Gehenna

Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: 

Three days had passed since Lyra found herself inhabiting Gehenna's body. Mornings brought with them the weight of adjusting to her current situation. Although she is still struggling to accept her new reality, Lyra's consciousness is still much stronger than Gehenna's memories. She sat by the window, the soft light filtering through the heavy velvet curtains, casting a golden hue on the ornate room.

She first recalled how the book painted Gehenna's character and those around her. Gehenna, in her inherited memories, was far from the villainess the book depicted. She appeared rude but was merely sticking to her beliefs, always feeling wronged and misunderstood. 

The servants flinched at her every word, her voice sharp and authoritative. "Why do they always shy away?" Gehenna's thoughts echoed in Lyra's mind, the loneliness piercing her heart.

Her maids maintained a distance, the wound from a past incident fueling rumors of her vile nature. Gehenna had thrown a glass in a fit of anger, but it was an accident that caused a servant's injury, not malice. This one mistake painted her as vicious, further isolating her in the grand mansion.

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Gehenna stood silently behind the thick velvet curtain, her heart pounding as she overheard her parents' conversation in the adjacent room.

"She looks just like her," her mother's voice trembled with bitterness. "Every time I see Gehenna, I see that wretched woman who tried to tear us apart."

Her father sighed heavily, frustration lacing his words. "I know. Her red hair, those piercing eyes... it's like having her here all over again. I can hardly bear to look at her."

"Why did she have to inherit everything from that vile grandmother of hers?" her mother continued, her voice rising with anger. "The very thought of Gehenna being part of our lives, of our home, it's unbearable."

"She's a constant reminder of all the pain and heartache that woman caused," her father replied, his tone cold and distant. "But what can we do? She is our daughter in name, if nothing else."

Gehenna felt a sharp pain in her chest, tears welling in her eyes. She had always known they disliked her, but hearing their words so clearly was like a dagger to her heart. She stepped back, her breathing shaky, and fled to her room, feeling more alone than ever.

Gehenna's chest ached with an unbearable weight of sadness and anger. As she fled to her room, her mind replayed her parents' cruel words. With trembling hands, she reached for the glass of milk on her bedside table, hoping the familiar routine would calm her.

But the pain was too fresh, too raw. In a sudden fit of rage, she hurled the glass across the room. It shattered against the wall, sending shards flying. A maid, just entering to check on her, cried out as a piece of glass struck her forehead, drawing blood.

Gehenna's fury dissolved instantly into horror. "I-I didn't mean to!" she stammered, rushing to the maid's side. But the damage was done. The servants who came to help the injured maid shot Gehenna fearful, accusing glances.

The rumors spread quickly. "Vicious," they whispered. "Dangerous." One mistake, born of pain and desperation, cast Gehenna further into the shadows of isolation within the grand mansion. She was now truly alone, a prisoner of her own misunderstood actions.