Cold wind whipped violently across the cliff as Sarah struggled to breathe.
Her fingers clawed desperately at the rough rocks, scraping against sharp edges that cut into her skin. Blood mixed with dirt beneath her nails, but she refused to loosen her grip.
Her once-beautiful wedding gown was now torn and filthy, the delicate lace ripped apart as if mocking the vows that had been broken only hours earlier.
The same dress she had worn while walking down the aisle.
The same dress she had worn when her world collapsed.
Her body trembled violently.
Every muscle screamed in pain, and her vision blurred again and again. The fall should have killed her. Even now, she could barely feel her legs.
But one thought kept pushing her forward.
I can't die.
Not like this.
Not after what they did.
With a painful groan, Sarah dragged herself higher, her body shaking with exhaustion. Loose stones rolled down the cliff beneath her, disappearing into the darkness below.
One wrong movement and she would fall again.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her hand reached the edge of the road above.
With the last strength left in her body, she pulled herself forward and collapsed onto the cold pavement.
For a moment, she simply lay there, gasping for air.
The night sky spun above her.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to steady her breathing.
A pair of headlights suddenly appeared in the distance.
Sarah weakly lifted her hand.
"H…help…"
But her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Before she could move again, the world around her faded.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
Voices.
Muffled voices.
Sarah slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the bright lights above her.
The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose.
A small clinic.
Her head throbbed painfully as she tried to move. When she looked down, she noticed the IV tube attached to her arm.
"You're awake," a nurse said with relief.
The woman quickly walked over to her bedside.
"You're very lucky someone found you on the roadside," the nurse continued gently. "You must have fallen. Your injuries could have been much worse."
Sarah stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then suddenly,
The memories came rushing back.
The wedding hall.
The shocked faces of the guests.
Rachel standing beside Adrian in her wedding dress.
The laughter.
The betrayal.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her eyes darkened.
Without warning, she grabbed the IV needle and ripped it out of her arm.
"Miss! What are you doing?" the nurse shouted in alarm.
Blood trickled down Sarah's wrist, but she didn't seem to care.
"You need to rest," the nurse insisted. "You've lost a lot of blood."
"I'm fine."
Her voice was cold.
Cold in a way that made the nurse hesitate.
"But…"
"I said I'm fine."
Sarah slowly swung her legs off the bed.
Pain shot through her body immediately, but she forced herself to stand anyway.
The nurse tried to stop her.
"You shouldn't be walking yet!"
But Sarah ignored her.
She walked out of the clinic without looking back.
The night air outside felt freezing against her skin.
Her hospital gown hung loosely over her body, barely tied at the back. Beneath it, her torn wedding dress was still visible.
People on the street stared at her strangely.
A bride.
Barefoot.
Covered in dirt.
Walking like someone who had crawled out of death itself.
Sarah raised her hand weakly as a taxi passed.
The driver slowed down, clearly confused by the sight of her.
"Miss… are you okay?" he asked.
"Just drive," Sarah said quietly as she climbed into the back seat.
"Where to?"
For a moment, Sarah hesitated.
Then she spoke.
"Old Willow Street."
The taxi finally stopped in front of a small, worn-out house.
The paint on the walls had long begun to peel, and the wooden fence leaned slightly to one side.
It looked like a place forgotten by time.
Sarah stepped out of the car slowly.
Her legs trembled as she approached the door.
She pushed it open.
Inside, the room was dimly lit by a small lamp.
An old woman sat quietly in a chair near the window, knitting a scarf.
The gentle sound of the knitting needles clicking together filled the silent room.
When the old woman looked up,
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The yarn slipped from her hands.
"Sarah…?"
Her voice trembled.
"My granddaughter!"
She rushed forward immediately, her eyes filling with tears.
But before she could reach her,
Sarah's exhausted body collapsed forward.
The old woman caught her just in time.
"Oh my God…"
The woman's hands shook as she held her.
"Sarah, what happened to you?!"
Sarah's lips moved slightly, but no words came out.
Her body finally gave in to exhaustion.
Her eyes rolled back.
And she lost consciousness once again.
The old woman held her tightly, fear filling her voice.
"Don't worry… you're safe now."
But deep down, she knew.
Nothing about this night was safe.
Sarah's body trembled violently as darkness swallowed her.
Then suddenly…
She was running.
The cold night air burned her lungs as she sprinted down the long road outside the villa. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Behind her,
Gunshots exploded through the night.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sound echoed across the empty hills like thunder.
"Stop her!" a man shouted from somewhere behind.
Sarah didn't dare look back.
Her wedding dress dragged across the ground as she ran, the once beautiful fabric now soaked and heavy.
Warm liquid stained the white lace.
Blood.
But it wasn't hers.
Her hands were shaking.
Someone had been shot.
The memory flashed through her mind, but before she could understand it, another gunshot rang out.
A bullet struck the ground near her feet.
She stumbled forward onto the middle of the empty road.
Her breathing was ragged.
Her chest burned.
For a moment everything went silent.
Then…
Bright headlights suddenly appeared in front of her.
A car.
It came speeding toward her far too fast.
Sarah froze.
The vehicle swerved violently as if trying to avoid her.
The tires screamed against the asphalt.
The car shot past her,
Then crashed straight through the roadside barrier.
For one horrifying second, Sarah watched it hang at the edge of the cliff.
Then it disappeared into the darkness below.
CRASH!
The sound echoed endlessly through the valley.
Sarah screamed…
And suddenly her eyes snapped open.
Sarah gasped for air, her entire body drenched in sweat.
She was lying in a bed.
The faint smell of old wood and medicine filled the room.
Her grandmother's house.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to calm her breathing.
But her hands were still shaking.
The nightmare had felt too real.
Slowly, Sarah whispered to herself:
"He tried to kill me.…"
Her eyes darkened.
"And she fell off the cliff, who is she, why does she look, like me ?"
But the question that terrified her the most was…
Who?