Chapter Two: Forgotten

“Sara?”

The maid had barely stepped into the dusty storeroom when the girl’s eyes widened. “Why are you here? And… why do you look younger than before?”

Sara blinked in surprise. “What nonsense are you mumbling now? Have you finally lost your mind?”

The girl flinched slightly as the woman stomped further in, broom in hand and irritation on her face.

“Stay put in this room, do you hear me? Don’t even think about stepping outside,” Sara snapped. “I’ve been told not to let you set a single foot past this door. And if you disobey, you won’t be the only one punished. I will too.”

“Why?” the girl asked softly, confused. “Why can’t I go out?”

Sara scoffed. “Ha! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already? The Countess made it very clear—today is Lady Liliana’s sixth birthday. The entire mansion is preparing for the celebration. The guests will start arriving soon.”

She gave the girl a sharp look. “If you go wandering around and anyone sees you, it’ll ruin her special day. And she’ll be sad again. Do you really want to make the young lady cry?”

Her words were dripping with exaggerated pity, as though Liliana were a fragile, golden-hearted angel instead of the cruel girl she truly was.

Liliana’s birthday…

A memory flashed — the same celebration in her past life. Laughter, music, and light. And her, alone in this room. Forgotten. Cold.

Sara’s gaze swept over the girl one last time before turning away—lingering just a moment too long on her silver hair. “And cover that hair with something,” she muttered. “It’s weird.”

The door slammed shut behind her, and the lock clicked.

The girl stood frozen in the dim light, her small hands clenched into fists. Her heart thudded in her chest, louder than before.

“…Is this a dream?” she whispered to herself. “No. It’s too real to be a dream.”

A shard of cracked glass leaned against the far wall, left behind from some broken decoration. She crept toward it and stared.

A pale face looked back at her—young, round, and untouched by time or scars. Her hair, once dull from years of mistreatment, now shimmered like moonlight even in the dark room. And her eyes—deep, vivid red, like twin rubies—glowed softly under the faint sunlight slipping through the cracks. As for her hair silver and soft, like moonlight on snow.

The same hair her mother once had. The kind  her aunt always hated.

“I need to get myself together,” she whispered, tearing her gaze away from the reflection. “If I’ve really come back to the past… then I need to run away. If I stay here, I’ll die again before my eighteenth birthday. Just like last time.”

She sat down on the cold wooden floor, breathing deeply as she tried to think.

“Sara said today is Liliana’s sixth birthday… which means…” She paused.

“It’s also my birthday.”

Her voice was barely a whisper. “She’s one year older than me, and we were born on the same day. But everyone only remembers her birthday.”

Her shoulders slumped, a heavy silence filling the room. “No one remembers mine.”

A faint, bitter smile crossed her lips. “Of course they don’t.”

But her expression hardened again.

“Whatever. Right now, I need a plan. I need to get out of here. I need to survive.”

Her fingers curled tightly into the dusty blanket beneath her. “This time… I won’t let them win.”

Author's note:

Hello everyone 🤗. I'm a new writer and this is my first novel. I hope you enjoy reading it. 💖. If you find something that you think needs improvement please comment 🫂

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