One hundred days before the SATs, my mom stayed up late with me every night, helping me study. But on the day of the test, she blocked my bedroom door like a madwoman, refusing to let me leave. My dad, who usually ignored both of us, shoved her aside and yelled at me to get going. I froze, confused, as they started screaming at each other. "Listen to me, honey!" Mom cried, her eyes wide. "I've come back from the future! The highway to the test center is going to collapse! If you go, you'll die!" "Don't listen to her!" Dad shouted back. "She's lying! She just doesn't want you to outshine her secret bastard child!" Mom’s face turned crimson. She pointed a shaking finger at him. "You bastard! You know that road is dangerous! You're trying to kill our daughter!" Dad sneered. "Stop twisting the truth! In our last life, you stopped her from taking the test, and she died miserable and full of regret!" I didn't try to mediate like I usually would. Instead, I let out a cold laugh, walked back into my room, and slammed the door shut. Neither of them knew the truth. I had come back from the future, too. And in this life, no one was going to trick me again. I was reborn. It hit me the moment I opened the door and heard my parents reciting the exact same lies from my past life. I leaned against my bedroom door, my chest heaving, my heart pounding against my ribs. Outside, I heard my mother's triumphant laugh. "See? She listened to me." My dad stayed silent, but I knew I couldn't stay here. I grabbed a few essentials, shoved them into my backpack, and yanked the door open again. My mom’s smug smile froze. "Where are you going with that bag?" I ignored her and looked straight at my dad. "Are you done arguing? If you don't drive me to the bus station now, I'll miss it." Dad paused, the cigarette between his fingers trembling. He tossed it aside and hurried over, shooting a gloating look at Mom as he passed her. I pretended not to see it and followed him out. Mom grabbed my arm, her voice low and threatening. "Honey, think about this. If you go with him, you might lose your life." I looked at her, my expression flat, and shook off her hand. "I've studied for nine years for this day. Even if knives rain from the sky, I'm going." Mom opened her mouth but didn't try to stop me again. As I walked out the door, I heard her sigh. "What a pity." Dad was in high spirits, pedaling his bike furiously as he took me to the station. When we arrived, he gave me a rare piece of advice. "Seven, do well. Don't disappoint me and your mother, okay?" I suppressed a sneer, nodded, and boarded the bus. The driver was counting heads. I didn't need to count. Nineteen passengers. All girls. In our town, boys and girls took their exams in different locations. I didn't know if other places did this, but Mom said it had always been this way here. I stared out the window as the bus started moving. When we approached the stretch of highway Mom had warned about, I stood up and rushed to the driver. "Sir, can we take a detour? My mom says this road is going to collapse today." The driver blinked, then frowned. "Nonsense. We've driven this road for decades. It's never collapsed." I bit my lip, my fists clenching nervously. "But my mom was so sure..." He cut me off impatiently. "So sure? Is your mom psychic or something?" "She... she says she's from the future." My words were met with a wave of laughter from the bus. Only the driver didn't laugh. "Kid, who are your parents?" I hesitated, then answered truthfully. "My dad is John Miller. My mom is Willow Miller." The driver let out a strange hmph and glanced at me sideways. "Alright, go sit down. I guarantee you won't die today. Relax." The bus was already on the highway. I had no choice but to return to my seat. Despite the driver's confidence, the atmosphere grew tense. Everyone stared ahead, watching the loose gravel sliding down the mountainside in the distance. Chapter 2 The driver slowed down, inching toward the middle of the pass. Suddenly—CRASH! A massive boulder slammed onto the road from the cliff above. The driver slammed the brakes. The bus screeched to a halt, the bumper just inches from the rock. He wiped sweat from his forehead, glanced back at me, and got out to clear the road. The rock was moved quickly, but when he got back in, the silence in the bus was deafening. But we had made it. The collapse didn't happen. I sat back, pretending to check my bag. After rummaging for a while, I looked up in panic. I had "forgotten" my pencils. I walked up to the front again, hugging my backpack. "Sir, I forgot my pencils. Can we stop at the next town so I can buy some?" He glared at me. "Why are you so much trouble? Everyone else is prepared, but you're a mess." seeing my eyes well up with tears, his tone softened. "Fine, fine. I'll take you to the store when we get to town. Make sure you get everything this time, got it? I'm not stopping again." "Okay." I whispered my thanks and went back to my seat. The bus stopped in front of a small convenience store. The driver led me inside. While I was picking out pencils, the class president, Chase, walked in. He looked surprised to see me. "Seven? What are you doing here?" An idea sparked. I shoved the two dollars I was holding back into my pocket and approached him shyly. "I forgot my pencils. Um, Chase, could I borrow some money?" Chase was the rich kid of our class. Good grades, well-behaved, spoiled by his family. His allowance was legendary. His ears turned red as he dug into his bag. He pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill and handed it to me. "Is this enough?" Before I could answer, someone yelled his name from the door, telling him to hurry up. Chase blushed even harder, shoved the bill into my hand, and ran out. "I—I gotta go! Seven, see you at college!" I looked at the hundred-dollar bill in my hand and felt a pang of mockery. College? Would I even get the chance? When I put the pencils on the counter, I looked up at the driver. "Sir, can I buy a case of soda?" The driver and the shop owner paused their conversation and stared at me. "What do you need all that soda for?" "It's so hot, and everyone had to wait for me. I want to treat the class." The driver raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. The shop owner leaned in. "You got money for that?" "I do." I held up the hundred-dollar bill, smiling innocently. "My mom gave it to me before I left. Just in case." The driver and the owner exchanged a silent look. The owner took the money and pointed to the corner. "Water's over there. Grab it yourself." I shook my head. "Sir, can I have a cardboard box? I want to buy the cold ones from the fridge." The owner