Where am I?
The faint scent of herbs drifted into my nose, slowly pulling my senses back. At first my vision was blurry, but as my eyes adjusted, a familiar ceiling came into view.
For a moment, I couldn't tell whether this was a dream or reality.
I carefully looked around. The room was dimly lit, making it hard to see clearly, yet the scene stirred a strange sense of familiarity. It reminded me of the first time I arrived at the Chen Long Sect.
Back then, I had also been lying in a similar room, wrapped in bandages.
Not knowing where I was at the time, I had rushed toward the mirror placed near the wall.
…Wait.
"Why is there a mirror here as well?" Turning my head slowly, still caught in that nostalgic feeling, I noticed that this room also had a mirror standing quietly in the corner.
As I slowly sat up from the bed, something immediately felt wrong.
My hands.
The thin, pale hands I remembered were gone. Instead, small childish hands rested before my eyes. My legs felt shorter too.
Panic slowly crept into my chest. Then I noticed something else.
One side of my vision was completely dark. Without wasting another second, I stumbled toward the mirror. When I finally saw my reflection, shock froze me in place.
I had returned to the past. To the very same day… the day I became Chen Zoe.
"H-How…?" The question slipped from my lips in confusion.
"Did I die back then?" Considering my health condition, it was something I had already expected. Even if death had come, it wouldn't have been so terrible.
Watching beautiful scenery… Staying beside the person I cherished the most… In a way, it had been satisfying.
Still… there was one small regret.
I didn't get to spend much time with our son.
"Did Yuzhen…?"
As I thought about the past, a strange thought appeared in my mind. He had challenged fate more than once—no, twice—to bring me back. But this time… he had Yuan. Our son.
There was no way he would sacrifice our child's future just for me.
Then… could this truly be heaven's will?
"If it is…" I murmured softly, determination forming in my heart. "Then this time, I'll be the one who conquers your heart."
"Whose heart?"
The sudden voice startled me. My soul almost jumped out of my body.
I quickly turned around and saw a familiar figure standing at the door. "Rui…"
Right. He had always been the one checking on me under his father's instructions.
Seeing him again after everything that had happened… my emotions surged uncontrollably. Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward and hugged him.
"Senior…?" The sudden action left Rui completely stunned.
After all, to him, I had always been like an ice wall—someone he admired from afar but never dared to approach in this time period.
Just then, my stomach let out a loud growl. Embarrassed, I quickly stepped back.
A small smile appeared on Rui's face.
"Senior, that's normal," he said gently. "You've been in a coma for a week. I'll bring you something to eat."
With that, Rui left the room.
But his words reminded me of something important.
…
Meanwhile, far away, deep within the Dark Forest…
"Aah—!"
A woman's painful cry echoed through the silent forest. Birds scattered into the sky, and animals fled in fear.
"Your Highness… push! The child is about to come out! Please try harder!" Beside the pregnant woman lying on a bed of hay, a young demon girl tried desperately to help.
After a long and agonizing labor, the woman finally gave birth to a baby boy. But the child didn't look entirely human.
Golden scales shimmered faintly across parts of his skin, and his pupils were the same golden color as his mother's.
The woman only managed to glance at her son for a brief moment before exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness.
Looking closely, both women were covered in injuries, it seemed they had escaped from a dangerous situation and currently hiding inside a dark cave.
After some time, the woman slowly regained consciousness.
The first thing she did was search for her child. Not seeing him beside her, panic immediately filled her heart.
Just then, the demon girl returned from outside, holding the baby in one arm while carrying three dead rabbits she had hunted.
As soon as the woman held her child again, relief washed over her face.
"Don't worry, Your Highness," the demon girl said confidently. "As long as Mia is here, nothing will happen to our Crown Prince."
Hearing those words, a faint smile appeared on the woman's face. Looking down at her child's small face, a will to live ignited within her heart for her child.
After eating and regaining a bit of strength, they made a decision to move towards their destination.
Staying here would only mean waiting for death when they clearly know the danger is approaching closely.
…
Back at the Chen Long Sect—
What should I do?
With this child's body, there was nothing I could do to save them. If only I could stop Father from participating in the dragon hunt…
But how?
As if answering my thoughts, Uncle Chen Zeon entered the room after hearing that I had regained consciousness.
Compared to the madmen of the Chen Long Sect, he was one of the rare people blessed with common sense.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked with concern as he stood beside me.
"I'm fine," I replied softly, even though pain still lingered throughout my body.
"That's good to hear."
He gently patted my head.
"Uncle…" I hesitated before continuing, "I want to see Father."
Zeon didn't know how to respond.
The father I was asking for had already left to participate in the dragon hunt—driven by hatred after losing almost his entire family to a rampaging dragon.
"Zoe… he isn't here right now."
"Then where is he?" I asked, pretending to be innocent.
Not wanting to tell me the truth, Zeon hesitated.
"He also died… right?" A sudden idea popped into my mind, and I acted according to it. Even though I knew Father was safe, I let my tears stream down.
"What are you saying? Nothing happened to him. He's safe!" Zeon said quickly, panicking at the sight of me crying.
"You're lying. Mother, father, and Zyan all left Zoe… right?" Even though I didn't have much emotional attachment to the other two figures except father, a strange pain still lingered somewhere deep inside me.
"It's not like that. Your father is safe," he insisted.
"Then I want to see him right now." I spoke stubbornly.
Perhaps I had pushed my body too hard, because suddenly my vision darkened. My strength faded, and I collapsed back onto the bed.
"Zoe! Zoe!" Uncle Zeon's panicked voice echoed in my ears. But I couldn't respond. And my consciousness slowly drifted away.
At least this time… I hoped everything would change. But it seems fate still refused to change...