My head felt heavy, and I was so dizzy I wanted to split my skull open. After the shock of seeing the year displayed on the phone screen had eased slightly, I forced myself to stand. I couldn't keep sitting on the edge of this bed without doing anything.
If my soul, which had died after plunging into the cliff, now inhabited a body named Aster, then I had to find out who this body really belonged to.
Who was Aster in 2021?
I walked over to the vanity and rummaged through the bag lying there. Inside the expensive bag, I found a lipstick from a famous brand, keys, and several cards neatly stored in a single wallet. There was a debit card, a credit card, and several identification cards.
I looked at her ID card again to investigate further and find out who this girl really was.
"A student ID? Hadn't she graduated from college yet this year?"
My eyes fixed on the birth date printed there. Twenty years old. This girl named Aster was only twenty years old.
With trembling hands, I opened the girl's phone again. I checked the messages and contact list, searching for one name. Leo.
I typed the name into the search bar, but nothing came up. There was no Leo. No chat history, no photos together, no call history.
That meant that in 2021, Aster didn't know Leo at all. That man hadn't entered her life yet.
"If I'm in Aster's body... is the 'me' in my original body still there?"
Without wasting any time, I grabbed the thin jacket hanging in the closet, snatched up the bag, and hurried out of the luxurious apartment. I climbed into a taxi passing in front of the apartment building and gave the driver my home's address in a faintly trembling voice.
Throughout the ride, I kept staring out the window. The city streets felt so familiar, yet so strange. My mind was in turmoil as I thought about all the crazy possibilities I might discover once I arrived.
"We've arrived, Miss." The taxi driver's voice snapped me out of my daze.
I swallowed, nodded slowly, and handed him several bills. When the taxi stopped at the side of the road, I didn't get out right away. My eyes remained locked on the green iron gate across the street.
That house. The house my father and mother had left behind. The house Leo hadn't sold after we got married.
The paint on the walls still looked fresh, and the little garden in the yard was arranged exactly as I remembered it.
Suddenly, the hinges of the iron gate creaked softly. My steps froze in place.
A young woman walked out of the yard. She was wearing a simple plain T-shirt, somewhat loose trousers, and her hair was tied back carelessly. Beside her, a tall man strolled along with a backpack slung over his shoulder.
Leo and... me?
My eyes widened. Every joint in my body suddenly went completely numb. It felt as if a massive hammer had struck my heart.
Was that me? Was that really me?
Across the street, my younger self smiled so sincerely, tilting her head up to look at Leo with eyes shining with love. That innocent face, the way she walked, even her simple dress... that was really me!
How could there be another me over there? Who was the person in my original body now? Was that person me?
Seeing my own face through someone else's eyes felt like a terrifying nightmare. It didn't feel real. It made absolutely no sense!
Honk! The sound of passing vehicles jolted me back to my senses.
My feet began moving slowly toward where my original body stood. But as I drew closer, fear and doubt suddenly surfaced.
What was I supposed to do when I stood in front of my original body? If I said I was the real Stella, would they believe me? If I said I wanted to take my original body back, wouldn't they think I was crazy?
When my original body looked in my direction, I turned away instead, too afraid to meet her gaze. My feet suddenly froze. My mouth couldn't make a sound.
If I approached her now... could I take my original body back?