Lin Yue opened her eyes, and the world she once knew was gone.
It had been replaced by a blinding light that slowly faded away.
When the light finally disappeared, she realized she was somewhere completely unfamiliar.
It was an ancient ruin. Strange symbols formed a circle across the floor, and she stood right at the center, like someone had dumped her onto a bargain-bin ceremonial altar.
Her instincts snapped awake. Countless thoughts rushed through her mind, each one making her head throb.
"Am I dreaming?"
But if this was a dream, why did her headache feel painfully real?
Earlier, she had just gone through her usual routine before going to sleep. Nothing weird at all.
"Or did some shady sect kidnap me?"
The idea made her brows pull together. She was always careful. Getting kidnapped would be beyond embarrassing.
She shook off the overthinking and slowly rose to her feet, scanning the ruins around her.
The place looked sturdy despite its age. The materials seemed far superior to anything used in the modern era.
That alone impressed her. She wandered around until her gaze landed on a crystal-like silhouette resting on the altar.
It was beautifully crafted. It looked like a long hairpin, shaped like a needle but as long as a short rod.
Carefully, Lin Yue picked it up and inspected it. The moment it touched her skin, the hairpin emitted a faint glow.
Her brows tightened. Something about this felt wrong. And right then, footsteps echoed nearby.
Lin Yue tensed. She knew it. This thing wasn't ordinary. Maybe it was some kind of important artifact.
The footsteps drew closer. Lin Yue quickly hid herself behind a sturdy stone structure in the corner.
She clung to the hairpin. For all she knew, it might actually be valuable.
The footsteps stopped, revealing the silhouette of a figure draped in a black robe. Their face was hidden as they approached the altar.
An oppressive aura spilled from them, making cold sweat crawl down Lin Yue's back.
"What… are they? Are they the one who kidnapped me?"
Lin Yue watched from afar, her chest tightening. She wasn't sure whether it was fear or the pressure from their aura. Probably both.
The robed figure suddenly spoke, their tone sharp and irritated, like someone annoyed that their prey slipped away.
"I clearly sensed trace energy coming from here. That person was definitely here. I need to report this."
Their frown deepened, convinced their target had escaped. Without hesitation, they turned and left.
Danger.
Lin Yue's instincts screamed. If this really was some dark sect like she suspected, she needed to get out right now.
There was no way she was staying here to become some ritual sacrifice for cult weirdos.
Determination burned in her eyes as she approached the window, ready to jump. Unfortunately… the place she was in was ridiculously high.
Lin Yue gritted her teeth. She needed to find a way down before those robed freaks returned.