The sound of Chen Wang's sobs filled his small dorm room. He sat on the edge of his bed, face buried in his hands, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. His best friend, Li Wei, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched Chen's breakdown.
"Chen, seriously," Li finally said, shaking his head. "What did you expect? You proposed to the most popular girl on campus. In front of everyone."
Chen's voice was muffled through his hands. "But she didn't have to make fun of me like that. She could've just said no in private."
Li shrugged. "And you didn't have to propose in the middle of campus. That's what happens when you pull stunts like that. And honestly…" Li's smirk widened. "That wasn't even the most embarrassing part."
Chen shot him a glare. "Don't remind me. I'm trying to forget it."
"Oh, you're trying to forget? Let me help you with that." Li fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled up a video. "Take a look at this."
Chen hesitated but leaned over. The video played:
Chen stood in the middle of the campus courtyard, wearing a black suit and a bright red tie, holding a microphone with trembling hands. Behind him, two violinists awkwardly played a romantic melody. Red rose petals scattered around his feet, and a large, glittery sign reading "Only For You, Zhang Mei" hung on a stand.
Chen's voice cracked as he sang, painfully off-key, pouring his heart out in front of a growing crowd.
Li grinned, pausing the video. "See that? It's already trending. Thousands of views."
Chen groaned. "Maybe they liked my singing?"
Li burst out laughing. "Your singing? Did you ever hear yourself? It sounds like someone's pouring boiling oil in my ears."
Chen fell back onto the bed, covering his face with a pillow. "This is all because of that damn fortune teller."
Li frowned. "Fortune teller? What are you talking about?"
Chen sat up, eyes blazing with frustration. "That guy told me if I proposed in a flashy way, no power in the world could stop me from getting the girl. Let's go find him. I'm going to kill him."
The two friends walked down a dimly lit street, the chill of the night biting at their skin. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows on the pavement.
Li shoved his hands into his pockets. "You actually listened to some random fortune teller? Bro,There is one question in my mind,have you ever looked in the mirror before doing something like this?"
Chen glared. "Are you saying I'm not good-looking?"
"I'm saying you're ugly," Li deadpanned.
"Hey! People call me handsome."
Li snorted. "Who? Your mom?"
"Yes!"
"That doesn't count. My mom says I'm the world's most handsome boy too."
Chen smirked. "Is your mom blind or what?"
"Hey! Don't insult my mother."
Chen ignored him, suddenly pointing down the street. "There! That's him!"
Li squinted. "The guy who looks like a beggar?"
The fortune teller was sitting on the curb, talking to an overweight man. "If you really want her to fall in love with you, you need to dance naked in front of her. Trust me, no power in the world can stop you."
Chen clenched his fists. "You bastard!"
The fortune teller's eyes widened. He grabbed his bag and took off running down the street.
"Stop, you fraud!" Chen shouted, chasing after him.
Li, faster and more athletic, easily caught up and tackled the man to the ground. The fortune teller struggled but couldn't break free.
Chen jogged over, panting. "You made me look like an idiot!"
The fortune teller squirmed. "Hey! I'm not a fraud. I told you to believe 100 percent. If your belief even slightly wavers, it won't work."
Chen narrowed his eyes. "What about that guy from the other day? He was praising you, saying how accurate your prophecies are. He must be your partner!"
The fortune teller shook his head vigorously. "No, no! He's not my partner. He's just another customer. Like you!"
Li snorted. "Yeah, right."
"Wait a second," Chen said, narrowing his eyes. "Where's my ¥500?"
Li's jaw dropped. "You gave this guy ¥500?! And you still won't pay me back my ¥100?"
"Can we focus, please?" Chen snapped, turning back to the fortune teller. "Where's my money?"
"I… spent it," the fortune teller mumbled.
Chen crossed his arms. "Unbelievable. Fine. If you're such a great prophet, tell me what's going to happen to you now." His eyes gleamed with mischief. "And whatever you say, I'll do the opposite. Let's see how accurate you really are."
The fortune teller hesitated, then sighed in defeat. "Okay… You're going to beat me like hell and not leave me alone." He looked up at Chen with hopeful eyes.
Chen blinked. "Oh wow. I'm sorry I called you a fraud. You really can see the future because that prophecy is so accurate."
The fortune teller's face paled. "W-wait, no! I—"
Li grinned. "Check his bag. Bet he's hiding money there."
Chen grabbed the bag and yanked it open, revealing a small, worn box inside. He pulled it out and inspected it.
"What's in here?" Chen muttered.
"Don't touch that!" the fortune teller shrieked. "It's the last memory of my master!"
Chen ignored him, popping the box open. Inside was a small, glowing blue stone. He reached in and picked it up. The moment his fingers made contact, a strange sensation surged through his body.
The blue stone pulsed, its light growing brighter by the second. Suddenly, Chen felt weightless, as if he were floating in the void. His head spun, a sharp ringing filling his ears. The world blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors, swirling and shifting around him.
"Li! What the hell is happening?" Chen shouted, but no response came.
The ringing grew louder. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. His vision swam as he struggled to focus.
When he finally managed to stand, he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clashing. The unknown scent, and that scary smoke filled the air.
"Li?" he called out, panic rising in his chest. "What's going on?"
Suddenly, a man holding a sword charged toward him, eyes locked and blade raised.
Chen's eyes widened in horror. "What the—?!"
Before the sword could strike, another figure appeared, cutting the attacker down in a swift motion. Blood sprayed across Chen's face as he stood frozen, trembling.
He looked around, realizing he was now in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.
"What the hell is this?!" Chen screamed, his voice barely audible over the sounds of war.