Smoke emitted from the palace, with gray ash falling into the city below. The greed that they dreaded and despised was almost mocking them now, as if to say, your turn will be next.

“Ah Xue, come back,” Li Wei pleaded, his voice low. “It’s too late to save her.”

Li Wei’s voice filled my mind, appearing like he was lying beneath the rubble with me. I didn’t reply, fixated on the sky through the hole in the throne room, witnessing ash cascading down like snow, just like the day I arrived in this world. The sound of the rebellion’s attacks was worsening, but I couldn’t move, and likely wouldn’t again.

“For too long, I’ve been stuck under the king’s foot,” my stepmother said, rising from her throne. Her heels clicked across the ground. “The moment he chose another woman’s child to inherit the crown… My position became useless. What would you do in my position?”

My parched throat wobbled, desiring to tell her how much I loathe her. So, this is her resolve to killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people?! For killing Luna?!

The sound of her heels stopped when I didn’t reply. “Well, no matter. You’re not long for this world.”

“Open your mind to me.” Li Wei’s voice cracked with despair when I ignored his attempts to retrieve my consciousness. “Let me help you.”

If I leave Luna’s body, she will be gone forever. She suffered unimaginable hardships. No one gave her a chance to know real freedom or even experience love. She never belonged near the palace.

This was all my fault.

My breath was growing weaker, coming out softer than before. Li Wei’s attempts were becoming more desperate.

Tears streamed down my face, knowing this was the end of the line. With the sight of falling snow, my consciousness slipped away.

I jolted awake, gasping for air.

The silence in the church was palpable, amplifying the feeling of sorrow. I frantically searched for a solution, my breath quick and shallow, knowing I couldn’t change the past. Luna was gone. Nothing could be done.

Lying motionless in the pew, I felt the ground tremor beneath me as the sounds of the battle outside echoed through the broken windows.

“It’s a trap!” Ming Yi yelled. “Don’t let them get near Zhen Xue!!!”

The ground violently shook again.

I rose with haste to find my friends, afraid they would meet the same fate as Luna. My stomach lurched at the sight of blood on the carpet as I sprinted forward, throwing open the doors.

The wind had a metallic tang to it, mingled with the scent of sweat. Waves of able-bodied individuals fought fiercely in their quest for freedom underneath the red sky. Proud structures crumbled, their grandeur replaced by a chaotic scene of destruction and burning remnants. The dim glow from the flames unveiled the full-scale war unfolding before us on the plain of ruin.

Soldiers from the North, adorned in decorative golden armor and wielding swords, pushed against Cassanova’s royal guards, trying to reach the church.

Our situation looked dire, but Zenith worked alongside Sagittarius, keeping the soldiers away. She spun around, flashing me a bright smile while knocking two men out cold with the hilt of her daggers. “You’re just in time.”

“Zenith,” Sagittarius reprimanded. He blocked a sword with his staff that swung for her head. “Don’t get too cocky. Focus.”

A sword came flying at him from behind, nearly taking off his left shoulder. Zenith intercepted kicking her knee into the woman’s stomach, sending her flying backward. She laughed under her breath, a crazy glint in her eyes. “What did you say?” she asked the monk. “I didn’t catch that.”

Sagittarius sighed, lowering his head that she wouldn’t see reason.

The tired young fellow looked up at them after their prolonged fight. “Are you guys going to keep flirting or fight us? Some of us want to end this.”

Sagittarius raised his staff, flashing him a dark grin. “Oh, yes, we can make this quick.”

Li Wei remained nearby, tilting his head at the soldiers as though to assess them. His cobalt blue earrings dazzled with the firelight from his movement.

Themis carried a spell book, diligently reading aloud an ancient language. He looked at each one of us, whisking his spare hand through the air, throwing spells at our comrades to help regain their lost strength.

It was clear the pace of the battle was increasing tenfold.

I stomped on the edge of a tall blade that was below my feet, kicking it into my hand with ease. Daggers were my specialty, but I had little time to go search for one. For now, this sword will have to suffice.

He Wei’s gaze shifted towards my movement, delighted that the scene brought me discomfort. “You followers of gods and rich hypocrites with your laws and authority,” he said. “And you’re worse than any of them, Zhen Xue. Giving people false hope, only to let them meet their own death.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure you think you’re quite important,” I replied lazily, thinking about how I didn’t bother elaborating on these cannon fodders.

He Wei looked troubled, but quickly recovered. “Ha! Stop acting clever. Who truly controls this situation when I hold the advantage?”

“Tsk, tsk. You really like to hear yourself talk,” Li Wei said. “You’re answering your own questions. Do you know what fallacy that is?” He smiled faintly, delighted by this young man’s foolishness and idiocy.

“We no longer need the hierarchy that built this country,” He Wei said, gritting his teeth. “With your death, we can start a new era free of past sins. Free of this pointless suffering!”

“So, you expected us to sit back and watch people die? Ha! That is unlikely.” Li Wei seated himself on a nearby boulder with a hand propped under his chin. His voice dripped with amusement as he countered, “You’re overconfident.”

Ignoring him, He Wei confidently turned his attention back to me, wearing a smile. “Do you realize where you went wrong, Zhen Xue?”

Yes, I have realized where I went wrong.

There was only one person, one person who would stand to gain everything from my downfall, other than the queen.

A sudden chill erupted down my back as I felt a pair of eyes land on my head.

There was someone behind me.

I gripped the hilt of my sword, bracing to turn around. Dozens of loaded barrels locked into position from both the soldiers and the rebels. No signs of ceasefire were visible.

