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Chapter 4 - . So close

The sharp trill of her alarm clock dragged Christabel fully from sleep. She groaned softly, rubbing her eyes. For a moment she lay still, staring at the ceiling, the dream from the night before echoing in fragments—faces, places, lives that felt both foreign and hers.

She shook her head gently, forcing herself into the present. "It was just a dream," she whispered, though the words rang hollow.

Sliding out of bed, she padded to the bathroom. Cool water splashed against her face as she brushed her teeth, the minty taste grounding her back in the ordinary. The mirror reflected tired eyes, but behind them flickered something… different.

After her bath, she slipped into her school uniform: a crisp white blouse, neatly tucked into her navy-blue skirt, with a blazer pressed smooth over her shoulders. She adjusted the tie at her collar, fingers trembling just slightly, then ran a comb through her hair until it fell neatly into place.

Her bag sat ready by the door. She picked it up, pausing for a moment to glance at the photo on her desk again—her friends' smiling faces frozen in laughter.

"Today…" she murmured, tightening her grip on the bag strap. "We'll figure this out. Together."

She drew in a deep breath, then stepped out, the rising sun spilling warm light through her window as the day began.

.....

Christabel slung her bag over her shoulder and headed downstairs, the faint smell of coffee still lingering in the air though the kitchen was empty. On the wall by the staircase hung her favorite picture of her mother — smiling warmly, eyes soft and kind, the kind of smile that made Christabel feel safe no matter how heavy her heart was.

She paused, brushing her fingers lightly over the frame. "Morning, Mom," she whispered, her lips curving into a small smile of her own.

Before she could step away, a flurry of footsteps pattered behind her.

"Chris! Chris!" Her little brother, Timo, bounded up, his hair sticking up in wild tufts, his backpack bouncing against his small frame. He stopped just short of her, panting dramatically as if he'd run a marathon.

"Dad had an emergency call," Timo announced between breaths. "He had to leave super early, so… guess what? We're taking a taxi today!"

Christabel blinked in surprise. "A taxi? This early?"

Timo nodded quickly, his face bright with the excitement only a child could muster for something so small. "Yep! Dad said it was really important. He said he's sorry he couldn't take us, but he'll make it up to us later."

Christabel sighed softly but ruffled his hair. "Well, then I guess it's just you and me this morning."

"Mm-hm!" Timo beamed, tugging her hand eagerly toward the door. "C'mon, don't wanna be late! Taxi rides are way cooler than Dad's car anyway."

Christabel laughed under her breath, letting him drag her along, though in the back of her mind the dream still pulsed faintly — flashes of past lives that refused fade.

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It would have taken them about thirty minutes to walk to school, but by car it was only twenty. Christabel wasn't in the mood for a long walk—not after the strange night—so she quickly agreed to Timo's excited suggestion.

They flagged down a taxi by the roadside, the morning air still cool and quiet. The driver gave them a polite nod as they climbed in, Timo immediately pressing his face against the window like he always did.

As the car rolled through the streets, Christabel rested her chin against her hand, watching buildings blur past. The hum of the engine mixed with the faint chatter of the radio, but her mind drifted elsewhere—back to the golden meadows, the stone streets, the flash of silver eyes.

She blinked and looked at Timo. He was happily pointing out random things along the way—"Look, Chris! That dog looks like Uncle Ben's hair!"—and she couldn't help but laugh softly. His lightheartedness was comforting.

Before long, the taxi pulled up in front of the school gates. Christabel handed the driver the fare, thanked him, and stepped out into the bustle of students pouring in. The crisp morning air was alive with chatter, footsteps, and the faint ring of the school bell.

"Bye, Chris!" Timo called as he ran off toward his own section of the school.

"Bye, Timo! Don't run too fast!" she called after him, shaking her head with a small smile.

She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and joined the stream of students heading inside. Her footsteps echoed faintly down the hallway as she made her way to her class.

Something about the day felt both ordinary and different—as if the world had shifted slightly overnight

The hallway buzzed with the usual morning chatter as Christabel made her way toward her locker. She reached it without much thought, spinning the combination lock and opening it with a soft click. Inside, her neatly stacked books waited.

She reached in to grab her math notebook, when—

SLAM!

The metal door crashed shut, missing her fingers by an inch. Christabel jerked back, her heart leaping into her throat.

"Careful, Christabel," a smooth, mocking voice purred behind her.

She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Camilla.

Leaning casually against the lockers, Camilla flipped a strand of her perfectly styled hair over her shoulder. Her uniform looked as though it belonged on a fashion runway, not in a high school hallway. Her lips curled into a smile that never reached her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Camilla tilted her head slightly. "Jumping at little noises now?"

Christabel narrowed her eyes, slowly reopening her locker to take out her notebook. "Morning to you too, Camilla."

"Oh, don't be like that," Camilla replied in a falsely sweet tone. "I was just… helping you close your locker. You looked like you needed it."

"Almost crushing my hand isn't helping."

Camilla gave a light laugh — that kind that made other students nearby glance over but quickly look away. "Relax, I didn't actually hit you. You're fine."

Christabel held her ground, clutching her notebook to her chest.

She wasn't in the mood for Camilla's games today, especially after the strange night she'd had.

Camilla leaned in just a little closer, her voice dropping. "Try not to get in my way today, okay?"

With that, she turned sharply on her heel and strutted off, the click of her shoes echoing down the hallway.

Christabel exhaled slowly, forcing her shoulders to relax. "Great. Just what I needed this morning," she muttered under her breath, closing her locker properly this time and heading to class.

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