A soft and strange melody filled the air, different from the familiar chirping of birds: harmonious, almost ritualistic, as if multiple voices intertwined under an invisible law, each note blending perfectly with the next and resonating among the trees before fading into the distance.
Somewhere within a vast forest, colossal trees rose like skyscrapers, their thick, ancient trunks covered in luminous moss and their canopies allowing only a few rays of light to pass through, forming a natural ceiling pierced by golden beams; the environment seemed taken from a fairy tale, with twisted roots like sleeping serpents, vibrant-colored flowers, and a dense air brimming with life.
On the damp ground, among giant leaves and soft grass, a small body lay motionless as if sunk in a deep sleep, while the constant buzzing of insects—rhythmic, almost soothing—blended with the distant song until, slowly, the boy opened his eyes.
Golden pupils reflected the faint light filtering through the trees, not a simple shade but a deep, radiant gold, almost sacred, as if showing more than the surroundings themselves; for a moment, his gaze remained empty and lost, fixed on the sky hidden behind enormous branches, before he clumsily pushed himself up.
First, a deep breath filled his lungs, as if the air itself were something new, and then he frowned, scanning the colossal trees and unfamiliar sounds around him; none of it made sense.
Jin… or rather, the consciousness that had once been Jin Yuchen.
Fear should have gripped him, panic should have risen, but instead curiosity and confusion took over, blending into a strange calm; seated on the unfamiliar ground, his golden eyes reflected an unknown world, and a silent certainty began to form inside him.
Hands pressing against the ground, he struggled to stand, and only then did he notice: his perspective was lower, much lower, and thin, small hands without calluses or the toughness built over years revealed a body completely foreign.
Muscles once hardened by relentless training had vanished, replaced by an almost fragile structure; no strength hid beneath the skin, no familiar tension awaited movement—only a strange lightness, as if this body still had to learn the meaning of effort.
The towering trees and the energy-saturated air held his attention again, clearly belonging to a world far removed from Earth.
Memories tried to surface: training in a park, a roar, the sky tearing open, and a blinding light swallowing him whole; after that… nothing.
The sequence aligned with unsettling clarity. As golden eyes scanned the forest once more, an assumption that had lingered in his mind shifted from absurdity to certainty.
A brazen smile slowly curled across his lips, disbelief and excitement blending, and both arms rose toward the sky without restraint, ignoring how ridiculous he must have looked in the middle of that unknown place.
"Of course!" he shouted with all his soul, "I don't know what killed me, but I reincarnated, damn it, yes!"
The voice echoed among the trees, startling several birds into flight as the harmonious melody faltered for a moment; laughter followed, and for the first time in a long while, a pure emotion free from doubt and emptiness spread through him. The world had changed, and this time, perhaps fate would not have the final say.
In another corner of the forest, the murmur of running water broke the stillness. Near a river of crystal-clear water, among moss-covered stones and exposed roots, another small body lay on the ground; unlike the previous awakening, there was no gasp or uneven breathing as the boy slowly opened his eyes, as if returning from a familiar dream.
Black pupils stared at the sky filtered through enormous leaves, deep and abyssal, like small voids capable of devouring light itself; stillness held him for several seconds, reflection replacing fear or confusion, with only a faint frown disturbing the serenity.
Rising slowly, he felt a strange discomfort: something did not fit, movements lagging behind intentions. After gathering his strength, he managed to stand.
A strange sensation ran through him: the body felt different, smaller and lighter, with pale skin, almost unnatural. Carefully, he examined himself, showing no emotion at all, as if inspecting an unknown object, before approaching the water and contemplating his reflection.
The face staring back was not his own.
A beautiful face, not delicate, but unsettlingly perfect, as if every feature had been sculpted with absolute precision: defined cheekbones and an almost unreal symmetry. Acceptance, rather than pride or rejection, settled over the boy.
Wei Han—a name that surfaced naturally in his mind—brought memories flooding back: the training hall, the sword, the moonlight, and then the roar and blinding flash, after which… nothing, a sudden interruption of existence.
Then—
"Of course!"
The shout broke the silence, drawing Wei Han's attention. That voice seemed entirely out of place in such a solemn environment, and without hesitation, he moved toward its source.
As he crossed the clearing, the scene came into view: a boy, around thirteen or fourteen, stood with his arms still raised toward the sky, black hair streaked with gold strands that shimmered under the filtered light, and golden eyes shining intensely.
Wei Han froze. The reflection had hinted at beauty, but this boy… was even more striking. A faint "Oh…" escaped his lips.
At that moment, Jin lowered his arms, alerted by the sound, and golden eyes locked on the silent figure; the wind stirred the leaves, and birds fell quiet as the two stared at each other.
Breaking the silence, Wei Han asked calmly, "Do you have any idea what's going on? And do you know where we are?" Jin blinked, then rolled his eyes as a thought struck him.
"No way—you reincarnated too?!" he exclaimed, pointing. "We're definitely two people who got reincarnated!"
Laughter erupted from him, and Wei Han watched with a frown, thinking I've run into a lunatic, though Jin's expression softened as his laughter gradually faded.
"Ehem… yeah… it sounds weird when I say it like that," Jin admitted, clearing his throat, "but listen, we're not on Earth, so the most logical explanation is that we're… in another world."
He gestured toward the vast forest. Wei Han paused for a few seconds before responding with a calm nod: "I see." Understanding nothing, he still extended his hand. "Wei Han."
Surprise lit Jin's face, and with enthusiasm, he shook the offered hand. "Jin Yuchen. Nice to meet you," he added, laughing again, cementing the unusual nature of the encounter.
A sudden noise interrupted them: a dry, rhythmic scraping that caused both to turn in unison.
Emerging from the undergrowth, a mantis of enormous size, comparable to a large dog in Jin's eyes, revealed a dark green carapace reflecting the light oddly, with forelegs curved like blades. Before they could react, it lunged.
"RUN!!" Jin shouted.
He spun sharply, only to find Wei Han already several meters ahead.
"IDIOT, DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!!!"
Through roots, slopes, and trees, Jin pursued him, the sound of the insect's legs chasing them for what felt like the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Eventually, the forest opened into a wide meadow beneath a clear sky.
Panting, Jin let out an exasperated accusation: "You're… an idiot…" Wei Han tilted his head slightly, replying calmly: "You said to run." A tired laugh followed from Jin. "We almost got killed by a mantis… this is definitely a dangerous world."
Recovering their breath, the two observed the meadow. In the distance, a dirt road cut through the grass like a line promising direction, and Jin concluded: "We should follow the road; if there are roads, there are people."
Wei Han nodded, and upon reaching it, hesitation arose between right and left. Then, a familiar scraping sound interrupted their contemplation.
In the distance, an old carriage approached, pulled by an ox-like animal. The elderly driver tightened the reins, bringing it to a halt, eyes fixed intently on the newcomers.
A thought flickered across the old man's mind: Disciples of a clan? No youths here carried such bearing.
With surprising agility, the old man descended, made a deep bow, cupped his hands, and said: "This old man greets the two young masters."
The words landed like thunder. Jin and Wei Han froze, exchanging glances, then looking back at the old man. Silence stretched across the dusty road, broken only by the ox's soft snort, as the two "young masters" remained uncertain how they had come to occupy such a position.