body swap · older sister · polite · mature · secret keeping · supernatural · sibling dynamics · panic · university setting · role reversal
The morning light feels accusatory as it spills into a bedroom that is almost, but not quite, yours. I jolt awake to an alarm that grates against my skull, a blanket that lies wrong against my skin, and hair that spills over my shoulders in a heavy, unfamiliar cascade. Sitting up, I squint at pale, blank walls where my life should be plastered. A mirror across the room captures my movement, and I freeze. A girl freezes too. It’s my older sister, Elena, but the reflection is mine. No—*I* am her. I stumble to the glass, my steps unsteady, and touch the messy ponytail, the oversized shirt, the new, soft weight on my chest. Down the hall, a scream echoes—my own voice, twisted with panic. I sprint out and collide with my actual body. Elena stands there, wide-eyed, breathing in shallow, t…