Aria's mother rested a gentle hand atop hers.
"Remember, darling, composure at all times," she murmured. "And try to enjoy yourself."
Aria inclined her head. "Of course, Mother."
Inside the ballroom, soft laughter and clinking glasses blended with the quiet hum of conversation. Women in flowing gowns whispered behind fans, men in tuxedos exchanged polite greetings, and chandeliers cast warm light across the polished floor. Aria moved through it all with practiced grace, her expression calm and unreadable.
Her eyes found Matthias near the center of the hall.
Tall. Rigid posture. Handsome in a cold, distant way.
A glass of wine dangled from his fingers as though even holding it bored him.
Their gazes met briefly.
He gave a curt nod, then walked toward her.
They were classmates, acquaintances at best. No fondness, no real conversations, nothing that tethered them together except family ties neither asked for.
"Aria." He stopped a step away from her, inclining his head stiffly. "Let's talk about our engagement."
His expression was flat, as if announcing the weather.
Aria folded her hands in front of her. "Alright. What is there to discuss?"
He met her eyes, unflinching.
"I feel nothing for you. You should know that from the start. This engagement is obligation, not affection."
Aria pressed her lips together, maintaining her poise.
"I expected nothing less, Matthias. Obligation was clear long before tonight."
He nodded once. "Good. Then we understand each other. Let's get through this evening without complications."
"As you wish," she replied coolly, her face unreadable.
*****
"Zack, it's so cool in here," Ava whispered, mouth slightly open as she took in the glittering hall.
"Close your mouth, Ava," he said, laughing softly.
She snapped it shut immediately, straightening her posture to match the elegance around her.
Her gold dress flowed beautifully as she moved, her loose curls spilling down her back. With light makeup softening her features, she looked nothing like her usual hoodies-and-joggers self.
"You look really pretty tonight," Zack said with a small smile, dimples appearing.
Ava nudged him with a grin.
"You haven't fallen for me, have you?"
He cleared his throat, tugging awkwardly at his tuxedo.
"About that…" He glanced around, then seemed to lose his nerve.
Ava raised a brow. She had her suspicions and she had hoped she was wrong.
"Let's go to the balcony," Zack said suddenly. "It's kinda loud in here."
He took her hand gently, leading her outside.
The cool air greeted them, and Ava rushed to the railing, leaning forward to stare at the night sky.
"The stars are so pretty," she breathed.
"Ava…" Zack called quietly.
She turned.
He looked stiff, even almost scared.
Her heart sank. She knew this moment. She had dreaded it.
"What's up?" she asked, forcing a small smile as she waited.
"Ava… um…" He exhaled shakily. "I… like you. I've liked you for a while now."
Ava went stiff.
She didn't know what to say.
Didn't know how to react.
She had imagined this moment hundreds of times, Zack confessing, her responding calmly, kindly, perfectly.
But now that it was real, every practiced reply flew out of her head.
Her heart hammered. Her mouth stayed glued shut.
"Ava…?" Zack whispered, taking a small step toward her.
But before he could say another word, Ava bolted.
She brushed past him, nearly tripping over the hem of her dress, and rushed back inside; Eyes burning, breath shaky, mind in chaos. She didn't stop to see the look on his face. She didn't want to. She just knew she needed to get out.
Her heels clicked loudly through the hall as she pushed through the crowd, desperate for an exit.
*****
On the other side of the ballroom, Aria had reached her limit.
Too many empty conversations.
Too many polite smiles.
Too many eyes watching her every move.
She slipped out through the nearest doorway, exhaling softly the moment cool air brushed against her skin.
Her steps slowed as she headed toward the balcony, glad to finally escape the suffocating room even if only for a moment.
*****
Ava hurried down the hallway, her breath uneven as she wiped at the corners of her eyes.
She didn't even care where she was going; she just needed to get away from the noise, the lights, the confession she wasn't ready for.
Why now?
Why him?
Why tonight of all nights?
Her thoughts tangled chaotically as she pushed open a side door, letting the cool air spill over her. She leaned against the wall, clutching the fabric of her dress as she tried to steady her breathing.
The night sky blurred in front of her.
She didn't even notice that only a few steps away, another door opened.
Aria stepped onto the same terrace from the opposite side, her silver gown brushing lightly against the stone floor. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the crisp air filled her lungs.
Finally. Silence.
No forced conversations.
No Matthias.
No expectations weighing on her shoulders.
Just a quiet moment to breathe.
She walked slowly toward the balcony railing, her heels whispering softly against the ground. Her mind drifted back to Matthias's cold words, the engagement, the life she wasn't choosing but being pushed into.
For a moment, she wished she could disappear.
****
Ava straightened, finally catching her breath.
She pushed a stray curl behind her ear and stepped forward, intending to re-enter the ballroom from another door.
Aria took a step back at the exact same moment, turning away from the railing to head inside.
Two paths.
Two lives.
Two sets of footsteps drifting closer…
Separated only by the corner of a stone archway.
For a single heartbeat, Ava's shadow crossed into Aria's light.
