I felt something gentle caressing my face with utmost gentleness. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a woman.

She was beautiful, radiant, the most dazzling woman I have ever seen. She gave me a gentle smile as she said, "Hello my dear." Her voice was sooth and calming, I felt so calm after hearing her voice.

I blinked as I looked at the woman in front of me, "I thought I died." I mumbled.

She smiled and said, "yes, you did."

I blinked as I looked at her, "then who are you?"

"My name is Ankh."

Ankh. The goddess. In our kingdom two goddess were primarily worshipped the goddess of light Ankh and the gooddess of darkness Duat, I had grown up listening to their stories. My mother and father both were devotees of goddess Ankh.

There were several stories where the goddess once in every thousand years chooses her favorite child and bestows them with her powers.

"Goddess." I mumbled, "why am I here?"

"Because you need to go back and save those people." she said calmly but I can sense the seriousness in her voice, "this is my kingdom, my people and I want you to save them, they do not deserve such pain and misery."

I looked at her and a new resolve formed in my chest, I gave her nod and said, "yes, goddess I'll save my people."

She smiled and raised her hand, "good luck." and then she snapped her fingers.

~~

I woke with a violent start, sweat streaming down my body. I gasped for air, my chest heaving, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard I thought it might explode.

My head throbbed with a splitting headache, and my eyes burned as if exposed to smoke. I buried my face in my hands, forcing myself to take deep, ragged breaths, trying to anchor myself to reality.

What happened?

I was certain I had died. I could still feel the phantom sensation of cold steel slicing my skin. I remembered the encroaching darkness, the screams of my people, the gloomy sky, and the cold, triumphant smirk on the Emperor's face. I remembered everything.

So why was I sitting in my bed, in my own room, very much alive? I ran my hands over my chest—no wounds. My body was whole, healthy, and untouched.

What the hell is going on?

Then I remembered the goddess and my conversation with her, her gentle smile, her request. Everything.

I had heard stories, of goddess that whenever there is lot of misery and pain in the world, goddess Ankh would select a person as her favorite child and ask them to bring back light into the world.

However I still could not believe it, maybe it was just strange dream, however my death and my families death were very much real and were not a dream.

Once my heart rate slowed, I swung my legs off the bed and stood before the full-length mirror. I stared at my reflection, unable to look away from the life in my eyes. Suddenly, the door creaked open.

"Sir?"

I froze. It was my knight, my closest confidant Haoxuan.

"Are you alright, Master? You look pale. Are you sick? Should I inform the Lord that you won't be attending the celebration tonight?"

"Celebration?" I croaked. My voice was hoarse, unused. I swallowed hard to clear it.

"The Princess's eighteenth birthday, Master. Did you forget?"

"The Princess's eighteenth birthday," I repeated slowly, a cold realization settling in my gut. "Of course. How could I forget?"

I turned to look at him properly. Haoxuan looked younger, vibrant. In my last life, he had stayed loyal to the bitter end, dying a brutal death while trying to shield me. A wave of fierce gratitude washed over me.

I gave him a warm, genuine smile, which seemed to catch him off guard. "My Lord, are you really alright? Should I fetch the doctor?"

"No," I said, my voice steadying. "I am fine. Actually, never better. I'll get ready. You may leave."

"As you wish," he bowed and retreated.

Once I was alone, the pieces clicked into place. I had been sent back. I was back in time, three years before my family's massacre. Before my execution. Before his betrayal.

I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. The memory of his face as I died flashed in my mind—the betrayal burned brighter than the pain of the blade.

This life is going to be different.

I swore to the empty room that I would protect the people I served. I would save my family. And I would dismantle that crown, piece by piece. I would destroy the very emperor he chose to serve, the power he chose over me.

"Zhan, son, are you ready?"

My father's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I gave him a warm smile and nodded, turning to offer the same to my mother. My sister joined us a moment later, and together we headed toward the carriage.

It took every ounce of my self-control not to break down. Seeing them alive, breathing, and smiling was overwhelming. In my past life, I had been powerless to save them.

My father, who had served the nation with his heart and soul, had been stripped of his honors, humiliated, and beheaded without a trial. My mother, unable to bear the shame and grief, had burned herself alive. My sister... she had hung herself before the soldiers could capture her.

