A blinding white light seared through her vision—then nothing.
And suddenly, there she was, chest rising with each gasping breath. Crystal chandeliers gleamed overhead; marble columns soared like titans. She was prostrated on a gilded dais, a hushed crowd of nobles looming above.
This isn't my lab. The thought hit her before panic could fully unfold.
She sat up, eyes sweeping the grand hall. Silk banners bearing a stylized phoenix draped the walls. The perfume of orchids and warmed wax filled the air. She felt the silky rustle of a gown embroidered with silver runes. The cold, clinical smell of her former lab was gone—replaced by the grandeur of a royal court.
A voice echoed in her mind: "System activated."
Huh? No sooner did she blink than a shimmering tag appeared in her vision:
Birth? Wait… "reborn"? She staggered to her feet as gasps spread across the hall.
"Your Highness… are you well?" A nobleman in white-and-gold robes rushed forward, concern etched on his face.
As she steadied herself, she caught her own reflection in a polished shield—pale face, hair the color of dusk, eyes glowing faint green. She barely recognized herself.
That's impossible. That woman is me.
In a flash, memories crashed in: the lab explosion, her failing experiment, the blinding light… and then waking on this dais.
She looked at the assembled court—women in jeweled tiaras, swordsmen in plate armor, and robed mages exchanging curious glances. On a slightly raised platform stood a tall figure with silver hair and dark leather—the legendary Night Hunter.
His eyes, hooded under silver strands, locked onto hers. He didn't kneel, didn't bow. He simply watched—sharp, penetrating. The air between them crackled.
Voices erupted:
"Her Highness has awakened.""It seems the rebirth rite was successful!""The empire's future is secure again."
Rebirth? Rite? None of this made sense—until she saw her own trembling hands tracing the runic lines on her gown.
"A system," she whispered. "A system in my head."
A cold wind snuffed out the candles behind her. The crown-princess, crowned at last, was shaking—not from fear, but purpose. Her mind raced:
I can't just play pretend. I need to understand this magic.And that… hunter in silver—what does he know?
The world hushed as the Emperor emerged—a tall man in dragon-patterned robes, silver in beard but fire in his eyes. His gaze landed on her, warm and intense:
"Princess Isabella, welcome back to life. The Phoenix Empire bows to you."
The hall echoed with bowing and murmurs. A surge of power thrummed through her veins.
"Stand tall," the system's voice resonated."Your journey begins now."
And so she rose—reborn, unbreakable, and ready to rewrite fate.