Reborn at a cost

Liana's POV

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding that echoed too loud in my head.

I stepped out onto my floor, heading towards Graham's office, the carpet muffling my heels.

The air smelled like stale coffee and printer toner, it was familiar, but today it felt thick, like breathing through a mask. Heads turned as I passed cubicles. Whispers followed, low and buzzing like flies around rot.

I blamed myself for this walk.

If I hadn't said yes to Raphael's coffee this morning. If I hadn't let his shy smile and gentle kiss pull me away from my plan. If I'd stuck to the script from my first life, with my head down, no distractions, no changes, I wouldn't be here now, marching to Graham's office like a lamb heading to the slaughter house.

I cannot afford to be distracted, I keep forgetting things.

I'd known it since the bar night. That first forgotten detail about the leaked files. Then the guard's name. Lucy's eye color during prison visits. Small pieces at first. But they added up. Each time I did something different, skipped drinks with Lucy, built the shadow protocol, a memory from the past life vanished. Poof. Gone like smoke.

But I hadn't stopped. Couldn't stop. Survival meant change. And change meant losing the very truths I needed to win.

Graham's door was cracked open. Voices inside.

Low. Angry.

I paused outside, hand on the knob. My phone buzzed in my pocket, probably Raphael again, I ignored it. Distractions later.

I pushed the door open.

Graham stood behind his desk, arms crossed, pot belly straining his shirt like always. His thin smile didn't reach his eyes. But he wasn't alone.

Lucy sat in the chair across from him. Bleached blonde hair is perfect. Blue eyes-wait, were they blue? I blinked. The color felt wrong now. Faded.

She turned when I entered. Her smile was too sweet. Too fast.

"Liana," Graham said. "Good. We were just talking about you."

I closed the door behind me. Leaned against it casual-like, even though my knees felt weak.

"Really? I'm flattered."

Lucy stood up. "We're worried about you."

We.

Like they were a team.

Graham nodded. "The overnight login from your home IP. 2:47 a.m. Files pulled. Sensitive ones. You know the rules about remote access after hours."

I crossed my arms. "I was asleep at 2:47. Dreaming about spreadsheets, probably."

He didn't laugh. "The logs don't lie."

Logs.

The word hit like a slap. In my first life, logs framed me. Fake ones. Clean. Too clean.

I looked at Lucy. She shifted her weight, eyes flicking to Graham for a second. Just a blink.

Something clicked.

Lucy.

In my first life, I'd trusted her. Let her bring me food, flowers, and questions. I have never confronted her. I stayed quiet. I let the friendship blind me.

But now? I was changing that.

I stepped forward. Voice low. Sarcastic. Flirty in that crazy way that made people nervous.

"Worried about me, Luce? That's sweet. Like how you were worried when you leaked those docs last time?"

Her face went pale. "What?"

Graham stiffened. "Bennett-"

I ignored him. Pushed closer to Lucy. "You. Always close. Always watching. The food. The flowers. The questions. You think I don't see it now?"

She laughed, high, forced. "What the hell are you going on about?"

But her eyes said differently. Fear. Guilt.

I leaned in. Whispered like we were sharing a secret. "I know what you did. What you're doing. And this time, I'm not going quietly."

Change.

The word echoed in my head.

This was a change. Big one. In my first life, I never accused her. Never stood up like this.

Pain hit fast.

My ears started ringing first. It was a high-pitched whine like a kettle boiling over. Then the room blurred, the edges soft, colors bleeding like wet paint. My vision tunneled. Graham's face stretched weird. Lucy's smile twisted.

What's happening?

No. Not now.

I grabbed the desk edge. Knees buckled.

"Liana?" Lucy's voice far away.

Everything spun. Blurry. Ringing louder.

I tried to speak. "You... traitor..."

I hit the floor. Hard.

The last thing I saw was Lucy bending over me. Was she smiling? She doesn't look worried. She looks more satisfied.

And Graham's voice, faint.

"Call the ambulance, she's passing out."

The door opened. I heard footsteps. And then darkness swallowed me whole.

But the ringing stopped.

And the cliff dropped away.