Falling Skies, Rising Vengeance

I went on a graduation trip with my boyfriend, Marcus Hale, only to have my shameless roommate, Vanessa Quinn, tag along. On the way to Rybia, our plane was caught in violent turbulence and plunged toward the Egete Ocean. Because of a malfunction, only half the oxygen masks dropped. The spiteful Vanessa snatched the oxygen mask meant for a Rybian socialite, Layla Al-Farouq. Unable to stand by, I shared mine with the woman, saving her life. After the emergency landing, her powerful oil tycoon husband, Khalid Al-Farouq, adopted me as his goddaughter out of gratitude, while throwing the vicious Vanessa into the Kibera Slums. Later, I married Marcus, but on the day we went skydiving, he suddenly unbuckled my parachute and shoved me from ten thousand meters above, leaving me to crash into nothing but broken flesh. "If you hadn’t meddled and saved that old woman, my darling Vivi would still be alive!" Only then did I realize the two of them had been betraying me all along. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the exact moment the plane first took off. Chapter 1 "Hailey Donovan, I’m talking to you! Switch seats with me!" Vanessa Quinn’s sharp voice pierced my ears, yanking me out of my thoughts. My heart pounded violently in my chest. It took me a long moment to realize that I had been reborn. "Go ahead, switch. Sit next to your precious Marcus," I said coldly, my eyes flat with indifference. In my previous life, I never understood why Vanessa insisted on changing seats. Now it all made sense. I turned my gaze on Marcus Hale, and a wave of desolation and hatred swept through me. After we switched, Vanessa and Marcus clung to each other right under my nose, touching one another in ways that made my skin crawl. As the plane climbed higher and crossed into the Egete, I knew what was coming—severe turbulence. Sure enough, the next second, the entire plane jolted downward. The violent drop sent every passenger screaming in panic. "Ah! What’s happening?!" "Is the plane going down? I don’t want to die, I want to go home!" "Shut your mouth! Keep bawling and I’ll strangle you myself!" Cries and curses erupted across the cabin. I turned my head and saw Layla Al-Farouq, her hands clasped tightly in prayer, her eyes shut, and her face ashen. From my memories of the last life, I knew that she suffered from severe panic disorder. Suddenly, the plane shot upward again, the cabin tilting nearly ninety degrees. My hands trembled as I clutched the armrest. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vanessa hurl herself into Marcus’s arms. "Marcus, I’m so scared!" Her weak, trembling voice sent shivers of disgust down my spine. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, shielding her like she belonged to him. "Don’t be afraid, I’m here…" Then his eyes flicked to me, and he fell silent. A cold laugh escaped my chest. What a pair of filthy traitors. Before I could look away, a sharp pain shot through my left hand. I glanced down. Layla’s face was ghostly pale. She clutched her chest, gasping raggedly for air. Sweat poured down her forehead as her eyes rolled back. My heart skipped. She was having an attack. I scrambled, pulling at her pocket until I found her inhaler and pressed it to her nose. Just then, the plane lurched violently again. The inhaler flew from her hand and tumbled across the cabin, landing right at Vanessa’s feet. My blood froze. Layla was suffocating, her breaths growing shallower by the second. I reached for my seatbelt, desperate to unbuckle and grab the medicine, but the latch was jammed, stuck fast, no matter how hard I pulled. I had no choice but to shout at Vanessa, "Kick me the inhaler over! Now!" She bent forward, spotted the inhaler, then glanced at Layla choking for air. A cruel smile tugged at her lips. "If you want to save her, go do it yourself. Who are you to order me around?" As if convinced she was about to die, Vanessa dropped the sweet facade. "First, you try to save some rich woman, now you’re playing saint for a nobody, too. How pathetic." Instead of helping, she deliberately nudged the inhaler farther away. "Oh no! The plane jolted and I kicked it by accident. What a shame," she said with mock innocence, her eyes full of spite. Rage clawed at my chest. My