Elle woke with a groan—an ungraceful, very annoyed groan—as the too-bright fluorescent light stabbed into her skull. Her throat tasted like metal and cheap antiseptic. She blinked at the ceiling, unimpressed to still be alive.
Again.
A shadow moved at the corner of the room. Daniel sat slouched in the visitor's chair, elbows on his knees, jaw tight in a way she didn't usually see. He looked like he hadn't slept, which was normal—but the way he looked at her this time wasn't.
"You're awake," he said flatly.
"Unfortunately," Elle muttered, pushing herself up on the pillows.
She looked down and saw Black Cat curled up like a dark bread loaf by her feet.
Daniel stood so fast the chair squeaked. "Elle, what the hell were you thinking?"
"Oh boy," she sighed.
"No, seriously—what is wrong with you?" His voice cracked a little under the weight of everything he wasn't saying. "You keep doing this. Over and over. Like it's—like it's nothing."
She raised an eyebrow. "I mean... to be fair, it does end up being nothing. I come back. Ta-da." She wiggled spiritless fingers. "Immortality's a drag, Puppy Eyes. Let me have my hobbies."
"This isn't a hobby," he snapped. "You're trying to die."
"Yeah. And failing. Consistently." She shrugged.
His face twisted—hurt first, then frustration swallowing it. "I'm trying to keep you alive! Do you get that? Do you even care?"
She paused. Something tightened in her chest. "Daniel... relax. You're more dramatic than usual. Did they give you morphine?"
He stood suddenly, his chair scraping back against the wall. "What is wrong with you?"
She sighed. "Here comes the sermon."
"No, seriously, Elle. I don't get you." He ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little. "You lied about your Dad so you could jump off a bridge. You don't even have a legal identity—like you just... appeared. Out of nowhere. And ever since I met you you've done nothing but try to die."
She snorted. "Yeah, I'm consistent."
"This isn't normal!" Daniel snapped. "You're like—like a death magnet. Always putting yourself in these insane situations. Like you're trying to get killed every five minutes!"
"Well—"
"Some people genuinely want to live and you spend every waking minute of your time trying to die!"
"You don't have to stay and watch me try to kill myself you can just leave and go about your day you owe me nothing, Daniel." Elle scowled.
He glared. "And live knowing you probably succeeded somewhere in an abandoned alleyway?"
She sighed deeply, letting her head fall back. Strands of her unevenly cut bangs fell over her violet eyes.
He wasn't going to shut up until she said it.
"Daniel... I can't die. Or at least there's an untested variable that stops me from dying."
He stared.
Then laughed once, humorless. "Okay, so you're insane."
"I'm serious," she said, meeting his eyes. "I'm immortal. Literally. I've tried every method. Time saves me. But there's something wrong with the immortality, it's malfunctioning for some reason."
"You're nuts."
"No, I'm cursed."
"Same thing."
"I'm not lying!" She sat up straighter and Black Cat stirred a bit from its sleep. "Whenever I get fatally hurt, time stops. Completely. And then it rewinds—backwards—until I'm unharmed again. Then it starts up like nothing happened. Like the universe is ctrl+Z-ing me."
He blinked, trying to process. "Time... rewinds."
"Yes."
"And you..." He squinted. "You're immortal."
"Yes."
"And I'm supposed to believe that."
"Apparently not," she muttered.
Daniel threw his hands up. "Elle, listen to yourself! Time doesn't just stop because you feel sad"
"It doesn't stop when I'm sad," she snapped. "It stops when I'm dying. Big difference."
Daniel looked liked he'd pop a vein soon. "You literally just almost died three times Elle, you're not immortal!"
"Yeah I'm trying to figure out why, hence the science experiment I'm doing." Elle defended herself.
He shook his head. "None of this makes sense."
"Oh trust me," she said dryly, "I would love to be a normal depressed girl trying to self-destruct in peace, but nooo. Time has to get involved. You think I like being in a hospital gown looking like a sad burrito?"
Daniel stared at her in that way people stare when they aren't sure if they should call a priest or an ambulance.
He exhaled hard, shook his head, ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do this right now."
He turned, storming toward the door.
"Fine," she called after him. "Go get your cool-guy fresh air moment. Brood in the hallway. Wear black. Look mysterious."
His hand paused at the doorframe.
"And bring me beef jerky and plain donuts while you're at it." She called.
He didn't look back, but she heard the begrudging mutter: "Yeah, okay. Whatever."
The door clicked shut.
Elle let out a long exhale. The room went quiet except for the beep of the heart monitor. Her eyes drifted to the tray beside her bed—scissors, pen, IV needle, whatever.
Time to finish the experiment.
She reached over in an instant and picked the sharpest thing she could grab and pressed it to her skin in the blink of an eye.
Blood spurted out in a gush, splattering across her pale cheek and neck. The crimson color was a stark contrast against her pale skin.
The pain flashed—
And the PAUSE hit.
