A sharp pain pierced Xiao Yu's head as she slowly opened her eyes.
Through the fog of her consciousness came the damp scent of earth and the soft rustling of leaves. She clutched her head, winced, and carefully pushed herself upright, as if afraid that one wrong movement would shatter this strange, fragile dream.
When the pain eased a little, she looked around.
A dense forest surrounded her on all sides. Towering, ancient trees stretched toward the gray sky like silent sentinels. Judging by the cool air and the lingering mist, she seemed to be somewhere in the mountains.
Alone.
No signs of habitation. No people. Only silence.
"Where… is this place?" she murmured.
She tried to remember how she had gotten here. A flash of memory surfaced in her mind—
a road… headlights… the screech of brakes… an accident.
She had died.
But then why was she alive now?
Xiao Yu lowered her gaze to her body. There wasn't a single scratch on her skin. No blood. Nothing. Instead, she was wearing worn, tattered clothes, faded with age—a dark, shabby robe that looked more like a peasant's outfit from some historical drama.
"What the…?" A chill crawled from her stomach up to her chest.
I don't understand anything. Where am I?
An unfamiliar place. Strange clothes. Complete uncertainty.
Panic rose in her throat, but Xiao Yu forced herself to take a deep breath. There was no point in panicking. What mattered now was understanding what was happening—why she was alive, and where exactly she was.
She slowly stood up, brushing the dirt from her knees, and at that moment…
Silky, long black hair—reaching all the way to her knees—slid down from her shoulders.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She froze, as if someone had struck the back of her head.
"These… are my hair?"
Carefully, she lifted a few strands and examined them. Thick, pitch-black, soft and heavy, like night itself. They looked nothing like her old hairstyle. Yes, her hair had been long before—but not this long.
Another inconsistency.
First, no injuries. Then these strange clothes. And now her hair.
Suddenly, like a spark igniting in her mind, realization struck.
"Wait… this scene… it feels terrifyingly familiar. Don't tell me…"
She swallowed nervously. "No. That's impossible. That only happens in novels… right?"
Her heart pounded as she looked around, searching desperately for anything that could reflect her image. A mirror, a puddle, a smooth stone—anything.
Then she heard it.
The faint sound of splashing water.
Her eyes lit up.
"Water!"
She rushed toward the sound, pushing through bushes, scratching her arms on branches, until the forest finally opened up before her—revealing a clear mountain stream, so transparent that the riverbed was visible several meters down.
Xiao Yu stopped a few steps from the shore.
If I look… and my suspicions are confirmed… then what?
She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
There was no point in running from it. It was better to face the truth now—even if it turned her entire world upside down.
Taking a deep breath, she crouched by the water and looked down.
The reflection staring back at her left her stunned.
A young girl—fifteen or sixteen years old. Skin like polished jade, glowing faintly from within. Deep blue eyes, like the ocean at dawn. Long black hair draped over her shoulders, brushing her neck.
Even with dirt smudged on her face and small scratches on her skin, the girl in the water was breathtakingly beautiful.
If I cleaned up and walked into the city, – Xiao Yu thought absently, touching her cheek, – this face would probably get flooded with modeling offers.
There was almost no resemblance to her former self. Only faint traces here and there.
This face… belonged to someone else.
"I never thought I'd end up like the protagonists in novels," she sighed heavily.
"And in someone else's body, no less… Seriously? They usually wake up in the middle of dramatic events. SO WHY THE HELL AM I IN THE MIDDLE OF A DAMN FOREST?!"
Her shout echoed mockingly through the trees.
Exhaling, Xiao Yu sat down on the ground, crossing her legs, absentmindedly running her fingers through her hair—as if answers might be hidden there.
Accepting the fact that she had reincarnated surprisingly quickly, she began thinking about where she might have ended up.
She tried to recall all the novels she had read in her past life—but there were far too many. And there was no guarantee this world even belonged to a book at all.
"Alright," she muttered. "I need to move. If I want answers, I have to find people."
Staying in one place wouldn't solve anything.
Just as she stood up, her gaze once again caught her reflection in the water, making her pause.
