Chapter 3 Tears Before the Dawn

Guinevere staggered to her feet, her chest heaving as ragged breaths tore in and out of her lungs. "Why are you just standing there?!" she barked, her voice sharp and frantic. "Go catch her!"

Cleopatra moved back again, but loose rocks tumbled into the sea below, forcing her to steady herself immediately.

"No, don't move!" Anthony cried, fear flooding his eyes. "Please... please come back!"

"You crazy fuck!" Guinevere screamed, grabbing his shirt. "Why are you telling her to come back? Just let her fall!"

The moment that word left Guinevere's mouth, rage flared within him. With a sharp shove, Anthony sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Shut up!" he cut in sharply.

"I can't lose her," he snarled. "I own her. She's mine!"

It dawned on both Cleopatra and Guinevere then, losing Cleopatra was a chink in Anthony's otherwise impenetrable armor.

"You're terrified of losing control because domination is all you crave, not love," Guinevere sneered. "You truly are pathetic. This is not love!"

Cleopatra raised her voice, cutting through them both.

"Over my dead body will I be your plaything." She laughed bitterly. "You fear losing me out of selfishness. That's why I'd choose Calvin over you a hundred times."

At the mention of Calvin, jealousy flared in Anthony's veins, heat twisting through him as fists clenched instinctively.

"And you think he's better than me?" he snapped. "If he was so great, why's he six feet under? Just a fool playing hero-"

Cleopatra cut him off.

"This is where you're wrong. He wasn't just a hero. He was a leader, someone who would do anything to protect those he loved. That isn't weakness; that's real love, something you'll never understand. He was a courageous soul who fought for love itself. I'd rather plunge into the abyss than spend another moment with you!"

She spun around at once, her gaze locking onto Guinevere.

"And you... you're utterly despicable. No wonder you never excel at anything. Your heart is poisoned with hate and bitterness, and even in another lifetime, Calvin would never love you."

"Shut the hell up, you trollop!" Guinevere screamed, her voice shaking.

"Guinevere, look at yourself just once," she whispered, exhaustion and grief weighing down her words. "You're beyond saving, beyond even being called human. I never thought the girl I grew up with would become this... this monster. We were best friends. We shared our childhood, our laughter, our tears. What happened to those years? What happened to the bond we had as sisters, as our mother's daughters?"

Right then, Cleopatra sobbed, her voice breaking. "Was it all so insignificant?" A hollow laugh escaped her lips. "Was I just being delusional, thinking we would always be together forever?" Her laughter faded into silence. "I suppose... I was alone in this thing called friendship."

"Guin, I'm still in denial that you hated me this much," Cleopatra whispered, her voice breaking. "It hurts so much. It really does-"

"Enough!" Guinevere snapped, cutting her off sharply.

"If you had truly cared about me, why did you keep stealing the things I loved most?!" Guinevere screamed, her voice unhinged, madness flashing in her eyes.

"Guinevere, you're deranged! I never stole anything from you!" Cleopatra shouted, her voice shaking with fury.

"Woe unto you and unto Anthony," Cleopatra said calmly. "Do you both truly lack a conscience, to take a human life without a shred of pity? Calvin may be dead, but he will always be the one I love; my selfless, unyielding shield."

Her laughter echoed as she stepped backward. She would rather die than let them capture her.

Just then, she fell. Her body tumbled down the cliff and plunged into the sea with a violent splash.

The deeper she sank, the quieter the world became. Time seemed to freeze as saltwater filled her lungs and darkness closed in.

Feeling her breath choke and fade, she muttered an earnest wish.

"If fate could be kinder, if there's a next life. Let me meet him again, I-"

Then everything went silent.

Cleopatra's consciousness returned slowly, shrouded in fog. Disoriented, her body felt broken, and a deep terror settled in her chest as distant music drifted in, making it seem as if she had been dragged back into a world that no longer felt real.

Her eyes snapped open. She gasped and coughed as though she had surfaced from deep water. Nausea twisted her stomach, and panic flooded her chest as she took in the familiar surroundings. Her gaze fell on a neatly folded uniform resting on the bench.

Suddenly, Ana grabbed her by the shoulders. A familiar face loomed before her, lips moving as if to soothe her, but no words reached Cleopatra. Her mind spun wildly, desperate to make sense of what was happening.

