The smell of blood had long since become familiar to Seraphina Voss.
It lingered on her gloves, soaked into her clothes, and followed her wherever she went. To the underworld, she was known as Ghost Reaper. The assassin who never missed a target.
Tonight was supposed to be her final mission.
Rain poured from the night sky, drumming against the steel rooftops of Neo-Manila's industrial district. Neon lights reflected across the wet pavement while distant sirens wailed through the darkness.
Perched atop a twenty-story building, Seraphina adjusted the scope of her sniper rifle.
Her target appeared exactly on schedule.
A powerful businessman with ties to international crime syndicates stepped out of an armored vehicle surrounded by bodyguards.
"Target confirmed," she muttered.
Her finger squeezed the trigger.
Bang.
The bullet sliced through the storm.
One shot.
One kill.
Just as it always had been.
Seraphina lowered the rifle and released a quiet breath.
After ten years of living as a weapon, she was finally done.
No more contracts.
No more bloodshed.
And no more running from shadows.
She had enough money to disappear and start over somewhere no one would ever find her.
A normal life, that was all she wanted. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
The moment she stood up, a sharp pain exploded inside her chest.
Her eyes widened.
A bullet...?
Someone had shot her.
She staggered backward.
Another shot rang through the air.
Then another.
The force sent her crashing against the rooftop railing.
Blood trickled from her lips.
"Damn..."
She should have known.
The organization would never let her retire.
They want me dead. Damn it!
Footsteps approached behind her. Several figures emerged from the darkness. Black tactical suits and silenced rifles. Members of her own organization.
One of them lowered his weapon and smiled. "You were always too dangerous to leave alive."
Seraphina laughed. Even now, she found it amusing.
Ten years of loyalty, hundreds of completed missions, and this was her reward.
"Should've expected that."
The man raised his gun. "Goodbye, Ghost Reaper."
A barrage of bullets erupted. Pain consumed her body. The city lights blurred. Her strength disappeared, as she collapsed over the edge of the rooftop, the cold wind rushed past her.
The world spun. The rain stung her face. And for the first time in years, she felt strangely calm.
Maybe death wasn't so bad.
At least she wouldn't have to kill anymore.
Darkness swallowed everything.
***
"Wake up."
A voice echoed in the distance.
"Wake up."
The darkness cracked, and a blinding headache assaulted her mind. Seraphina groaned, her body felt heavy, and her limbs refused to move.
Was this the afterlife?
It certainly didn't feel peaceful.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
An enormous crystal chandelier hung above her. Golden light illuminated a luxurious room decorated with silver furniture and embroidered curtains.
Seraphina blinked.
Then blinked again, trying to confirm that she was not hallucinating.
What? This wasn't a hospital. Nor was it heaven.
She immediately sat upright. A sharp pain stabbed through her skull. Fragments of memories flooded her mind.
Images.
Voices.
Names.
A woman screaming.
A child crying.
An imposing silver-haired man staring with icy eyes.
The memories were not hers. Yet they existed inside her head.
"What the hell..."
She pressed a hand against her forehead. More memories surfaced. This body belonged to someone named Seraphina Ardent. A noblewoman from the Lycan Star Dominion. A spoiled and arrogant beauty infamous throughout the empire.
The woman had recently married one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, Supreme Alpha Kael Draven Lycanis. Commander of the Imperial Star Fleet. Ruler of multiple planetary systems. And the most terrifying werewolf alive.
The realization nearly made her choke.
Werewolf? Galaxy? Empire?
Had I gone insane?
Suddenly, another memory appeared. This time, it struck harder than the others.
A little boy with silver hair, golden eyes, and fear visible on his face, Aiden Lycanis, Kael's son.
The original Seraphina despised, abused him, and humiliated him. Blamed him for everything. And according to the memories flooding her mind, she would eventually die because of it.
The future unfolded before her eyes. The child would grow into a powerful ruler. The father would discover the truth. And Seraphina Ardent would be publicly executed.
Her title stripped, family destroyed, and head displayed before the capital gates as a warning.
The room suddenly felt colder.
"No."
She immediately stood from the bed.
"No. No. No."
Of all people she could become, why did she have to become a villainess destined to die? Hadn't dying once been enough?
The original owner had left behind countless enemies. Even worse, she had married a man capable of destroying entire planets.
A man who hated her. A child who feared her. And a future that ended in execution.
Seraphina paced across the room.
She needed information.
Damn it! I can't die a second time.
If those memories were accurate, the marriage had only happened three days ago. Meaning she still had time. Time to avoid the original ending. And time to change the future.
A knock suddenly came from the door.
Seraphina froze.
"Lady Seraphina?"
A maid's nervous voice sounded from outside.
"The young master is waiting."
Young master?
The maid hesitated before continuing.
"He... wishes to have breakfast with you."
Silence filled the room.
Then another memory surfaced.
The original villainess had ordered the servants to keep the child away from her. The fact that he was asking to see her now meant something had already changed. Or perhaps, this was the beginning of everything.
Seraphina stared toward the door. A strange feeling stirred within her chest. She had faced countless killers. Survived impossible missions. Escaped death itself. Yet somehow, meeting a little boy felt far more terrifying.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture. If she wanted to survive in this world, she needed to start somewhere. And that somewhere was the child she was destined to destroy.
"Tell him I'll be there."
Outside the door, the maid gasped in surprise.
Seraphina ignored it.
Her gaze drifted toward the distant stars visible through the palace window.
A new world. A new life. A new fate.
This time, I'll change my fate.