...
The first thing she noticed was the silence.
Not the kind of silence you get in a library or a quiet park. This was the peaceful kind—like the world was slowly starting to grow. No engine hum. No chatter. No distant sirens or vending machines beeping. Just… stillness.
Then came the pain.
A dull throb pulsed behind her eyes, growing sharper with every heartbeat. Her limbs felt like they'd been filled with sand, heavy and slow to respond. She tried to move, but even lifting a finger felt like dragging it through molasses.
"Where… am I?"
She forced her eyes to open.
A chandelier hung over her head, its crystals catching the morning light and scattering it across the room in soft, dancing fragments. The air smelled faintly of lavender and she could hear the birds singing.
"Definitely not my dorm."
She blinked again, slower this time, trying to piece together the last thing she remembered.
"The bus was almost quiet when I climbed aboard. As always, I made my way to the last seat by the window—the little corner I always claimed whenever it was empty. From there, the world outside seemed to move a little slower. I rested my head against the cool glass, slipped my earbuds in, and watched the scenery drift past.
I was exhausted.
The midterm exams had drained every bit of energy from me, leaving my mind heavy and my eyelids even heavier. It didn't take long before the gentle sway of the bus, the steady hum of the engine, and the afternoon sunlight spilling through the window pulled me into sleep.
"And now... this?" she mumbled drowsily, a faint, sleepy laugh escaping her lips. "Ha... I must be dreaming."
She turned her head, wincing at the stiffness in her neck. The bed beneath her was absurdly soft, like sinking into a cloud. The sheets were silk, embroidered with delicate silver thread in patterns she didn't recognize. A canopy of sheer fabric hung above, swaying gently as if stirred by a breeze she couldn't feel.
"Okay... deep breaths," she whispered to herself, forcing a small, uneasy smile. "Maybe this is just a dream. A really vivid... really expensive dream."
She slowly pushed herself upright, her fingers curling into a fist as she tried to steady her breathing.
Only then did she notice the chill against her chest.
A delicate necklace rested around her neck, so light she hadn't felt its weight until now. Suspended from it was a crescent moon pendant, cool against her skin, its surface pulsing with a faint blue glow.
"What the hell is this?"
Before she had a chance to make sense of it, the door flew open.
"Your Highness!"
A young woman in a butler's uniform rushed inside, her eyes brimming with panic and relief. She looked about the same age as her—perhaps even older. Her short-cropped hair was slightly disheveled, and the tearstains on her face made it clear she had been crying.
"You're awake," she breathed, dropping to her knees beside the bed. "Oh, thank god. We feared… we feared you wouldn't…"
She stared at her. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
She was stunned by the woman's appearance. She looked at her from head to toe.
"Is she a butler? She watched the woman with unconcealed curiosity. Ooh... her uniform is so cool."
The young woman froze. Her lips parted, but no words came out. After a moment, she managed to speak.
"I... It's me, Lily. Your butler. Don't you remember?"
Lily...
The name meant nothing to her.
Instead of answering, she climbed to her feet with a bright smile.
"Ahh... I see! So your name is Lily." She beamed. "That's a lovely name. I'm Miya—Miya Nomel." She gestured toward Lily with an admiring grin. "I really like your uniform, by the way."
She looked around the room, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"So... where are the cameras? This whole setup is incredible! I can't believe I'm actually being pranked like this." She laughed to herself before adding, "Honestly, it feels like I've stepped into a magical world. I'd love to stay here a little longer, but I really want to go back to my room and get some rest. Alright, everyone—you can come out now."
Lily could only stare at her in stunned disbelief.
The bright smile, the strange words, the complete lack of recognition...
For a terrifying moment, Miya looked less like the lady she had faithfully served and more like someone burning with a fever, speaking in delirium.
"My... my lady!" Lily cried, her voice trembling as she rushed toward the door. "Someone, call the physician!"
Suddenly the wind started blowing through the window and then she saw silver thread like hair flowing over her face. She ran towards the tall mirror standing in the corner of the room.
When she finally looked into the mirror, her breath caught. "That is not my face."
It was close—close enough to be unsettling. The eyes was as bright as the sun, the hair was as silver as the moon. But the shape of the jaw was sharper, the cheekbones higher, the skin paler.
She reached up and touched her cheek. The reflection did the same.
No. No, no, no.
She 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 her with those unnaturally bright golden eyes, framed by a waterfall of silver hair that shimmered like moonlight.
"But God, she's so beautiful!"
"Okay... let's go over this."
"I'm in a palace. I have a maid named Lily. I've somehow ended up in the body of a beautiful silver-haired girl... and I have absolutely no idea how any of this happened."
She gave a slow nod, her eyes fixed on Lily as if she might hold the answers.
"Lily," she said, testing the name on her tongue. "What... exactly happened to me?"
Lily hesitated. "You don't remember?"
"Let's just pretend I hit my head really hard and forgot everything." She offered an awkward smile. "Humor me."
She looked as though she might burst into tears again.
"You fell from the Sky Tower, my lady. During the storm." Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Everyone thought..." She swallowed hard. "No one survives a fall like that."
She paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing.
"But the Ten High Lords believed your soul hadn't completely departed. They performed healing magic and called your soul back."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "And now... you're back."
Miya blinked. "Sky Tower? Healing magic? Calling a soul back?"
A long silence followed.
"Oh no..."
She slowly covered her face with both hands.
"This isn't just a body swap. This is full-on reincarnation."
She was inside someone else's body. Maybe the girl's body had already died... and now she was here.
Was she possessing her? Replacing her? Or was she sharing the same body with a ghost like some kind of magical Airbnb?
She dropped back onto the edge of the bed with a dull thud.
"Okay. Cool. Cool, cool, cool. This is fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
Lily stared at her as though she'd grown a second head and honestly, at this point, that wouldn't have surprised her either.
"Do you… need the physician, my lady?"
"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."
She rubbed her eyes.
The headache was beginning to fade, but something else had taken its place.
A strange warmth lingered in her chest, like a quiet flame burning deep within. It wasn't painful. It simply... existed.
And then her stomach growled. She was starving.
"Hey, Lily?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Is there any food? Like... a lot of it? Preferably something that doesn't look like it's still moving?"
Lily's face brightened at once.
"Of course! I'll ask the Head Chef to prepare your favorite dishes right away!"
"Great. And while you're at it, maybe bring me a map? A history book? Oh, and a list of everyone who might want to kill me."
Lily blinked.
"...Just the food, then?"
Miya let out a sheepish smile.
"Yeah. Let's start small."
As Lily hurried out of the room, Miya let herself fall back onto the bed with a quiet sigh.
A moment later, curiosity got the better of her.
She rose to her feet and wandered over to the window.
The sight before her stole her breath.
Beyond the palace walls stretched a world unlike anything she had ever imagined. Towering spires pierced the horizon, bathed in the fading light of dusk, while two moons hung low in a lavender sky, casting a gentle silver glow over the land.
A smile slowly found its way onto her lips.
"But hey... at least I don't have to take midterms anymore."