Xu Yang leaned his head around my shoulder to catch my reaction. The gesture resembled a playful inquiry. “Remember when we were kids how we used to play in the garden?” he asked.

In my eyes, I saw my brother whom I dearly loved, yet at this moment, chills ran down my back that I didn’t notice his presence sooner. The sudden change in his behavior made me fearful more than I ever thought I would. I scoffed at his question. “Of course, I remember.”

“But do you remember that bird you found? A sparrow, wasn’t it? Black wings, broad and smooth. Beady eyes that you could’ve sworn reflected your own,” he said. He looked forlorn, as if reliving this memory. “But it was flawed. You brought it indoors to care for its injury. Despite being soaked and in tears, you still prioritized the bird.”

Amid the battle, Helix moved swiftly and skillfully between his enemies. He took them out one by one with a flick of his daggers. Some fell to the ground, while others merely staggered.

The ones that were not fatally injured soon returned to battle, pushing their focus back onto Helix.

“Father thought you had hurt yourself too,” he continued, turning to watch the fight before us. “But no, the blood on your clothes wasn’t your own. Later that night, you caught a cold and nearly died, but do you recall what you asked, Zhen Xue?”

My mouth suddenly became parched, recalling this memory that I tried to forget.

“How is the sparrow? Did it survive? You waited for days in the garden until someone finally told you. Only then you realized the bird didn’t live.”

I took a shuttered breath, wishing he would stop this story.

“And do you know what happened next, Zhen Xue?”

Fear gripped the inside of my chest, freezing me to the spot.

“We found you in the yard covered in blood again. You insisted that if your sparrow couldn’t live, why should the rest? You had taken a knife from the kitchen, gathered some rocks, and killed the entire flock. No, rather you demolished them. I know because there was nothing left.”

A bitter feeling of vomit rose in my throat.

“I learned two things from that day. You didn’t do it because of the birds,” Xu Yang said, approaching. “You did it because of yourself because without the other birds, you wouldn’t fail them either.”

I looked at Xu Yang with a pained expression. “You think I would harm these people? My morals may differ from yours, but I’m not crazy.”

“No, but the truth doesn’t matter. No one will believe you.”

My lips pressed together with growing frustration. “And the second thing?”

He smiled at me brightly like a fallen angel from heaven with tears running down face and a radiance of golden energy like the sun. “We will start again in another lifetime, one where we’re both happy. I’ll make you happy next time.”

I dropped the sword I held, taking a shuttered breath. He went down this path even though I believed he could change. “How will next time be any better? You hold me in too high regard,” I said with a weak smile. “It seems I’m unable to even save you from this fate.”

The sounds of gunshots and explosions filled the air, confirming my prediction of how this situation would unfold. My borrowed time was coming to a short and immediate close.

“No…!” Li Wei shouted, reaching for my hand. His fingers clasped around mine, pulling me closer. His eyes locked with mine with urgency.

A person with long white hair captured my waist in a tight hold, whisking me away into a shroud of dark mist.

Soon the battle sounds were distant, replaced by the quiet atmosphere of the woods. When Li Wei’s warm hand was no longer there, mine felt hollow. I was kneeling in a bed of grass, my arms bound to my sides, unable to move.

I squinted through the dark, my heart hammering with unease at the sight of people surrounding me with ominous intent. I found that most of them wore partial masks, exposing only the lower parts of their faces, but I already knew their identities, the most powerful influencers in this world. Apart from the individual I intended to meet, the Northern King, who was nowhere to be found.

“Wait, wait,” I said. My mouth became dry, knowing what awaited at the end of this spectacle. Despite the plot’s significant changes, I still possess valuable knowledge about this world. With great effort, I straightened my back and looked at every one of them with an air of confidence. “I can be useful. None of you have as much knowledge about this world as I do.”

A few individuals stirred at my words, murmuring to one another under their breath. The Lady from the Autumn court eyed me curiously beneath her mask. To my dismay, she said nothing and quietly observed.

Seeing that my situation was reaching a dead end, I glared at every person, even the ones that remained quiet.

They flinched at the unexpected sight.

“What?” I asked, scoffing at them with a bitter laugh. “You thought because I’m a compassionate person, I cannot make a threat?”

There was a series of hushed voices but too faint to pick up words.

I smiled at them now, seeing how unnerved they were by my statement. “I will remember your decision here today, mark my words. You will regret having chosen this path.”

“Poor thing can’t even see us,” a woman said, whispering beneath her veil.

I stared her down, feeling my remaining patience slip. “You think this will stop with me?! Generations have fought over Atlas! Millions of lives lost for a deception! Don’t think I’m unaware of who you are or that you want the core-”

A hand clamped over my mouth.

The Autumn Court Lady sighed in discontent. “Does it matter whether you do or don’t?” she asked. “No one will believe you. There isn’t anyone to share your secrets with where you’re going.”

As I struggle to break the spell on my body, the guards effortlessly lift me off the ground. With every step they took, the sorrows in my heart grew heavier. Every single face, every single person I failed to save, was sitting on the back of my mind where they’ll remain a memory. Everything I hoped to achieve was gone, snuffed out by the darkness that always threatened to consume me.

When did it all go so wrong?

Why wasn’t I enough to save them?

My heart remains, yet my mind cannot let go.

Li Wei’s familiar voice soon articulated in my mind, saying my name. His voice, although soft, was a broken whisper, seeming to embrace me as if hearing my unspoken words. With a gentle, desperate pull, he tugged at my consciousness.

I couldn’t fight him. I closed my eyes, letting go of everything I tried to suppress, and fell.

Li Wei tenderly caught me, arms wrapping around my person, holding me close. “My darling,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”