The large, elegant dining room was filled with the clinking of silverware and the murmur of conversation. Servants moved quietly between the tables, attending to the needs of the Xia Family, ensuring the dinner proceeded without interruption.
Xia Yan was seated at the end of the table a bit away from the rest of the family members, her expression was unchanged as she observed the proceedings. From her memories, the family dinner had always been a tedious affair, a formality that her father insisted upon to maintain the image of a united and prosperous family. But tonight was different.
Tonight, she was not the sickly, fragile girl everyone had grown accustomed to. Tonight, she was someone else entirely.
Her cold, calculating eyes flicked to each member of the family as they chatted amongst themselves. Her mother, ever disinterested, sat beside her father, lost in her own thoughts. Xia Haoran and Jianyu were engaged in quiet conversation, their voices low but confident. Zhihao, as usual, was the only one who seemed genuinely happy to be there, though his youthful joy seemed almost out of place in the tense, carefully orchestrated silence of the room.
Xia Yan noticed it immediately—no one noticed the change in her.
The way they looked at her had not shifted. Her mother was still indifferent. Haoran still saw her as a mere afterthought, a sickly presence he could ignore. Jianyu was as distant as ever. They didn't see her for what she had become.
It doesn't matter, she thought coldly, her gaze narrowing as she observed them. They will learn soon enough.
Xia Yan's mind wandered, not to the table before her but to the darker corners of her thoughts. She couldn't help but reflect on what had happened. What she had become.
It hadn't sunk in immediately.
At first, she thought it was just a dream. Some twisted fantasy. Her death, her brutal murder at the hands of those who had once trusted her, had felt like the end. Yet here she was, in a body she didn't recognize, surrounded by people who didn't know her at all.
But as the days had passed, the memories of Xia Yan had become clearer. More distinct. She had started to feel the weakness of this body, the limits of her new existence. It was impossible to ignore the truth any longer—she had been reborn.
Reincarnation wasn't just a tale from some old book. It wasn't some grand, romanticized myth. It was real. And she, Aurora, the death-dealer, the one they had buried, was back from the abyss.
She felt a twisted amusement rise within her, a cold laugh bubbling up from deep inside. The enemies who had once thought they'd rid the world of her—of Aurora—had no idea. They had no idea that the woman they had murdered, the one they'd feared, was now walking among them.
I'll be the death of them, she thought to herself, her lips curling in a barely perceptible smile. They think they've won. They think they've buried me. But I'll rise from the depths of hell itself and make them regret ever crossing me.
The sound of Zhihao's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Jiejie, you haven't been eating much," he said, his tone filled with childish concern. His small hands pushed a plate toward her, the same plate he had given her earlier that day.
Xia Yan glanced at him, her cold expression flickering briefly with something unfamiliar—a softness that she quickly suppressed. Not now, Zhihao. You'll only complicate things.
This annoying flicker of emotion was not bordering on bothersome. It's like an ever present itch in the presence of Zhihao.
But her hand moved instinctively, taking a piece of fruit from the plate without thinking. She could never fully distance herself from him. He was the only one who had ever shown her any care, and it gnawed at her in ways she couldn't afford to acknowledge.
But she wasn't here for Zhihao's concern. She wasn't here for any of them.
As the dinner continued, Xia Yan's mind remained elsewhere. Her body sat still, calm, composed, but inside, she was calculating. Planning. Her gaze flicked to the Xia family's fortune—stagnant, decaying, and in desperate need of a transformation.
The money, the influence—these were things she could use. But to do that, she needed more. She needed power, something that would propel her forward faster than the slow decay of this family's holdings.
But there was one more thing she needed.
Quick Money.
And she knew just how to get it.
Once the dinner finally ended, the Xia family retired to their separate rooms. Xia Yan was left alone. Her room, though lavish, was a prison. She could feel the weight of her new life pressing down on her.
She didn't belong here. She didn't need to be here.
And so, she did what she did best: she retreated into the shadows of her own mind and set to work.
She booted up the computer in her study, her fingers dancing over the keyboard with a precision that felt as natural as breathing. The world of hackers was vast, and there was always something to be gained from the right missions.
The hacker forums were a place of chaos and opportunity—money flowed freely, and so did danger. But Xia Yan had been in worse situations.
She navigated to the forum, scanning for a mission that would bring her quick rewards. As her eyes moved across the list, she found one that caught her attention—a high-profile target.
Perfect.
The details were clear: a wealthy businessman with ties to several powerful organizations. An individual whose rise to power had left a trail of destruction. She just needs to erase his traces, so that he can escape and grow further.
Xia Yan's fingers moved quickly, typing in her alias and securing the job. There was no hesitation. There was no doubt. This would be her first step toward the life she wanted.
The mission was simple, in her terms. It was small, but it would get her the funds she needed to expand her influence. To push forward.
She leaned back in her chair, the glow of the screen illuminating her face in the darkness. A cruel smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
The world hadn't yet realized that Aurora had returned. But soon, they would. And when they did, they wouldn't be able to escape.