tossed me an empty box. I thanked him and ran to the fridge, filling the box with an assortment of drinks. As I packed them, I overheard their hushed conversation. "Think the girl is just being nice, or..." The driver lit a cigarette and chuckled. "Who knows? Every year someone tries to pull a fast one. In the end, it's always a waste of brainpower." They laughed. My hand paused for a second before I tossed the last two sodas into the box. Chapter 3 Back on the bus, I handed an ice-cold soda to the driver. "Sir, thanks for stopping for me. And for driving us." He glanced at me, ignored the drink in my hand, and reached into the box to grab a different one. I smiled awkwardly and passed the rest of the drinks out to the girls. The ride was smooth until we neared the testing center. Suddenly, the driver's face went pale. He slammed on the brakes. A girl in the front row asked worriedly, "Sir, are you okay?" He gritted his teeth, unable to speak for a moment. "I'm fine." He hit the gas again, but two minutes later, he pulled over sharply. Clutching his stomach, he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Stay on the bus. I need to... go." He jumped out and ran into the woods. I glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard. 8:20 AM. He got back on the bus. Perfect timing. We entered the city limits and turned onto Cloud Road. The traffic lights flashed. The driver kept a steady pace. I gripped the seatback in front of me, my eyes glued to the seconds ticking by on the clock. ... Here it comes! A red sports car screamed out of a side street, T-boning the bus. Tires screeched. Glass shattered. Even though I was braced for it, the impact threw me hard against the seat. My head rang. I gasped for air, waiting for the world to stop spinning. When the noise settled, I stood up and walked to the front. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, blood dripping from his forehead. I shook his arm. No response. I quickly slid his phone out of his pocket. The girl next to me, Lily, clutched her arm, looking at me in terror. "Seven, is he dead? What do we do?" I sneered. "Better off dead." The chaotic whimpering in the bus stopped instantly. They all stared at me, eyes wide with shock. I ignored them. I pushed past Lily, opened the window, and climbed out. The crowd gathering to help didn't question it; they helped me down and set me aside. "Kids! Jump out! We'll catch you!" they yelled to the others. I backed away from the crowd, typing a message on the stolen phone as I walked quickly toward the edge of the scene. I heard sirens. I knew if I waited for the police, they would take me to the testing center. I looked back one last time at the faces in the window, threw the phone into a sewer grate, and ran. I had limited time. I had to leave this town before anyone realized what was happening. I hailed a cab with the change from Chase's money. The driver eyed my clothes and smiled. "Heading to the SATs, kid? I'll get you there." My hand froze on the door handle. I looked at him, then bolted. He chased me for a few steps, yelling, before realizing he left his car running and turned back. "Damn it," I cursed under my breath, diving into an alleyway. Hiding behind a dumpster, pretending to be a beggar, I overheard passersby talking. "Did you hear? A student went missing on the way to the exam. Police, fire department, volunteers—everyone's looking for her. Huge search." "Missing? Kidnapped? These traffickers are getting bold." Chapter 4 The town was being swept. I kept moving, narrowly avoiding detection several times. I knew I couldn't stay in the city. I headed for the mountains. Shadow Creek was surrounded by eighteen villages and endless, dense forests. They reacted fast. Within three hours of me entering the woods, I saw flashlights. Looking down at the snaking line of lights, I pulled a small penlight from my bag and carefully made my way back down. While they searched the mountain, I slipped back into town. Garbage cans are gross, but I needed food to survive. Just as I pulled a half-eaten bagel from a bin, a familiar voice froze my blood. "Seven?" I turned slowly. Lily stood there, eyes wide with shock. I grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows. She had hurt her leg; she was limping badly. Once we were safe, I let go. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking the test?" The timid Lily I knew seemed different. She wasn't crying. She bit her lip, looking at me with a mix of fear and accusation. "What about you, Seven? Why did you run?" I didn't answer. She grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Do you know they arrested your parents and mine?" "They said... they said it's all because of you. You stole the driver's phone. You took his things..." "I didn't." I pushed her hand away. "Lily, they are lying to you." She stared at me, tears welling up. I sighed. I couldn't send her back now. "Lily, do you trust me?" We grew up together. She relied on me. We had no secrets. But now, I hesitated. Should I tell her the truth? I stared into her eyes. The silence stretched until sweat trickled down my back. Finally, she nodded. I exhaled, gripping her hands. "The people we call Mom and Dad... they aren't our real parents." "And this test? It's not the SATs. It's a trap. A cage built just for us." "Lily, I'm going to take you away. We're going to escape." Lily’s face went pale in the moonlight. "Seven, what are you saying? Are you sick? My parents..." "Lily, trust me." I cut her off, my eyes burning with intensity. My conviction reached her. She quieted down, then nodded slowly. We sat in silence against the wall. My stomach growled. I reached for the bagel, but Lily knocked it out of my hand. "That's dirty, Seven." "I have money. I'll go buy food. Wait here." I tried to grab her, to tell her no, but she was already running. I watched her enter the convenience store across the street, helpless. Simple, sweet Lily. When she gets back, we have to move immediately. Minutes later, she ran back with a bag of bread and two cheap bottles of water. She handed me the bread, twisting the cap off a water bottle. "Seven, where do we go next?" My throat was parched. I grabbed the water and gulped it down. "We hide for two days. They're coming." "Who?" I started to answer, but the world spun. I looked at the water bottle, then up at Lily in disbelief. She stepped back, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, Seven. I have to save my parents." I collapsed. Through fading vision, I saw shadows running toward us. I smiled bitterly. Lily, do you know how horribly you died in the last life?
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