'Wait... this is the Atelier Club...?'

Her voice shook as she forced the words past her dry lips.

"H-How... How am I not underwater? Didn't I die?" she stammered

Her hand went to her skin, her fingers pinching sharply. Disbelief lingered, but the sharp sting searing through her confirmed it was real.

'I'm not dead. I'm ... alive.'

In the chaos, she wrenched free from Ana's grip and lunged toward the door only to slam headfirst into someone the moment it swung open.

"Ah, my head..." she groaned, clutching it. The pain confirmed it, she was truly reborn.

"Her head felt impossibly heavy as a familiar voice cut through the haze, calling her name. Soft, gentle hands steadied her, and the moment their eyes locked, her body froze every nerve ignited by a shock so profound it stole her breath."

"K-Ka...tie?" Cleopatra whispered, She couldn't believe Katie was alive and standing before her.

"Ka...tie... is this really you?" She struggled to steady herself, but faltered when Katie tried to help, Katie's movements hesitant."

Meanwhile, Cleopatra felt a strange wave of familiarity wash over her, as if déjà vu had settled in her chest. She barely had time to process it before Katie's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. "Did you get hurt?" Her gaze swept over Cleopatra, widening as she searched for any sign of injury."

Cleopatra glimpsed the brief flicker of irritation in Katie's eyes, yet it stirred no reaction within her.

"You're alive, I can't believe you're alive," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry-so sorry for not believing you, and for treating you so badly."

Katie's chest constricted painfully, her words trembling yet heavy with disbelief, each one carrying the sting of years unacknowledged. "Since when did I ever matter?"

Meanwhile, confusion swirled through Katie's mind as she struggled to understand why Cleopatra was being unusually kind and asking such strange questions. Her eyes remained fixed on Cleopatra's tear-streaked face.

Still, Cleopatra drew her close, holding her as if the world itself were crumbling around them. Her grip tightened with unspoken desperation. Feeling the raw ache in her friend's soul, Katie mirrored the embrace, her hands gentle against Cleopatra's back, trying to soothe the storm within her.

"Stop crying, it's okay," Katie whispered, her hand lightly resting on Cleopatra's back, soothing yet hesitant.

Cleopatra raised her eyes to meet hers, calm on the surface but heavy with unspoken weight. "Katie, may I have a moment?"

Katie exhaled slowly, relief washing over her. 'Yes of course."

They found a quiet room where they could speak in peace. Once seated, Cleopatra wasted no time.

"Where is Calvin? How is he? Is he safe?" she asked abruptly.

Katie blinked. "Did I hear that correctly? Wow! you're asking about Calvin. He's fine," she said, astonished.

At that point, Cleopatra felt a wave of relief, a shy smile softening her lips. "We should keep in touch. Actually, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Katie fixed her gaze on her, giving her undivided attention. "Alright, go on."

In an instant she poured out everything to Katie. How Guinevere had harbored jealousy since high school, how she had manipulated her into giving up her INK Model debut after her parents' death, and how, behind a façade of friendliness, Guinevere's heart had held nothing but hatred. Katie listened in quiet composure, unsurprised; she had warned Cleopatra about Guinevere more times than she could count.

"Hello!" Katie's voice rang with unshakable confidence, sharp and unapologetic. She lifted both hands, twisting her index and middle fingers with effortless flair.

"I noticed it long ago, and I even told you back in school. She doesn't just despise you, she's envious that Calvin chose you over her."

Katie's eyes narrowed as she shook her head with sharp disdain. "You pushed my beloved brother aside and clung shamelessly to that damn Anthony."

Cleopatra smiled and offered an apology, her gaze lingering on Katie as echoes of her old, familiar warmth resurfaced only for the smile to slowly fade as she slipped into quiet reflection.

'I'm sorry, Katie. I can't tell you that I've been reborn.'

The words remained trapped in her chest. 'I'm truly disappointed in myself for pushing such a good person out of my life.'

Her gaze fell, regret tightening around her heart as the weight of everything she had lost finally settled in.

Without hesitation.

"Guinevere is still INK's model, right?" Cleopatra's voice carried a cold edge.

"Yeah. Why are you asking? Don't tell me-"

Cleopatra cut her off.

"I'm coming back into modeling." Cleopatra smirked