Chapter 1 Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Monterey, California
The laughter followed her like a curse.
It echoed down the empty corridor as she pushed the back door open and stepped into the night.
And his voice… the loudest of them all.
“God…” she whispered, gripping her arms. Her breath Hitched. Her mascara was smudged, her shoes soaked from the rain that had fallen earlier.
Behind her, she could still hear them voices, laughter, the faint sound of music from the prom hall.
She stopped near the edge of the cliff behind the campus.
Her eyes drifted to the cliff ahead.
The view below was blurred,
She looked down from the cliff.
Below was a road where cars passed.
She could see their headlights going back and forth.
She wiped her tears with shaky hands. Her heart was pounding so fast she could hear it in her ears.
“I have to do this,” she said to herself, almost like a prayer.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
For a second, she hesitated then closed her eyes.
And jumped.
The scream that tore through the night was loud enough to stop the world for a second.
People inside the hall rushed out when they heard it. But by the time they reached the cliff, there was nothing to see.
their dresses and suits dragging against the wet ground. But it was too late
To them, she was gone.
One Year Later
The steady sound of a monitor filled the room.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Her fingers moved slightly. Her eyes twitched. Then, slowly, she opened them.
The bright lights above her made her squint. She blinked several times, trying to adjust. The ceiling was white, the walls were white, even the bedsheets white.
She turned her head weakly to one side and saw a nurse arranging something on a tray.
When the nurse noticed her eyes were open, she froze.
“Doctor! Doctor, she’s awake!” the nurse said quickly, turning and rushing toward the door.
Moments later, the doctor came in, slightly out of breath. He moved closer to the bed, his expression serious but curious.
The young woman on the bed blinked again, confused.
Her hair was longer now, her face thinner. Her body looked nothing like it used to. The fall had changed her or maybe the long coma did.
Her lashes fluttered, confusion clouding her face. “Where… am I?”
“You’re in Monterey General Hospital,” the doctor said gently.
Her voice came again, weak but steady. “Who… who am I?”
The nurse and doctor exchanged a glance.
“You had a fall,” the doctor said carefully. “From a cliff. It was… severe. You’ve been in a coma for a year.”
Her brows furrowed. “A… a year?” She looked down at her hands, thin and almost translucent. Her voice cracked. “That can’t be right. I don’t remember falling. I don’t remember anything.”
“Try not to strain yourself,” the nurse said softly, adjusting her pillow.
But the woman shook her head. “Please—tell me. Who brought me here?”
“You were found by a passerby and brought here. You’ve been under intensive care.”
She stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. “I don’t remember,” she said softly.
The woman turned her face away, trying to piece together thoughts that wouldn’t come.
The doctor stepped out, motioning the nurse to follow.
Outside, in his office, the nurse finally spoke. “She doesn’t look like herself, Doctor. Not even close.”
He nodded. “A year of unconsciousness can change the body.
Her metabolism slowed, her muscles broke down. The weight loss is normal after long-term coma care.”
“But her face,” the nurse insisted. “It’s like… she’s a different person.”
“She’s amnesic,” he said quietly. “That’s the bigger concern now.”
He paused, writing down a few notes in her file. “Keep her under observation. I’ll handle the rest.”
The nurse nodded and went back to the ICU. The doctor, still standing by his desk, picked up his phone. He scrolled through his contact list and tapped on a number.
The call connected after a few seconds.
“Good evening, Doctor Presh,” a woman’s voice said on the other end.
“Good evening, Mrs. Ariana,” he replied. “I was just about to call you. We have some news.”
There was a brief silence. “News?” she asked, her tone nervous.
“Yes,” he said. “The young woman you brought in a year ago… she’s regained consciousness.”
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then came a sharp intake of breath from the other end.
“She’s awake?”
“She is.”
“Oh my God,” the woman said softly, her voice breaking with emotion. “I’ll be there right away.”
“Mrs. Ariana, wait—” the doctor said, his tone turning serious.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quickly.
“There’s a problem.”
Her voice dropped. “What problem?”
The doctor exhaled. “She doesn’t remember anything. No name. No past. Nothing.”
There was a pause. Then, quietly, the woman said, “Memory loss?”
“Yes.”
The silence stretched between them. The doctor could almost hear her breathing.
“Will she ever remember?” she asked finally.
“We don’t know yet,” he said. “Sometimes the memory returns slowly. Sometimes… it doesn’t.”
“I see,” she said. Her voice was low, thoughtful. “I’ll be there soon, Doctor. Please keep an eye on her.”
“I will,” he replied, then ended the call.
He set the phone down and stared at the patient’s file for a moment.
He had seen many cases, but something about this one felt different.
The woman who had fallen from that cliff shouldn’t have survived. And yet, not only had she survived she’d come back as someone else entirely.
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Inside the room, the nurse helped the young woman sit up slowly. She looked lost, her eyes darting around like she was trying to find something familiar.
She closed her eyes and tried to remember anything — a name, a voice, a place. Nothing came. Only darkness.
“Do you remember your name?” the nurse asked gently.
She shook he
r head. “No.”
“Do you remember anything at all? Where you’re from, anyone you know?”
“No,” she whispered. Her hands trembled slightly as she looked down at them. “I… I don’t even recognize myself.”
The nurse gave her a small smile. “That’s okay. You’re safe now. That’s what matters.”
The girl nodded weakly.
For now she was a stranger to her own life.