A sharp knock struck his desk.
"Chen Yu."
The voice felt distant.
"Chen Yu, wake up."
His eyes snapped open.
For a moment, all he saw was white, as the lights above shone too brightly for his eyes.
The metallic smell of blood and rain was completely gone without a trace. Instead, his senses were filled with chalk dust and the faint smell of perfume.
Wait, perfume?
"Do you plan on sleeping through the entire lecture?" the teacher said coldly. "Or would you like to explain the Internal Canvas to the class yourself?"
Laughter rippled softly across the classroom, everyone whispering something that he couldn't really catch.
Chen Yu didn't answer.
He looked at his hands and then his stomach. There was no cut on his palm, no black veins running down his arm, and no large gaping hole where his intestines used to be.
Without thinking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
The screen lit up.
His reflection stared back at him. Chen Yu was shocked. His face had no scars or anything that showed signs of fighting. His skin was pale like a newborn baby's.
The classroom froze.
"Chen Yu."
The teacher's voice dropped several degrees.
"Put. That. Away."
Only then did Chen Yu realize what he'd done.
He stiffened, locked eyes with the woman at the front, then slowly slipped the phone back into his pocket. He forced his breathing steady and looked around before finally speaking.
"…Sorry, Teacher. I won't do it again."
A few students snickered.
The teacher frowned and turned back to the board.
"Hey, you're a good student. Don't waste that potential."
Chen Yu nodded once.
"I understand."
He lowered his head, resting his elbows on the desk, fingers curling slowly into his palms.
I'm back.
Not a dream.
Not an illusion.
Somehow, despite failing to draw the final Line, despite falling into nothingness…he was back in his younger self's body, 20 years from the future.
Chen Yu closed his eyes.
He didn't know what happened, but for now he must play the role of the student.
The scratch of chalk against the board resumed, steady and familiar.
"As I was saying," the teacher continued, voice flat, "today's topic is fundamental, but many of you still misunderstand it."
He wrote a single word in large characters.
IMPRINTS
"An Imprint," the teacher continued, "is the manifestation of your lineage, your ancestors' choices, and the karma they left behind."
He underlined the word karma.
"It takes the form of an animal deity, spirit, or god. Everyone with even a trace of Qi will awaken one upon reaching eighteen."
"This is what you'll be doing soon, when the Military Officer arrives."
Chen Yu's gaze lowered.
No exceptions…
That was true. Mostly.
"In simple terms," the teacher went on, "your Imprint is what you are born with. It defines your potential."
A few students straightened in their seats at that. Someone in the back scoffed quietly.
The chalk moved again.
INTERNAL CANVAS
"Inside every Mystic," the teacher said, "exists an Internal Canvas. A space within your mind. An Inner World."
"Inside that world, the true form of your Imprint already exists."
He paused, glancing over the class.
"You are not creating something new. You are revealing what has always been there."
"The Canvas is stable," the teacher continued. "As long as you follow the natural order, it will not change."
Chen Yu almost laughed. It was a common teaching in school but in the real world? Many broke it easily.
"Which brings us to the most important part."
The chalk struck the board again.
LINES
"Lines, also called strokes—represent your progress toward your Imprint's true form," the teacher said.
"Each Line drawn successfully brings you closer to awakening its full power."
Someone rose their hand near the window.
"Teacher, how many Lines are there?"
"All Imprints will have 9 Lines, each representing a fundamental trait of the manifested spirit."
Chen Yu's breath slowed.
So she doesn't know about the tenth, interesting.
"To draw a Line," the teacher continued, "you must focus your will, guide your Qi, and follow the Imprint's template on your Canvas."
His tone hardened slightly.
"Deviating from that template greatly increases the chance of failure."
The room grew quieter.
"In the worst cases," the teacher said, "a single incorrect stroke can corrupt the Canvas entirely. Such individuals are forced onto demonic paths, sustaining their growth only by absorbing the Qi of others."
Before she continued further, the school bell rang, announcing the start of lunch break.
"Clear your desks," the teacher said, turning back to the class. "An officer from the military will be arriving shortly to oversee your Imprint Awakening."
Excited chatter immediately filled the room.
So this is where it starts again.
Chen Yu immediately drew his attention back inside his Canvas once more.
Everything was real.
His Canvas wasn't broken, yet empty where there had been 9 Lines
He returned quickly, leaning back into his chair before sighing slowly.
A shadow fell across Chen Yu's desk.
"Hey."
Chen Yu looked up.
