Darkness. Cold. Silence.
Then.....light.
Ellis slowly opened her eyes. The world around her glowed with a soft, golden shimmer. The air was warm and fragrant, filled with the scent of flowers she didn't recognize. Above her, hundreds of tiny lights hung from the branches of a grand, ancient tree. They flickered like fireflies, illuminating the ground beneath her feet.
"Where… am I?" Ellis whispered, her voice trembling.
She stood up slowly, gazing around. Everything looked surreal, too beautiful to be real. The soft grass beneath her feet glowed faintly, and the air felt gentle, almost embracing her.
"Wow… am I in heaven? Does heaven look like this?" she murmured, half in awe, half in confusion.
Before she could take another step, a calm, melodic voice spoke behind her.
"No, dear."
Ellis jumped, spinning around. "Aaaaaaah! What the hell?!"
A woman stood before her, tall and radiant, her presence both graceful and commanding. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her eyes shimmered like starlight. She wore a flowing gown that seemed made of the night sky itself.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," the woman said with a gentle smile.
Ellis took a cautious step back, clutching her chest. "It's okay… but, uh, can I know where I am? And who are you? I mean I'm already dead, right? So is this heaven? Or hell? No, no… hell doesn't look like this, right?"
The woman sighed softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "This child is giving me a headache," she muttered under her breath. Then, raising her voice, she said kindly, "Can you allow me to speak for a moment, dear?"
"Oh! Sorry, sorry...go on, please," Ellis said quickly, bowing slightly.
"I am Aphrodite," the woman said simply.
Ellis blinked. "What?"
"Aphrodite," she repeated, her tone calm and regal. "The goddess of love."
Ellis stared at her blankly. "...The goddess of love?"
"Yes."
Ellis frowned. What the hell… she thought to herself. "So?" she asked aloud, confused.
Aphrodite's expression softened. "I am giving you a second chance to live your life, Ellis Emerson."
Ellis's eyes widened. "A second chance?"
"Yes."
Ellis crossed her arms, tilting her head skeptically. "What if I say no?"
A faint smile curved Aphrodite's lips. "I insist," she said gently. "Because you are kind, pure, and far too young to meet your end this way. You were betrayed by the one you trusted most. Don't you want to take revenge?"
The word revenge echoed in Ellis's mind like a cold wind. Her heart tightened painfully as images of Aria flashed before her eyes, the laughter, the shared secrets, the warmth that had all been lies.
"Revenge…?" she repeated softly.
"Yes," Aphrodite said. "You don't have to forgive betrayal. You can rise again, not just as Ellis Emerson, the kind and gentle girl, but as the woman fate tried to destroy."
Ellis lowered her gaze. Her voice was quiet. "But still… she was my friend. I can't take revenge on her."
Aphrodite's smile faded. For a moment, her celestial eyes softened with something like pity.
"Even now, you choose forgiveness over anger," she said quietly. "You truly are different from others."
Ellis looked up at her, unsure whether to feel proud or foolish.
Aphrodite took a step closer. "Very well, child. I will not force your heart to change… but remember this, kindness is your strength, and also your greatest weakness."