...
The first thing I noticed was the silence.
Not the kind of silence you get in a library or a quiet park. This was the heavy, unnatural kind—like the world was holding its breath. No engine hum. No chatter. No distant sirens or vending machines beeping. Just… stillness.
Then came the pain.
A dull throb pulsed behind my eyes, growing sharper with every heartbeat. My limbs felt like they'd been filled with sand, heavy and slow to respond. I tried to move, but even lifting a finger felt like dragging it through molasses.
Where… am I?
I forced my eyes open.
The ceiling above me was impossibly high, carved from pale stone and painted with swirling patterns of gold and blue. A chandelier hung overhead, its crystals catching the morning light and scattering it across the room in soft, dancing fragments. The air smelled faintly of lavender and I could hear the singing of birds.
Definitely not my dorm.
I blinked again, slower this time, trying to piece together the last thing I remembered.
The bus. I'd been on the bus. I went to the last seat corner seat of the bus so that I could peacefully have the outside view, head against the window, earbuds in. I'd been so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, well that was obvious. Midterms had chewed me up and spit me out, and I'd finally let myself drift off, lulled by the rhythm of the road and the warmth of the sun on my face.
And now… this?
I turned my head, wincing at the stiffness in my neck. The bed beneath me was absurdly soft, like sinking into a cloud. The sheets were silk, embroidered with delicate silver thread in patterns I didn't recognize. A canopy of sheer fabric hung above, swaying gently as if stirred by a breeze I couldn't feel.
Okay. Deep breaths. Maybe this was a dream. A really vivid, really expensive dream.
I sat up slowly, clutching my head. That's when I noticed the chillness on my chest—a necklace, light-weighted and cold, with a pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It pulsed faintly with a soft blue light.
What the hell is this?
Before I could process it, the door burst open.
"Your Highness!"
A girl in a maid's uniform rushed in, her eyes wide with panic and relief. She looked about my age, maybe younger, with short-cropped hair and a face that had clearly been crying.
"You're awake," she breathed, dropping to her knees beside the bed. "Oh, thank god. We feared… we feared you wouldn't…"
I stared at her. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
She froze. Her mouth opened, then closed again. "I… it's me, Lily. Your handmaid. Don't you remember?"
Lily. That name meant nothing to me.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
I stumbled out of bed, ignoring her protests, and made my way to the tall mirror standing in the corner of the room. My legs wobbled with every step, and I had to catch myself on the edge of a nearby table to stay upright.
When I finally looked into the mirror, my breath caught.
That wasn't my face.
It was close—close enough to be unsettling. The eyes was bright blue colors, the hair was silver. But the shape of the jaw was sharper, the cheekbones higher, the skin paler. And the eyes… they weren't mine. They were older. Tired. Like they'd seen too much.
I reached up and touched my cheek. The reflection did the same.
No. No, no, no.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
And I was someone else.
I stared at the mirror, half-expecting it to crack and reveal a hidden camera crew behind it. Maybe this was some kind of elaborate prank show? Surprise! You've been kidnapped and given a makeover!
But no. The girl in the mirror didn't blink out of existence. She just kept staring back at me with those unnaturally bright blue eyes, framed by a waterfall of silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. Ohh God, she is so beautiful!!!
Okay. So. Let's review.
I'm in a palace. I've got a maid named Lily who thinks I'm royalty. I've apparently taken over the body of a silver-haired princess. And I have no idea how any of this happened.
Yup. Totally normal Tuesday.
"Lily," I said slowly, testing the name on my tongue. "What… exactly happened to me?"
She hesitated. "You don't remember?"
"Let's pretend I hit my head really hard and forgot everything. Humor me."
She looked like she wanted to cry again. "You fell from the Sky Tower, Your Highness. During the storm. Everyone thought… well, no one survives a fall like that. But then the High Seers said your soul might still return, and they began the healing magic and started calling your soul back. And now—now you're back."
Sky Tower? Healing magic? Soul returning?
Oh no. This wasn't just a body swap.
This was full-on reincarnation.
I was in someone else's body. A dead someone. A princess who fell from a tower. And now I was… what? Possessing her? Replacing her? Sharing space with her ghost like some kind of magical Airbnb?
I sat back down on the bed, hard. "Okay. Cool. Cool cool cool. This is fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
Lily looked at me like I'd grown a second head. Which, honestly, at this point wouldn't even surprise me.
"Do you… need the physician, Your Highness?"
"No, no. I just need… like, ten more hours of sleep and maybe a user manual for this body."
She blinked. "A what?"
"Never mind."
I rubbed my temples. The headache was fading, but in its place was something else. A strange warmth in my chest. Like a fire had been lit inside me, low and steady. Not painful. Just… there.
Also, I was starving.
"Hey, Lily?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Is there food? Like, a lot of it? Preferably something that doesn't look like it's still moving?"
Her face lit up. "Of course! I'll have the kitchens prepare your favorites right away!"
"Great. And while you're at it, maybe a map? And a history book? And a list of people who might want to kill me?"
She paused. "…Just the food, then?"
"Yeah. Let's start small."
As she scurried off, I flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
So. I've been reincarnated as a princess in a fantasy world. There's magic, towers, and probably dragons I guess. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm pretty sure I've inherited someone else's royal mess.
But hey.
At least I don't have to take midterms anymore.