Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Driven relentlessly by the bodyguard behind me, I completed a two-day journey by dawn.

I was utterly exhausted.

When the familiar house number came into view, I dropped to my knees for one last bow, my head buzzing and my vision turning pitch black when I stood back up.

My body had reached its absolute limit.

The man behind me barked another order.

"Hurry up."

Cecelia appeared at the doorway right on cue, her cheeks rosy and glowing with health, showing not a single trace of illness.

"You are finally back, little sister."

"Care to guess why Grayson dragged you back from your cozy sanctuary?"

I had no interest in finding out, knowing it was merely another one of her petty whims.

She let out a soft giggle.

"Because I am a player bound to a system, too."

"If their affection for you had not suddenly crept up by a tiny fraction, I would never have told Grayson to bring you back to suffer."

I stared at her in shock as she leaned in close, a venomous smirk curling on her lips.

"But that is not enough. I am going to ruin you completely."

With that, she threw her weight to the side, dragging me down to the ground with her.

Grayson and my parents suddenly burst out of the house, rushing forward to scoop Cecelia into their arms.

Cecelia's face was now conveniently pale as she gasped for air in Grayson's embrace, her eyes glistening with theatrical tears.

"Grayson..."

My father charged forward and kicked me hard in the ribs, his face flushed with fury.

"You stay away for four years, and the first thing you do when you return is hurt your sister! I should never have brought you back!"

My mother grabbed my hair and jerked my head back, spitting curses into my face.

"You absolute curse of a daughter!"

Looking at her face, which resembled my mother from my original world, I fell into a brief daze.

I had not seen my real mother for twenty-two years.

Back in my real world, my mother loved me dearly and would never have let me suffer such cruelty.

When she learned I had to enter a parallel world to fight for a chance at life, she knelt at the temple for days, praying that I would stay safe and complete my mission.

Before I left, she pressed a handmade protection amulet into my palm.

"My sweet girl, Mommy is waiting for you to come home."

"Mom..."

This mother was nothing like her; this woman despised me with every fiber of her being.

My lip trembled, and tears spilled down my cheeks as I whispered the word.

A harsh slap across my face was my only response.

"You do not deserve to call me mother! Cecelia is my only daughter!"

The burning sting snapped me back to reality, clearing my blurry vision.

"I am sorry."

The woman before me softened her scowl slightly and let go of my hair.

Grayson swept Cecelia up into his arms, casting a cold, sideways glance at me.

"Since you love causing harm, kneel by the gates and atone for Cecelia. Do not dare stand up until I say so!"

Under the bodyguard's watchful eye, I knelt straight on the pavement, mechanically reciting prayers.

Every time a pedestrian passed by, I had to bow my head and chant for charity.

I recited the words numbly, laughing bitterly at how resilient my body seemed after enduring a whole day without food.

The weather shifted rapidly, turning from bright sunshine into a violent thunderstorm.

Grayson walked over holding an umbrella, his voice flat and indifferent.

"Come inside."

I looked up at him and staggered to my feet.

My battered body gave out entirely, and I tilted sideways, collapsing straight against his chest.

For a fleeting second, I felt a pair of large hands tighten firmly around me, accompanied by an urgent voice shouting my name.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a small, sparse bedroom.

It appeared to be the tiny guest room I used to stay in years ago.

Grayson sat beside the bed with a dark expression, his gaze locked onto me.

"Why did the doctor say you only have a few days left to live?"