I woke up with a sharp gasp.
My heart was racing.
For a moment, I didn't know where I was.
Then I saw the ceiling.
My room.
My bed.
My home.
I reached for the clock beside me.
3:07 a.m.
"…Just a dream," I whispered.
But I knew that wasn't true.
It had been a nightmare—
and a memory.
Ever since I completed the global vaccination for the heart virus, fragments of my old timeline had been surfacing more and more often.
Uninvited.
Uncontrolled.
Memories of failure.
Of loss.
Of regret.
Goku collapsing in my arms.
The helplessness.
The panic.
The feeling that I had been too late.
If only I had found the virus sooner…
If only I had searched harder for New Namek…
But even then…
What if the Androids had followed me there?
What if I had led them straight to another innocent world?
Namek would have fallen.
Just like Earth.
And if they had gotten their hands on the Dragon Balls…
I didn't even want to imagine it.
I quietly slipped out of bed and made my way to the training room.
The lights flickered on as I entered.
"Activate training drones," I murmured.
Several spherical units floated into position.
I increased the gravity slightly—not too much.
Not enough to crush me.
Just enough to make every movement heavy.
Then I started running.
Lap after lap.
My breath grew ragged.
My muscles burned.
Sweat soaked into my clothes.
But I didn't stop.
Not until my thoughts finally began to blur.
Only then did I slow down.
I sat in the center of the room and crossed my legs.
The gravity remained active.
I closed my eyes.
And began to meditate.
Breathe in…
I felt my ki circulate through my body.
Slow.
Steady.
Controlled.
Breathe out…
"The future isn't set in stone," I whispered to myself.
I had already changed things.
Goku was alive.
Raditz was alive.
Gohan was safe.
He wasn't forced into battle.
He wasn't broken too early.
Chi-Chi still let him train—but only in moderation.
Only after homework.
Only after meals.
Only after being a child.
Like he deserved.
This time… he gets to grow up.
Sometimes, I wondered if remembering my old life was a blessing…
Or a curse.
It gave me knowledge.
But it also gave me fear.
I couldn't tell anyone.
Not because they wouldn't believe me.
But because they would.
And once they did, the weight would crush them.
Vegeta and Nappa were already coming.
That alone was terrifying enough.
To them, the Saiyans were the ultimate threat.
If they knew what came after…
Androids.
Cell.
Buu.
Gods.
Timelines.
Erasure.
It would break them.
So I carried it alone.
The door slid open softly.
I opened my eyes.
Raditz stood there, arms crossed.
"…You're here early," he said. "You usually train later."
I forced a small smile.
"Couldn't sleep."
He frowned. "Nightmare?"
"…Something like that."
He hesitated, then stepped closer.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask," he said.
I tilted my head. "What is it?"
"You look… different," he said slowly.
"Not human. Not Saiyan either."
I sighed.
"Well… I guess it's time I told you."
I stood up and dusted myself off.
"I modified my genes," I said. "Using yours."
His eyes widened.
"…You what?"
"I'm about twenty percent Saiyan now," I explained.
"So biologically…"
I smiled faintly.
"I'm kind of your little sister."
Raditz stared at me.
Speechless.
"…A sister," he muttered under his breath.
He looked away, scratching his cheek.
"Tch… figures. My life keeps getting weirder."
I laughed quietly.
For a moment, the tension faded.
As he turned to leave, I watched him silently.
Maybe it's just my imagination…
But lately…
I didn't feel alone anymore.
Not completely.
Training together.
Fighting together.
Planning together.
Somewhere along the way…
We had become family.
In our own strange way.
And maybe—
Just maybe—
That was another reason I refused to give up.
Because this time…
I wasn't fighting alone.
And this time…
I would protect this future.
No matter what.