Aria paused.
Ava froze.
Both girls sensed something, an odd shift in the air, a faint intuition, like brushing against a mirror without seeing it.
But before either could turn around.
A voice called from inside.
"Aria, dear? Are you out here?"
Aria exhaled, gathering her composure. "Coming, Mother," she replied softly, turning back toward the door.
At the same time, Ava ducked her head and slipped through the opposite side, avoiding everyone, her heart still pounding.
They missed each other by seconds.
But the universe wasn't finished with them.
Not yet.
"Where did you go, dear?" Aria's mother asked as she tucked a loose strand of hair gently behind Aria's ear.
"Just needed some air," Aria replied, releasing a quiet sigh.
Her mother gave her an encouraging smile and patted her back softly. "I know tonight is a lot. Just hold on a little longer, alright? Your father has some people he wants you to greet."
Aria nodded, though her shoulders felt heavy. "Of course, Mother."
As they stepped back inside, the warm glow of chandeliers washed over them, and the sound of soft chatter wrapped around her like a net, polished, elegant, suffocating.
After some time, Aria's vision wavered for a moment. The hum of voices, the clinking glasses, the suffocating perfume of the crowd, it all pressed in on her at once. Her stomach tightened, and a nauseating wave washed over her.
"Mother… excuse me," she whispered, already stepping back.
"Aria?" her mother called softly, but she didn't wait.
She turned, lifted her dress slightly, and hurried toward the exit, her heels clicking faster than her breath.
She just needed air.
Just one moment away.
Aria pushed through the doors and bolted outside—
—at the same moment Ava came running around the corner, wiping her cheeks after fleeing from Zack.
Neither of them saw the other in time.
A sharp gasp.
They collided.
Ava stumbled back, grabbing the railing for support.
Aria froze, her breath caught in her throat.
They stared at each other in shock, frozen in place.
"What… what the hell?" Ava whispered. Her breath hitched. It felt like she was staring into a mirror. Same eyes, same hair, same face.
Aria's hand flew to her mouth. "Who are you?" she breathed, taking a step back as if the world had tilted.
"Ava? Where are you?" Zack's voice echoed faintly from inside.
Ava's eyes widened. Panic spiked through her.
Without thinking, she grabbed Aria's hand. "Come on!"
"H–hey—wait—!" Aria barely managed to say before Ava tugged her around the corner.
They ran.
Down the marble steps.
Past the glowing lanterns.
Across the quiet pathways of the estate until the noise of the gala faded behind them.
They finally stopped in a secluded garden, both breathing hard.
Aria pulled her hand free, staring at Ava like she was trying to make sense of reality itself.
"You… Why do you look like me?" she demanded, pointing a trembling finger at Ava.
Ava immediately slapped the hand down.
"Uh, no. You are the one who looks like me, princess," she snapped, still panting.
Aria's eyes widened. "Princess? I… That's not… That's not the point!"
"Oh my God, this is crazy," Ava muttered, running both hands through her hair. "Like… insane. Like… somebody-pin-me kind of crazy."
Aria pressed a hand against her chest, trying to steady her breath.
"This is impossible. People don't just… just duplicate."
Ava pointed at her. "Well, apparently they do, because you're literally my face copy."
"Wait. Wait. Stop talking. Let me think," Aria said, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Ava scoffed. "Don't tell me to shut up. How can I shut up when someone—a whole girl—is out here rocking my face?" She lifted her hand dramatically. "Oh, wait."
Aria looked up at her, breath held.
"How old are you?" Ava asked.
"I'm eighteen," Aria answered cautiously.
Ava's mouth dropped open. "No freaking way. I'm eighteen too. Okay, okay, when were you born?"
"August 19th," they both chorused in perfect unison.
Silence.
Ava staggered back, placing her hands on her head like she was about to scream. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Absolutely not. I'm hallucinating. The juice was spiked. Someone spiked the juice."
Aria, on the other hand, looked eerily calm, like the shock had frozen her from the inside out.
"This is not happening," she muttered. Her eyes darted up to Ava's. "Were you… by any chance… adopted?"
Ava stopped pacing.
Her throat tightened.
"…Yes?"
Aria's lips parted, but no sound came out. She just stared at Ava, no expression, no tears, just the look of someone whose entire life blueprint had been rewritten in a single minute.
Ava felt her knees wobble. "Why? Don't tell me you were too, because I swear I will pass out right here… "
"I was," Aria replied, dropping the bombshell.
Ava's mouth fell open. She looked like the floor had disappeared under her feet.
"You… you're my twin?" she breathed.
"Possibly," Aria whispered.
Silence crashed over them.
A loud revelation.
A quiet realization.
Aria inhaled shakily. "Wait… this is good."
Ava jerked her head up. "How the hell is this good?" she snapped.
"I know this is absurd," Aria murmured, voice trembling. "But I have a proposal."
Ava frowned. "What proposal?"
Aria stepped closer, eyes locked with hers.
"Let's switch lives."
Everything froze...