The autumn wind rustled through the valley, and a thick darkness fell at night. It was pitch black, with only the occasional terrifying howl piercing the silence. A young girl stumbled through the undergrowth, her clothes tattered and torn – clearly she'd been through a brutal ordeal. Numerous wounds marred her pale face, hinting at a terrible past.
After a long while, the girl stirred, weakly raising her hand to clear her vision. The darkness was overwhelming. "Am I dead?" A childish voice echoed through the desolate valley, a haunting melody in the stillness.
"Who's speaking?"
The girl instinctively uttered the words, realizing with a jolt that she was the one making them.
What in the world was happening? As a daughter of a prestigious medical family, a genius in her twenties who had inherited the vast enterprise from her grandfather, she'd spent two years building a formidable reputation – earning countless medical awards despite the grief of losing her family. Just as she was starting to heal from the pain of their absence, a devastating blow struck: at only twenty-six, she was diagnosed with cancer. As she clutched the death notice in her hand, she thought, "Let me die. I'm so lonely and isolated." When her eyes closed, she expected to see her parents and grandfather.
With a sudden movement, the girl sat up. Was this the underworld? So terrifying! The girl stood, frantically scanning her surroundings – still pitch black. This wasn't how reincarnation worked, was it? There shouldn't be a 'soul washing' ceremony. What was happening to her?
She looked down at her hands – they were small, unfamiliar. Her clothes felt archaic, like something from a bygone era. She quickly realized she'd been transformed into a child, perhaps eight or nine years old at most. Panic seized her. She scrambled to her feet, desperately trying to escape the oppressive darkness.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds, illuminating the girl's pale face. She squinted, trying to orient herself in the morning light – a sickly white halo hanging over the mountains. The biting wind whipped through the bare branches of the trees, creating an eerie silence.
The girl was cold, hungry, and exhausted, but a desperate need to survive spurred her on. She quickly realized she was lost, with no idea of the time or direction. Luckily, she spotted a small stream and rushed to it, cupping her hands to drink the icy water.
As she gazed at her reflection in the stream, a gasp escaped her lips. This wasn't her face. It was delicate and beautiful, strikingly similar to the little girl she once was. What was happening?
Overwhelmed with fear, she collapsed by the stream, tears streaming down her face. After a long while, she lowered her head and examined her clothes – ancient garments that felt alien against her skin. A sudden realization struck her: she'd been transported! But how could such a thing even be possible? It was only something you read about in novels. She glanced at her body, a small, fragile frame – and then she understood the terrifying truth: she was trapped in someone else's body.
But then again, what if the 'body' she was inhabiting held the memories of the original owner? She'd read countless stories about soul transference – but she hadn't experienced it herself. Why wasn't she receiving the memories?
The rain began to fall, cold and relentless. She quickly gathered leaves to shield herself from the elements, desperately hoping to find a sheltered spot before nightfall. Just as she was about to give up, she spotted a small cave nestled amongst the trees. It wasn't grand, but it offered some protection from the elements and a semblance of safety.
As she cautiously entered the cave, a faint scratching sound echoed through the darkness. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through her arm – a deep gash that bled profusely. She instinctively grabbed a handful of water and frantically cleaned the wound, hoping to prevent infection. She was weak, hungry, and terrified – a child in an unfamiliar world with no idea how to survive.
"I need medicine!" she whispered, her voice trembling. She had to find a way to heal this body and survive the night.
Suddenly, a voice – deep and resonant – cut through the darkness. "You're injured… and you smell of poison."
The girl spun around, her eyes wide with terror. Standing before her was a man in his sixties, lying on a bed – clearly ill and near death. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes clouded with pain. He reached out a trembling hand to grasp her arm, a desperate plea in his gaze.
"Please… help me."