breathing grew ragged. This vile woman! "Vanessa!" I glared at her, fury burning through me. "Are you insane? That’s a human life!" Marcus didn’t even pretend anymore. He pulled her close, declaring boldly, "What does it matter to us? Vanessa, even if we die, we’ll die together!" Then, he turned that look of loathing on me. "Hailey, you think you’re the only good person in the world? If you’re so kind, why don’t you unbuckle yourself and get the inhaler yourself?" I whipped my head toward Layla, her body convulsing as she gasped for air. My jaw clenched. Without another thought, I yanked the hairpin from my head and slashed it across the belt. The fabric tore free. I pushed up from my seat, but before I could move further, the plane bucked savagely. My body lifted off the seat and slammed into the ceiling before crashing back down. Agony shot through my bones, my vision swimming with darkness. Vanessa seized her chance, stomping down hard on my hand, grinding her heel in over and over. "Wench. Serves you right!" Then, finally, the inhaler rolled all the way to the front, landing near my seat. My breath hitched. I grit my teeth and crawled toward it, every muscle screaming in pain. Just as I reached out, Vanessa’s foot crashed into my back. My head smashed against the armrest, stars bursting in my eyes. The world spun, but I forced myself forward, clutching the inhaler at last. Even through the haze of agony, I drew on my memories of the previous life. My fingers trembled as I typed out a desperate SOS to the rescue team… and to Khalid Al-Farouq, the oil tycoon who could save us all. Chapter 2 No sooner had I hit send than a woman nearby shrieked, "She’s foaming at the mouth! She’s going to die, isn’t she?" The word "die" sent terror rippling through the cabin. "She’s dead! She’s dead from fright! We’re all going to die! The plane’s going to crash and we’ll be smashed to pieces!" Chaos erupted, panic spreading like wildfire. I forced myself upright and pulled Layla into my arms. "Don’t be afraid. Someone will come. We’ll be rescued!" Suddenly, the entire rear wing of the plane tore apart. The cabin began to depressurize at a terrifying speed. From above, the oxygen masks dropped down, but just like in my previous life, only half of them actually deployed. I quickly strapped one onto Layla, then fitted mine. My hands locked tight around the seat, bracing myself against being flung into the air. Vanessa, however, was the only one in our row without a mask. "Why don’t I have one?!" she screamed, eyes wild as she turned on me. "Hailey, that’s my seat! That means the mask is mine too. Give it back!" From the far side, Marcus added his order without hesitation, "Hailey, how can you be so cruel? Hand the mask to Vanessa. It’s hers by right!" I stared at them coldly. If looks could kill, these two shameless animals would have been dead a thousand times over. As the oxygen level dropped lower, Vanessa began to panic. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, her gaze shifted toward the frail Layla. My stomach turned to ice. I knew exactly what she intended. Before she could make a move, I shoved her back into her seat. "What do you think you’re doing?" Vanessa hadn’t expected me to stop her. Rage twisted her face, and she slapped me hard, every ounce of strength behind it. "Skank! Get out of my way!" The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. "You’re insane! What does it matter to you if this woman dies?!" "You’re the selfish one!" Marcus ripped off his own mask, glaring at me with disgust. "That seat belonged to Vanessa. You stole her oxygen!" "You love playing martyr so much, then give her your mask, witch!" Vanessa spat, her teeth bared. She struck me again, tore free of my grip, and lunged across the row. Before I could stop her, she yanked Layla out of her seat and shoved her aside. In one swift move, Vanessa snatched the mask off Layla and strapped it over her own face. "Vanessa!" My vision burned red. "Are you even human?!" "What’s your problem? She was going to die anyway! Why shouldn’t I take it?" she sneered, smug satisfaction spreading across her face. "If you hadn’t stolen my mask, she wouldn’t be in this state. Her death is on you." "Hailey, you’re vicious!" Marcus chimed in, his voice dripping with