn’t fade—but her fingers tightened slightly on the armrest.

Caught that.

Good.

The king stepped closer.

Too close.

His presence felt like pressure against my skin.

“Careful, Princess,” he said softly. Dangerously. “False accusations will only hasten your execution.”

Execution.

Right.

That part.

My pulse spiked—but I forced myself to stay calm.

Think like this is a case.

You know stories like this.

History. Power. Patterns.

“Then investigate properly,” I shot back.

Another gasp.

Okay… maybe tone it down.

But it was too late now.

The king studied me.

Not with anger.

With… curiosity.

That was worse.

“You’ve changed,” he said quietly.

My stomach dropped.

Of course.

The real princess wasn’t like this.

She was probably weak. Silent. Easy to kill.

And I?

I just challenged a king in front of his entire court.

Brilliant move.

The Queen leaned forward slightly. “Your Majesty,” she said sweetly, “the princess is clearly delirious from poison. Perhaps we should proceed with the execution before she causes further… disruption.”

There it was.

Urgency.

She wants me dead fast.

Why?

Because if I stay alive—

I’ll figure everything out.

“No,” the king said.

One word.

Final.

The entire court stilled.

“We delay the execution,” he continued, eyes still locked on mine. “Until tomorrow.”

Tomorrow?

That’s not mercy.

That’s a test.

“If you are innocent,” he said, “prove it.”

And just like that—

I had 24 hours to survive in a palace that wanted me dead.

“If I fail… I die.

If I succeed…

I might become something far more dangerous than they ever expected.”

🔥