Chapter 1: The Switch
Ethan always thought life was straightforward. Work hard, get through college, build a future. His sister, Lily, was the quiet, pale girl who couldn't walk. Ever since the accident years ago, she had been confined to a wheelchair, fragile and silent. Their worlds felt miles apart—Ethan chasing dreams, Lily trapped inside her own body.
One stormy night, something impossible happened.
Ethan woke up in a dimly lit room. The familiar weight of his own body was gone. Instead, he felt light, fragile — and pale. Looking down, he saw his thin arms, the delicate fingers of his sister's body. Panic surged as he realized he had switched places with Lily. But something was wrong. His own body—his real self—was nowhere to be found.
He heard a faint voice from the other room. It was Lily, but her voice trembled. "Ethan… please, listen."
Ethan stumbled toward the voice, but his legs—Lily's legs—felt weak, useless. Suddenly, his sister's wheelchair rolled into the room, empty. Then the voice came again, closer and more urgent.
"I'm fading… I'm sorry. Before I pass, we have to switch back."
Tears filled Ethan's eyes. "No, Lily! Don't leave me!"
Her voice was barely a whisper now, but clear. "Enjoy your life this time, Ethan. You have a chance to live it fully. I'm tired… but you—"
A flash of light. The world blurred.
When Ethan opened his eyes again, he was back in Lily's fragile body. But this time, the empty silence of his own body's disappearance hung heavy in the air. He realized that Lily's soul was fading, but still tethered somehow.
For days, Ethan struggled to control the weak limbs that were not his own. His hands trembled as he tried to sit up, his legs refusing to obey. The doctors called it a miracle when, months later, he took his first steps—wobbly, hesitant, but real.
His mind was sharp. Years of college knowledge filled his thoughts, contrasting with the simplicity of Lily's physical world. School was hard—his classmates stared, whispering about the pale girl who seemed different, more mature than anyone else. But Ethan was determined.
He would walk again.
He would live.
And maybe, just maybe, he would honor the sister who gave him this second chance.