Yan Ling opened his eyes to a series of unfamiliar sounds, his vision still blurred as the noises gradually sharpened into clarity.
Once fully awake, his gaze snapped into focus. He sat up at once, alert and tense.
What greeted him was an enormous bedchamber—so vast and extravagant that it felt unreal. Every visible surface was crafted from precious materials: jade inlays, crystal pillars, luminous stones embedded into the walls. Not a single object appeared ordinary.
Three sides of the chamber were lined with wide, open windows. Beyond them stretched nothing but endless white.
…Clouds?
Where am I? Did I die again?
He rose cautiously and reached out to touch the nearest column. It was solid. Real. Cool beneath his fingers.
His eyes lit up.
"Don't tell me… I finally made it to heaven?!" he muttered in disbelief.
"Wow… where are the fairies then?"