venom. I sucked in a deep breath, fighting down the urge to rip them apart with my bare hands. Instead, I dragged Layla back into my seat, pressing the spare mask over her face. The brutal loss of pressure forced me to keep my head down. My vision flickered black around the edges. Then, someone’s hand softly touched mine. I lifted my gaze. Layla was looking at me, gratitude shining in her eyes. With a trembling hand, she pointed at her mask… then at me. I understood. She wanted me to wear it. I shook my head firmly. Even as my brain screamed from lack of oxygen, even as suffocation closed in, I refused. Just then, the intercom crackled to life with the flight attendant’s trembling voice, "Passengers, brace for impact! Lock your arms over your head. Prepare for emergency landing! "The ocean rescue team has arrived. Be ready!" Chapter 3 My chest tightened as I clutched Layla close. After a violent crash and wave of turbulence, seawater gushed into the cabin. Panic erupted, and the passengers scrambled in chaos. I tore open Layla’s seatbelt and half-carried, half-dragged her toward the emergency exit. "Any injured passengers?" a rescuer shouted through a megaphone. "There aren’t enough lifeboats right now. We’ll get the wounded out for treatment first, then evacuate the rest in groups!" I shot my hand into the air, ready to call out. However, before I could speak, Marcus clamped a hand over my mouth, his eyes blazing. "Vanessa and I are getting on first. That old hag isn’t stealing our spot!" I wrenched free, fury chilling my veins. "You cowardly bastards! Get out of my way!" Shoving him aside, I guided Layla forward. "This woman suffers from severe panic disorder. If she doesn’t get medical attention immediately, she’ll suffocate and die!" Vanessa’s eyes burned with malice. "You’re so selfish! Look at all these people waiting for rescue. Why should some half-dead old woman go first?" Her words struck the crowd like sparks on dry tinder. "Let the healthy ones go first!" "Why waste a seat on someone about to die?" "Exactly! Save us instead, or we’ll report you all!" I stared at them in disbelief. Layla’s face had turned blue while despair was etched across her features. "You… all of you!" The rescuers hesitated. They weren’t saints, just men doing a dangerous job for a paycheck. One complaint could cost them dearly. They exchanged uneasy glances, then one of them finally ground out, "Fine! You two go first." Vanessa and Marcus smirked triumphantly as they strutted past me, climbing aboard the lifeboat without looking back. Seeing this, a few other men panicked, shoving people aside in their rush to seize seats on the boat. I held Layla against me, her weight sagging like a lifeless doll. My heart pounded. "Layla! Stay awake!" Turning desperately to the rescuers, I pleaded, "Take her! I’ll stay behind and give up my spot, but you must take her, or she’ll die!" They wavered, torn between me, the mob behind us, and the frail woman slipping away in my arms. "They can threaten you with complaints," I said, my voice shaking but fierce. "But so can I. And if she dies here, how will you answer for it?" The oldest rescuer hesitated, glanced at Layla, then finally gave a firm nod. "Fine. Get her on board." Relief surged through me as I helped Layla into the lifeboat. I was about to turn away when her hand clutched my sleeve, refusing to let go. Vanessa’s mocking laugh rang out instantly. "Didn’t you just say you’d give up your spot? What, changing your mind now?" Her venomous glare raked over me as she raised her voice, stoking the mob again, "She’s trying to cheat her way on! Throw her off!" "Get down, witch, or I’ll kill you myself!" a man in the crowd roared. I ripped my sleeve free, steeling myself to leave, but Vanessa’s voice slithered after me again. "She can’t go either!" She turned to the confused rescuers, her words as poisonous as a snake’s bite. "What if that old woman dies on the way? She has to take her along." Before anyone could object, she cut them off again, her tone dripping with malice, "But her seat’s already taken. So tie her to the back of the boat." She sneered, eyes glittering with cruelty. "Drag her along behind us." Chapter 4 The rescuers huddled together briefly, then agreed to Vanessa’s vicious suggestion. Before I fully