"Hmmm… no. First things first—I need to clean up."
She pinched her cheeks with exaggerated disgust. "What a waste to hide such a beautiful face under layers of dirt."
After rinsing herself off, she finally felt ready to move on.
Deciding that going downhill was her best bet, she followed the slope, hoping to encounter someone—anyone.
But with every step, her hope faded.
The sun dipped toward the horizon. Twilight settled over the forest. Still, there were no signs of civilization.
Finally, as night approached, she came across a small cave. Damp—but usable.
"Yaaay, a cave!" she exclaimed in relief. "I thought I'd have to sleep under the open sky—"
Grrrrr…
Her stomach let out a loud growl.
Xiao Yu froze. Blushed. Quickly covered her stomach with her hand and glanced around, as if someone might have heard.
Not that it was surprising—she hadn't eaten anything all day.
Letting out a tired sigh, she lowered her head in resignation.
Since it was already too late to look for food, she decided to at least prepare a place to sleep.
Nearby, she noticed a strange plant. It looked unusual—wide, fleshy leaves gleaming faintly green even in the dim light. She had no idea what it was, but one thing was clear: it would make a decent makeshift bed.
Groaning from stiff joints and a loudly protesting stomach, she worked on her "bed" for a while. Her hands trembled with exhaustion, but she didn't stop.
By the time the last traces of sunset vanished behind the mountains, her improvised resting place was finished.
Unfortunately, starting a fire was impossible. No flint. No dry wood. No knowledge of how to do it without matches or a lighter.
All she could do was curl up, hug herself to ease the aching hunger, and bury herself beneath the leaves, trying to preserve warmth.
"Why is this happening to me…?" she whispered into her knees.
"If I had to reincarnate, couldn't I at least be a rich minister's daughter? Or a villain living in luxury? I'd settle for a soft bed instead of a cave and leaves…"
Despite everything, exhaustion eventually claimed her.
Slowly, she drifted into sleep.
–––––––
Her rest did not last long.
In the middle of the night, through the heavy haze of drowsiness, Xiao Yu heard something.
Footsteps.
Heavy. Slow. Thudding—each step making the ground seem to breathe beneath it.
Her eyes flew open.
She sat up instantly, holding her breath. Her heart pounded like a trapped bird. The darkness inside the cave was absolute—so thick she couldn't see her own hand.
This… wasn't human.
W-what is that…?
Her instincts screamed danger. Whatever it was, it was big. Very big.
And this was no longer her world. Not a place where bears and tigers were the worst threats. Here, there could be things beyond her imagination.
She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her breathing and slowly retreated into the darkest corner of the cave.
No matter how hard she strained her eyes, she could see nothing. So she closed them and focused on sound.
Step… step… step…
Each footfall echoed in her chest like approaching doom. The sound was wet, heavy—as if claws or paws pressed into damp earth.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Please… not here… don't come closer…
WhatdidI dotodeservethis?I helped people. I never hurtanyone. I just died… am I really going to be eaten now?! I didn't even get to eat anything myself!
Her thoughts spiraled wildly.
Then—
The footsteps stopped.
Right at the cave entrance.
A moment later, a hoarse, monstrous growl echoed through the cave, shaking the air itself.
Something wet dripped onto the ground.
Her imagination instantly conjured massive fangs, rancid breath, glowing eyes in the dark.
Minutes passed.
She didn't hear anything else.
The cave fell into a terrifying silence.
Still, she didn't dare open her eyes.
Only after another long, agonizing minute did she finally calm her breathing and slowly look up.
And her heart nearly stopped.
Right in front of her—
Two enormous eyes, glowing an ominous green.
The creature resembled a wolf—but far larger, nearly three to four meters tall. A sharp horn jutted from the center of its forehead, and its dark fur looked like jagged blades covering its body.
Goosebumps covered Xiao Yu's skin as she saw its massive jaws filled with razor-sharp fangs and smelled the stench of rotting flesh.
The monster had been standing there the entire time.
Silent. Watching her.
"I—eep…"
"GGRRAAAAH!"