Ning Shu stood by the hospital bed as a doctor in a white coat walked right through her, attempting to save the girl lying there.
She looked down at the girl. Her face was deathly pale, and she had no hair left on her head—not even eyebrows. She just lay there, still and quiet.
People look quite odd without eyebrows, Ning Shu thought.
She hadn't expected to be concerned about something as trivial as eyebrows at a moment like this. It seemed that death wasn't as frightening or painful as she had imagined. Right now, she felt no pain at all.
That's right—Ning Shu was dead. She stood by, watching her own body. Desperately, she tried to re-enter it. Despite the body being ravaged by illness and nearly unrecognizable, she still wanted to live.
The light, fluttery sensation made Ning Shu feel unsettled.
Just then, the door to the room opened, and a married couple rushed in. They ran to Ning Shu's body, hugging it tightly as they wept. Behind them followed two men—Ning Shu's older brothers.
Ning Shu reached out, wanting to embrace her mother, but her hand passed right through her.
"Mom, don't be so sad. Meimei is finally free. She's gone to a different world," her eldest brother said, gently supporting their grieving mother.
Ning Shu watched them like a spectator. She was free now. She had been living in the hospital since she was fifteen, enduring chemotherapy twice a week. That bone-deep pain had been her constant companion for over a decade.
At first, her family had been heartbroken, showering her with love full of sorrow. But as time passed, they visited the hospital less frequently. Eventually, they had become almost numb to her illness.
Ning Shu didn't blame them. In fact, she felt fortunate to have been born into such a prosperous family, one that could afford her treatments. She was grateful to have lived ten years, even if most of that time was spent in a hospital bed. Life, however, was full of regrets.
A soft smile appeared on Ning Shu's face. She was deeply thankful to her family.
Ning Shu's soul grew lighter and lighter until it finally began drifting on its own toward some unknown destination.
Suddenly, she heard a sound. A cold, emotionless voice resonated from within her soul.
"The soul meets the requirements. Locking onto system space."
Immediately after, Ning Shu felt something icy flow into her soul. Even in this ethereal state, she could sense an overwhelming, freezing energy surge through her.
Under the assault of this power, Ning Shu lost consciousness.
Her final thought before blacking out was, I hope this doesn't mean I can't reincarnate.
After an unknown amount of time, Ning Shu finally regained consciousness. She felt utterly exhausted, her soul heavy with fatigue. The weariness she felt was unsettling, as though her soul itself was drained and uneasy.
Instinctively, Ning Shu rubbed her head. It was a reflex, but to her surprise, when she touched her head, it felt as if she were rubbing soft cotton.
She was both startled and confused. Her soul had transformed into this strange texture. Ning Shu couldn't tell if this was a good or bad sign. But at the very least, it seemed her soul wouldn't dissipate easily in this state.
After calming down, Ning Shu looked around. Everything was white—completely empty. There was no sound, no sign of life. The stillness was suffocating. It was far too quiet. Eerily quiet.