Crimson Rebirth ( GL)

I reached out for the library door handle, my breath still coming in short, tired puffs from my slow escape down the hallway. My hand grasped the cool metal knob, and I pulled. Or, at least, I tried to pull.

The door didn't move. Not even a little.

I furrowed my brow, feeling an odd twinge of disbelief. I pulled harder. Still nothing.

"What the heck?" I muttered under my breath, tugging again, this time with both hands, putting my weight into it. The door stayed firmly shut. "You've got to be kidding me."

For a moment, I just stared at the door, dumbfounded. I had played basketball in my previous life, for crying out loud. I wasn't exactly weak. But now, I was in this new body, this soft, squishy frame, and I couldn't even manage to open a simple door.

"What kind of strength do I even have?" I mumbled to myself, a mix of frustration and embarrassment building up inside me.

Determined not to be beaten by a door, I planted my feet, squared my shoulders, and tugged again. Harder this time.

The muscles in my arms trembled with the effort, and just when I thought I might give up, the door finally budged. But instead of swinging open gracefully, it slammed right into my face.

"Ah—ow!" I yelped, clutching my nose as the sharp sting of pain radiated through my face. Great, just great. I get knocked out by a door. Could this day get any worse?

I was still rubbing my sore nose when a voice one dripping with smugness broke the silence.

"Can't even open a door, little sister?"

I blinked and looked up, catching sight of a boy standing in the doorway. He was around twelve, though his posture was straight and confident like someone much older. His face was eerily familiar, like a younger version of my father, with sharp blue eyes and tousled dark hair that fell slightly over his brow.

He had that same aristocratic air about him, the kind that made me want to punch him and roll my eyes at the same time.

His smirk widened as he crossed his arms, clearly amused by my struggle. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you actually going to come in?"

I scowled, my face still smarting from the door's betrayal. "Very funny," I muttered, lifting my hand in what I could only assume was a universal gesture. I gave him the middle finger without even thinking.

His eyes widened for a brief moment before he burst out laughing. "What was that supposed to be? Some kind of... hand gesture?"

I ignored him, stepping into the library and brushing past him with as much dignity as I could muster which wasn't much. The boy continued to chuckle as I moved deeper into the room, his laughter trailing behind me like an annoying echo. 

The library was grand of course, it was. Everything in this ridiculous house was grand. The shelves were tall, reaching up toward the high ceilings, filled with leather-bound books that smelled faintly of old paper and dust.

Sunlight streamed in from the tall windows, casting warm light on the polished wooden floors. The atmosphere was hushed, quiet, as if the books themselves were holding their breath.

I stood in the middle of it all, feeling slightly out of place. I wasn't really sure what I was doing here. What was I even looking for? Some kind of clue, maybe? Something to explain what was going on in this strange, magical world?

Or maybe I just wanted to hide out until I could figure out what to do next. Either way, the library seemed like a good place to start.

I wandered over to a nearby shelf and scanned the titles. The books looked fancy, with gold-embossed lettering and intricate designs on their spines.

They practically screamed "expensive." My fingers hovered over the spine of one of the books, and I hesitated for a second before pulling it from the shelf.

The book was heavy in my hands, the leather cover smooth beneath my fingertips.

I opened it slowly, flipping through the pages, the faint scent of old parchment rising up to meet me. But as my eyes scanned the text... I realized something horrible.

I couldn't read it. 

The letters looked familiar, sure, but they were all jumbled up. The words didn't make sense. I stared at the page, my mind spinning. I couldn't read.

How could I not know how to read? I mean, in my old life, I could read perfectly fine. But here... in this body... the words were gibberish.

I closed the book with a heavy thud, feeling a strange mix of frustration and embarrassment wash over me. What kind of life was I living in this world if I couldn't even read a simple book?

The silence in the room felt heavier now, like the walls themselves were judging me.

I sat there for a moment, the weight of everything sinking in. This body was weak, unfit, and now, I couldn't even read. What next? I couldn't afford to be this helpless. I needed to figure things out. And fast.

Pushing myself up from the chair, I glanced around the room until my eyes landed on a nearby servant, quietly organizing some papers by the far wall. I hadn't noticed them when I walked in, but now, they seemed like my only lifeline.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over, trying to summon whatever dignity I had left. The servant, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a soft face, looked up as I approached, offering a polite bow.

"Can I help you, my lady?" she asked, her voice soft and deferential.

I hesitated for a second, feeling the sting of pride gnawing at the back of my mind. But I swallowed it down. If I was going to survive in this new life, I couldn't afford to let my ego get in the way. 

"I, uh..." I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "I want to learn how to read."