Chapter 1: What Kind of Name Is This?
The crowd pressed in on all sides, a wall of moving bodies threatening to swallow her whole. A young girl ran through it, every step a struggle against exhaustion. Behind her came the sound of shuffling feet and the swish of black robes. Their faces were hidden, but their intentions were clear.
Her chest burned with every breath. Her limbs ached, and blood streaked her skin from countless cuts and bruises, but she kept running.
The streets twisted into a maze of dead ends and false hope. Every corner promised escape, only to snatch it away moments later. Panic clouded her thoughts as she stumbled over uneven cobblestones, nearly falling. Somehow, her legs forced her onward.
Then she found herself trapped.
A narrow alley stretched behind her, while a solid wall blocked the way ahead. The black-robed figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding her.
"You have caused enough trouble, young lady. This is where it ends."
One of them stepped forward. The knife in his hand caught the faint light, leaving no doubt there was nowhere left to run.
Her pulse thundered in her ears as fear threatened to paralyze her. Exhaustion weighed on every muscle, yet her body remained tense, ready to fight if she had to.
Then a trembling voice cut through the terror.
"Lady Alteraz, you are awake!"
Her eyes flew open and the alley vanished.
A pounding headache throbbed behind her eyes as she took in the unfamiliar room, the world seemed hazy and distant. As her vision slowly cleared, it settled on a figure hovering over her bed, concern evident on the person's face.
"Who are you people? Where am I? What have you done to me?" she demanded.
"Young miss, it is me. Atila," the maid replied nervously.
"I don't know you."
The answer came too quickly. Panic flashed across the maid's face, and she hurriedly ordered the others to summon the head physician.
When he arrived, the elderly man approached cautiously.
"Do you remember who you are, young miss?"
"Of course I know who I am—so who are you? Why am I here? What is happening!?"
She knew exactly who she was. What made no sense was why these strangers were calling her by a name that did not belong to her.
Fear tightened around her chest. The last thing she remembered was being stabbed. Had she been kidnapped? Trafficked? Or had she finally lost her mind?
Before anyone could answer, she threw aside the blankets and bolted from the bed.
The room erupted into chaos.
She sprinted toward the door, shoving past startled maids and knocking over a small table. Pain shot through her body as old wounds reopened, but she ignored it.
Voices called after her. Maids and guards rushed in pursuit, but she paid them no attention.
Survival came first.
As she rounded a corner, she crashed into a group of maids carrying a large glass case.
The case slipped from their hands.
It shattered against the floor with a deafening crash.
Sharp shards sliced across Alteraz's arms and legs as she fell hard onto the polished floor. Dazed, she reached for her head and found herself staring into a fragment of broken glass.
A face stared back.
It wasn't hers.
Her breath caught in her throat. No matter how long she stared, the reflection remained that of a stranger.
What is happening!?
The palace guards, Atila, and the physician hurried toward her.
The moment she saw them, instinct took over.
Alteraz snatched up the shard and held it out like a weapon.
"Stay back! Don't come near me!"
Everyone froze on the spot.
"Lady Alteraz, it's me, Atila. Your maid. Do you not remember me?" Atila pleaded.
"My lady, please drop the glass," one of the guards urged.
"Alteraz?" she snapped. "What kind of shitty name is that? I'm not Alteraz. What have you done to me?!"
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
When one of them took a cautious step forward, she immediately raised the shard to her neck.
"Take another step and I'll slash this open!"
The threat stopped everyone in their tracks.
She would rather die than become their plaything.
Then a calm voice broke through the tension.
"My lady, please calm yourself. Grandmaster Zhangxuan is on his way. Do you remember him?"
The name made her pause.
Zhangxuan?
Something about it tugged at her memory.
"You called me Alteraz, correct?" she asked. "What is my full name?"
Atila answered immediately.
"Alteraz... Alteraz Montemari Contese de Florencia."
The name struck her like a physical blow.
"And the one who's coming?"
"My lady, it is your master, Dane Zhangxuan de Florencia."
The glass slipped from her hand, clattering harmlessly onto the floor as her knees buckled.
Dizziness washed over her as she sank to the ground and pressed trembling fingers against her temples.
Her gaze swept over the towering walls, glittering chandeliers, polished floors, and anxious faces surrounding her.
She knew those names.
They belonged to a novel she had read countless times.
A chill ran down her spine as memories surfaced.
She was a minor character, the scheming disciple of House de Florencia's patriarch. Dane Zhangxuan de Florencia, her master, was also the male lead of the story.
The truth struck her with terrifying clarity.
The palace guards and maids watched her anxiously, their voices fading into the background as her thoughts raced.
If Alteraz was still alive, it meant the story had not yet reached the point where the heroine appeared.
There was still time.
A strange mix of fear, disbelief, and excitement stirred within her.
The heroine had always frustrated her. She was indulgent, careless, and blind to opportunities that her past self would have given anything to possess.
Now she would claim those opportunities for herself.
A thrill coursed through her, sharp and intoxicating.
For the first time since waking, a single thought rose above the chaos.
This time, she would be the one in control.
She was no longer a reader watching events unfold from afar.
She was part of the story now.
This life might finally become her redemption.