[ Four days have passed ]
[ After eating dinner, you placed one petal onto a cup of water and drank the concentrated water. As said by the person in your memories. In hopes of you remembering something from your past. Soon, you drifted into sleep?... how long of a sleep you don't know. ]
[ In a very vivid dream, Velvet experienced her first life as 'Jasmine,' a life laid out in intricate detail from her earliest memories to her final breath. ]
As the dream shimmered into focus, the room changed with the scent of lavender. You see a younger version of yourself trying to stretch your hand to reach the outstretched arms of a man and woman, as their faces are wreathed in soft smiles. "Jasmine, come here," a tender whisper from the woman. While the man replied in unison, "Come here, our baby." As Jasmine managed to reach them, her father said to her, "You are our gift from heaven, a gift from God."
"Your father is right, baby; you are our little gift from God," replied the woman. But the light began to dim. The smiles of the woman and man became twisted, their voices becoming sharp, harsh, and unpleasant. You see yourself hiding at the foot of your door as you see a vase shattered, doors slammed, and the cries of tears from the woman. The sweet fragrance of lavender slowly turned into a bitter tang of resentment. Jasmine, a small figure, went to huddle in the corner as she watched their love unravel into a thin line of thread. A very painful and cruel thread. Until all that remained was a stark, empty chasm. They soon separated, leaving her to her grandmother. Her grandmother had a gentle, comforting presence in contrast to her parents.
"Grandma... Her touch felt so warm... Her stories were like a lullaby against the void storm." is what Jasmine thought of her grandmother.
Grandma was her anchor in her life, her unwavering Northern Star in a world that had suddenly tilted on its axis. Every scraped knee, every childish fear, every whispered secret found solace in her grandma's embrace. The years flowed, marked with laughter and quiet understanding, compared to her childhood self. Or at least that's what she thought. Until a crisp spring morning, Jasmine, diploma clutched in hand, stood beaming on the graduation stage. Then a sharp, cold pang in her heart passed by. She felt confused by this feeling until... She came back home. Grandma was gone. The world went quiet; colors drained away from her eyes. A gaping void opened, but in that void, a spark ignited: a fierce and burning determination to build a better future, brick by brick.
As she set foot into her college years. A whirlwind of late-night study sessions, endless textbooks, and the relentless hum of ambition. Jasmine was a force, a blur of focused energy, outworking and outperforming everyone around her. Amidst this intense period, she not only found love, only to have her heart shattered by disgusting infidelity by the very man she loved. The betrayal was so deep that in a moment of emotional vulnerability, she had a one-night stand with a young but handsome man called Jose. A mistake, she thought, but Jose, single and surprisingly steadfast, didn't vanish with the dawn. And a month later, when two pink lines on a test confirmed the unexpected, he didn't falter. He embraced it, embraced her. He became the rock she never knew she needed, a loving, supportive partner, ready to raise their daughter, Epithany, together.
The cap and gown of graduation were traded for the quiet confidence of a wife and a mother. Jasmine with Epithany in one arm and Jose's steady hand in hers. Her "savings" was a meager sum that was the rubble from which she built her empire. Long nights turned into longer longerdays, each ounce of effort into her growing company. She seized every opportunity, her vision clear, her resolve unyielding. The company soared, a phoenix from ashes, expanding with breathtaking speed until becoming a billionaire became not just a title but a testament to her unyielding spirit.
Wealth surrounded her, a shimmering shield. But even that couldn't ward off the inevitable. The dream shifted, the air growing heavy. The quiet passing of Jose, her steadfast partner, was her enduring love. The world felt even colder and emptier. Then a creeping chill invaded Jasmine. Sickness, relentless and unforgiving, unabling her to grieve her loved one. Her body weakened her spirit, though still bright, it dimmed. She looked at her oldest child, Epithany, her eyes reflecting her own strength, and passed on the reins of her vast company.
[ The dream slowed, colors fading to a soft grey. A final breath. Then, the hush of a funeral. Faces, blurred by tears, stood in somber tribute. The air crackled with a profound sense of closure.Then soon, she reawoke as Velvet, with tears streaming down her face and with a profound sense of remembrance over her. As if she had truly reconnected with a lost part of herself. ]