And my brother, currently stationed at the border, would be tortured and killed brutally all because he would dare to ask justice for my sister.

I clenched my jaw as the carriage rattled on. These were the atrocities committed by the Emperor. This was the tyrant Yibo chose to protect. This was the regime he betrayed me for.

I will never forgive that.

The banquet hall was a spectacle of opulence. Since it was the Royal Family hosting, no expense had been spared. I moved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with other noblemen, wearing a mask of polite indifference.

"General Xiao Zhan... a pleasure to see you."

I turned toward the voice. "Prince Simon. The pleasure is mine."

"Are you enjoying the banquet?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room.

I nodded. Simon was the only royal worthy of respect. The fallen Crown Prince, stripped of his title for opposing his father's cruelty. He only survived because his maternal family held immense power, staying the Emperor's hand. But if I remembered correctly, Simon was already in grave danger. The current Empress and her son would not tolerate him for long.

"I am enjoying it immensely," I lied smoothy. "I heard you had some health issues recently."

Simon laughed, a dry sound. "Oh, no. It was nothing. I am perfectly fine."

"I trust you are."

"So," Simon smirked, leaning in slightly. "Where is your friend? I don't see him attached to your hip."

I knew exactly who he meant. "I am sure he will be here soon."

"Of course. The King's guard dogs must be present. Though it is surprising they are late," Simon noted. His voice was casual, but the underlying disdain was unmistakable. Hardly anyone outside the inner circle liked the Dawnridge family.

"I still wonder why you are so close with the youngest son of that house," Simon said, looking at me with thinly veiled disappointment. He knew the Dawnridges were the Emperor's blade, they commnaded the royal knights, and he couldn't understand why I would associate with them.

Before I could answer, the heavy doors swung open. The Dawnridge family had arrived.

Lord Dawnridge, his wife Martha, and his eldest son, Adam.

As they walked in, the overlay of the past ghosted over my vision. I saw Adam lying on the floor, eyes wide and glassy. Martha with her throat slit. Lord Dawnridge with a spear through his chest. The haunted look in their dead eyes burned into my memory.

"Speak of the devil," Simon muttered, stepping back.

"General Zhan!" Lord Dawnridge greeted me with a beaming smile, pulling me into a paternal hug. He had always treated me like a second son, a best friend to my father.

I returned the embrace, a pang of sorrow striking my heart. "Lord Dawnridge."

"How are you, son?" his wife, Martha, asked softly. "It has been a while since you visited us."

"My apologies, Lady Martha. Work has been demanding."

"Please, find some time for us soon," she chided gently.

I nodded, then shook hands with Adam. Soon, my own family joined the circle, and the conversation turned to politics and news. I felt suffocated. It was like a waking dream—all these people chatting happily, unaware of the brutal deaths waiting for them in three years.

I have to stop it. I have to rewrite this story.

Overwhelmed, I stepped away, finding refuge on the balcony. The night air was cool, but it did little to settle my nerves.

As I took a sip of my wine, I felt a sudden presence behind me. Before I could turn, strong arms engulfed me, pulling my back against a hard, solid chest.

I didn't need to look. I knew the scent. I knew the weight of his hold.

My heart hammered—not from love, but from the shock of the memory. My hands went cold, my body rigid. Goosebumps erupted over my skin as his hot breath ghosted over my ear.

"I missed you, darling."

I slowly turned in his arms to face him.

My nightmare. My love. My traitor.

He was smiling at me as if I were the most precious treasure in the world. His eyes crinkled with warmth, his hold tight and possessive. But I knew the truth. This man, who looked at me with such devotion, would betray me without hesitation. He would kill me the moment the Emperor gave the order, just as he would eventually kill his own family.

But not again. I won't be the fool twice.

I forced the tension from my shoulders. I curved my lips into a soft, loving smile and wrapped my arms around his body, pulling him closer. His body was warm against mine, a comforting familiarity that I hated myself for craving. With him in my arms, I felt whole. I felt warm.

But this time, my heart would not lead me.

In this life, I didn't just want him. I wanted to break him. I wanted to own him, possess him, and ruin him.

If he could turn off his feelings in a heartbeat, so could I. Two can play this game.

I pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, looking deep into the eyes of the man who would one day kill me.

"I missed you too, darling."