His best friend stood there, backpack slung over one shoulder with a big grin on his face.
"Zhou An…" Chen Yu said without thinking.
The grin faltered, replaced by a small frown.
"You okay?" Zhou An asked. "First the teacher, now you're calling me by my full name."
He leaned closer. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Maybe you should go to the nurse."
Chen Yu opened his mouth—
Then stopped.
Zhou An was alive. Smiling at him like this was just another ordinary day. No shattered meridians or the lifeless body that Chen Yu had to drag out of the mud.
After a while, Chen Yu finally replied.
"…I'm fine," he said at last. "Just didn't sleep well."
Zhou An dropped into the seat beside him, resting his arms on the desk.
"But come on," Zhou An continued, eyes brightening. "You couldn't sleep because you're excited, right? Today's Awakening."
Chen Yu didn't answer immediately.
In his memories, Zhou An had said those same words.
It had been the last time he'd sounded so hopeful.
"You've got nothing to worry about," Zhou An added easily. "You study harder than anyone. Your Imprint's definitely going to be good."
Chen Yu's fingers curled slowly against the edge of the desk.
You had a good one, and yet…
Zhou An tilted his head. "What? Don't tell me you're nervous."
"No," Chen Yu said quietly. "Just… thinking."
Zhou An laughed. "Man, you always think too much."
He leaned back, one hand slipping behind his head as his gaze drifted across the classroom.
"Well, for all I know, you might even end up with something better than that stuck-up young master, Bai Junhao."
He snorted, then grinned. "And hey, I can't wait to see what Han Qingxue gets. She's the school beauty, after all. Maybe something cute—like a rabbit."
A student nearby scoffed.
"Are you serious?" someone muttered. "That's the Ice Princess you're talking about."
Zhou An shrugged. "What? I'm just saying—"
"She'll definitely awaken something cold," the student said flatly. "That's just how she is."
Chen Yu didn't join the laughter.
His eyes flicked briefly toward Han Qingxue's seat. She sat straight, silently eating as the rest of the classroom chatted around her.
Cold, he thought.
The classroom door slid open unexpectedly, even the other students had to scramble to their seat as fast as possible.
A man in a military uniform stepped inside, posture straight as he made his way to the teacher's stand.
"I am Captain Lu," he said calmly. "I will be overseeing today's Imprint Awakening."
He set a metal case down on the teacher's desk and opened it with a quiet click.
Inside rested a small, circular device, etched with strange seals and letters all around it.
"This is an Amplifier," Captain Lu continued. "It will resonate with your Qi and guide you toward your Imprint."
His gaze swept across the room once.
"We'll begin immediately."
The teacher cleared her throat.
"Bai Junhao, you're first."
Bai Junhao rose from his seat with a cocky grin as he walked to the front.
A few students whispered.
"The Bai family…"
"He's definitely getting something good."
Bai Junhao placed his hand on the resonance amplifier without hesitation.
Qi flowed smoothly from him, far more abundant than most. The device responded instantly.
Above the amplifier, light gathered and took form.
A falcon emerged, its wings wrapped in harsh winds as it circled around before disappearing a bit later.
Captain Lu studied the projection before nodding.
"Wind-Blessed Falcon," he announced. "Excellent control and mobility. Not bad for a non-military family."
A satisfied smile came from Junhao's lips as he walked back to his seat, straightening his collar as he sat.
"Next, Han Qingxue."
Conversations died instantly as she rose without a word. She walked elegantly to the front, expression dull—like she was walking into an exam instead of a once-in-a-lifetime awakening.
Captain Lu nodded at her as she gave a nod back.
"The Han family…"
"Of course it's her."
"She hasn't even looked nervous once."
Han Qingxue stopped before the amplifier and placed her hand upon it.
The metal frosted instantly.
Light gathered, not into the shape of a beast, but into a figure.
A tall and elegant woman, her form carved from translucent ice jade, robes flowing like frozen silk.
Captain Lu's expression changed.
For the first time since he had entered the room, he did not speak immediately.
"…A Spirit-type Imprint," he said at last, voice noticeably slower.
"The Ice Jade Empress."
He paused.
"Extremely rare. As expected from the Commander's daughter…"
She withdrew her hand and calmly returned to her seat, not even surprised. Even Bai Junhao's confident smile had stiffened.
But Chen Yu noticed something most didn't, as she sat, a small sigh of relief escaped her.
The teacher let the murmurs die down before speaking again.
"…Next."
Her gaze shifted over to him.
"Chen Yu."