Black Cat opened its eyes and stared up at her with curiosity gleaming in its adorable eyes as it stretched, ears pulled back as if waking from the greatest nap of its cosmic life.
Time froze and the world silenced. The sound of the IV drip slowed, the heart monitor beeping seized.
Then everything rewound—the motion tugging her backward, the wound sealing, the scalpel dropping from her hand in reverse.
Her lungs seized as the universe snapped back into normal speed.
PLAY
Her eyes widened.
That confirms it. It really is him.
The car accident. The bridge. The zoo. The common denominator for all these near death experiences was him.
The door opened, grabbing her attention.
Daniel walked in holding jerky and donuts, looking slightly calmer, fresh faced like he'd splashed water on his face and reminded himself it cost nothing to be kind.
He froze when he saw the expression she wore—something wide, hopeful, and a tad bit confused.
"Daniel..." Her voice trembled.
"What?" he asked, stiffening like a startled deer.
"What are you?"
"A concerned citizen," he replied too fast, shoving the jerky and donuts toward her like he expected her to attack him with them.
She didn't even glance at the food.
"There's a cat in this room," Elle said quietly, tilting her head towards Black Cat's direction. "By my foot. Right there. Can you see it?"
Daniel looked down.
The Black Cat sat at her heel, licking its back lazily, staring straight up at him.
Daniel's eyes darted over empty space. He saw nothing.
"Look, Elle, maybe we're in the wrong kind of hospital," he said slowly, setting the snacks on the tray like he was defusing a bomb.
"I don't understand," Elle muttered, helpless. "You can't be normal."
"Elle—"
"Were you an orphan growing up?"
"No. My parents are alive. They live in Lasag City."
"What about miracles?"
"None that I know of—"
"Chance? Has anything ever just... worked out for you? Like luck or fate was—"
"No. If anything I have the worst luck—"
"What about relics or anything old? Have you—"
"Elle!"
"You don't understand! You're not normal, you can't be—"
"No. YOU are not normal," Daniel snapped, stepping back. "And you're freaking me out with all these questions."
Before she could respond, the door clicked open again.
A tall, absurdly handsome doctor walked in—clean-shaven, deep brown eyes, perfect posture. His bushy brows and full lips belonged on the cover of a Fire Fighters advent calendar, not the doorway to a bleak hospital room.
Daniel's eyebrows shot up in shock. Even he had to admit for a doctor he was annoyingly good looking.
Elle glared at the intrusion. "Wrong room pretty boy. 'Favorite Patient' set is two floors up."
The doctor smiled politely. "Actually, I'm not an actor I'm your new attending physician. Dr. Bryce Kessler." He held a tablet. "Sophie right?"
Elle nodded at her current identity. "Yes."
Bryce nodded at his tablet. "You've been in multiple accidents over the past few days. I'll need to run a few tests before we release you."
Daniel frowned. "What happened to the old doctor?"
Bryce's smile tightened. "They transferred her over to me because I'm a Specialist."
A male nurse entered behind him—a scrawny guy in navy scrubs, the standard hospital mask on.
Bryce gestured. "We'll transfer her to an exam room now."
Elle hesitated... but nodded. Daniel stayed at her side, helping her up as they walked into the hall. Whatever argument they were having dissolved.
The nurse walked behind them. They stopped by an elevator and waited.
Elle looked around and saw the hallways empty. Odd.
In her whole life never had a hospital been as empty as this. Maybe it was the Vandeberg medical advancements but even then where were the crying children, the parents coming in with law suits, the large extended families gathering around the lobby to wait for news.
Daniel was as air-headed as ever, completely oblivious to the quiet hospital. The buzzing lights above him. Or the eerie silence.
The elevator chimed as it opened and Daniel stepped in.
Elle turned to check the west wing when the hem of her gown caught her feet, causing her to sway a bit.
The nurse reached over to steady her.
"Watch your step, Elle." He said, under his breath,
Elle froze.
Daniel didn't notice. He was already stepping aside to enter the elevator, offering a hand for her to take with a harmless smile on his face. If naivety had a face it would be his.
The nurse's voice rang in her head, echoing in familiarity.
Elle...not Sophie.
But Elle knew that voice.
Reggie. Bank robber. Racoon mask. The one who had pointed a gun at her face and refused to harm her.
Her eyes snapped up to Bryce. Their eyes locked. His broad shoulders and tall stature towered over her - Bunny.
His expression shifted. They both registered her realization at the same time.
"Fuck." He sighed, jaws tightening.
Elle's violet eyes dulled.
Bryce lunged to grab her—
Elle moved faster.
She snatched Reggie by the collar, yanked him forward, and slammed him directly into Bryce. Both men stumbled, crashing into the open elevator.
"Elle what the hell!" Daniel exclaimed.
Elle slammed her hands against the closing switch and frantically turned to Daniel.
"Daniel," she hissed, grabbing his hand, "listen to me right now they aren't real doctors!"
"What—wait—WHAT?!"
"Shut up and run!"