One past life ago...
"I'm starving."
Lorelei shut her reviewer with a sigh. For the past five months, she'd been reviewing non-stop for her upcoming board exams. With only one month left, everything she'd studied was about to be put to the test.
She wasn't just aiming to pass — she wanted to be the topnotcher. After all, being at the top often came with cash prizes and other perks.
Grabbing her phone and wallet, Lorelei headed downstairs. But as she reached the third step from the bottom, her foot slipped on something.
"Ah!"
She flailed, barely managing to grab the railing in time. Her heart pounded. "Safe."
Looking down, she found the culprit — a red handkerchief.
"Who in the world left this here?" she grumbled, picking it up and shoving it into her pocket.
In the living room, her mom was glued to her favorite noontime show.
"Mom, I'm heading to the grocery to grab some food. Do you want anything?"
"Yogurt!" her mom called out without looking away from the TV.
"Got it!"
The grocery store was just across two streets, so walking there was no problem. Lorelei waited at the crosswalk, her eyes fixed on the traffic light countdown.
3… 2… 1…
The light switched to green for pedestrians. Just as she stepped onto the road—
Swoosh!
Lorelei instinctively jumped back as a speeding truck barreled past.
"The hell?!" Her heart pounded as if trying to escape her chest. "I almost got isekai'd!"
"Crazy driver!"
"That's too dangerous!"
The people around her murmured in agreement, clearly just as shaken.
Lorelei glanced up at the sky. Oh Lord, please don't kill me yet. I just graduated, and I'm about to take my boards. I still dream of getting rich and making the world a better place. Promise.
Once her heart rate slowed, she carefully crossed the street with the others.
The grocery store was peaceful by comparison. Lorelei grabbed some chips, canned coffee, and three strawberry yogurts — her mom's favorite. After paying, she pulled out her phone.
1:00 PM. No messages.
"Huh." She slipped it back into her pocket. Humming Wish You Were Here by Avril Lavigne, she pushed the door open and stepped outside.
But just as she took a few steps—
"Stop singing."
She froze.
The voice was rough, unsettling. Slowly, Lorelei turned her head.
A man stood there, his clothes disheveled, hair matted. His eyes were empty, void of any life.
Then she felt it.
A sharp pain on her side.
"Urgh…"
Lorelei's trembling hands reached for the source, her fingers brushing against the knife embedded in her stomach. Before she could react, the man yanked it out.
Then stabbed her again.
And again.
With whatever strength she had left, Lorelei swung her grocery bag at him. Chips and yogurt scattered as the man stumbled to the ground.
"Help me," she gasped, clutching her wound. Blood stained her fingers. "Please… someone…"
But the people around her ran.
She knew this. She'd studied this.
Genovese Syndrome.
Even now, in this so-called future, people freeze or run. No one intervened.
"Ah," she exhaled in disbelief. Her legs wobbled.
Another stab.
"Don't run," the man growled.
Lorelei collapsed. Her vision blurred, but her mind kept racing.
So this is what you felt back then, Kitty.
The infamous murder of Kitty Genovese, the one that had sparked countless psychological studies. Lorelei thought about it even now. Her brain just wouldn't stop. So much for reviewing psychology in the past six months for the boards…
If it were me… would I have helped? Or would I have stood still or run away like them? Hah.
Her breaths came slower. The world dimmed.
Mom, Dad, Grandma… Bye.
***
Later that Day…
News reports flooded every channel, echoing the same tragic story.
"Breaking News: A young woman, identified as Lorelei Salvacion, 24 years old, was fatally stabbed on her way home from the grocery store. According to authorities, she suffered 13 stab wounds before succumbing to her injuries. The perpetrator, whose identity has yet to be released, reportedly took his own life shortly after the attack."
The headlines flashed across screens, and the nation watched in shock.
***
Victim Profile
Name: Lorelei Salvacion
Age: 24 years old
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: None (Fresh Graduate)
Case Summary: Murdered and stabbed 13 times while returning home from the grocery store on the afternoon of 27th of April, 2057.