processed it, my wrist was lashed to the back of the lifeboat, and my body was hurled into the sea. The shock of icy water slammed into me, numbing my skin in an instant. My body shook uncontrollably as the cold sank deep into my bones. Vanessa leaned over the edge of the boat, sneering down at me. "Hailey, this is the price of playing the saint." Her gaze was cruel and triumphant. "Still daring to glare at me?" she hissed, snatching up a harpoon. Without hesitation, she drove it straight at my eye. My vision froze, my mind blank with horror. Then, in that split second, summoning strength from God knows where, Layla shoved Vanessa hard. "Ah!" Vanessa stumbled, nearly pitching overboard. The harpoon flew from her hands, plunging uselessly into the sea. "You wretched hag!" she snarled, spinning back and kicking Layla in the chest. Already frail, Layla coughed up a spray of blood, her body crumpling. Before I could react, Vanessa and Marcus exchanged a look, and while the others were distracted, the two of them shoved Layla overboard. "Monsters! Stop!" I roared, salt water choking my throat. Vanessa gasped dramatically. "She fell!" Everyone’s eyes snapped toward us, just in time to see Layla’s limp body sinking toward the waves. With one desperate lunge, I reached out and caught her arm with my free hand. Weak as she was, Layla clung to me. The two of us were dragged mercilessly through the ocean, waves slamming against our bodies. Pain shredded through every bone and muscle, but I gritted my teeth. I would not let go. If I released her, she would vanish beneath the sea. Time blurred into agony. Just when I was sure death had come, the lifeboat finally reached the harbor. Suddenly, a fleet of golden aircraft thundered overhead, glittering in the sunlight. Men in headscarves disembarked in a frenzy, eyes sweeping the crowd. When their leader spotted the stretcher bearing his wife’s frail body, his pupils shrank in shock. "Layla!" His voice broke as he rushed forward. "What happened to you?!" She glanced weakly at him once, then slipped into unconsciousness. "Layla!" His shout split the air. Fury ignited in his eyes, as lethal as fire. In an instant, over a hundred armed bodyguards surrounded us. "No one leaves! Take them all!" he ordered, lifting his wife into his arms and carrying her onto a plane. Vanessa and Marcus exchanged a look, fear creeping into their faces. "Stay back! You can’t just violate our freedom like this. It’s illegal!" Vanessa shrieked, but her voice wavered. The rescuers paled as one of them whispered, "That’s Khalid Al-Farouq, the oil tycoon. He controls almost all of Rybian's oil industry." The blood drained from every face. Everyone knew the oil barons. They were ruthless and merciless, wielding power through illegal means as often as legal ones, and they had just manhandled his wife. Would they survive this? Vanessa and Marcus trembled, their bravado gone. The guards herded us into helicopters. Half an hour later, we landed at a sprawling fortress. Thank God, Layla wasn’t dead, just hypothermic. She was sedated after a panic attack. Khalid Al-Farouq’s eyes blazed with venom as he swept them over us. "Who was it?" His voice was ice. "Who threw my wife into the sea?" Every gaze turned toward Vanessa. Her face drained of color. Terror flooded her eyes. "No! It wasn’t me, I—" The words died as Khalid drew his gun and fired into her leg. Her scream tore through the air, high and piercing, making every scalp prickle. "It wasn’t me!" she sobbed, clutching her bleeding thigh. Her eyes locked on me in desperation. "It was her! She dragged your wife into the water! Everyone saw. It was her!" The cruelty of human nature. As long as it wasn’t themselves, anyone could be sacrificed as the scapegoat. No one spoke up for me. Khalid strode over, seizing me by the throat. His grip clamped tighter and tighter, cutting off my air. In his other hand, the gun clicked as he jammed it against my temple. "You dared harm my wife? You’ll die for it!" Pressure crushed my windpipe. My eyes bulged, vision swimming with red. I couldn’t force out a single word. Death loomed over me when suddenly, the doors opened. Layla was wheeled in, frail but awake. Panic was etched in her face. "Stop, Khalid!" she cried, voice trembling. "She’s my savior!"