Lin Wei wasn't sure if she was dead or merely dreaming, but she knew one thing she felt weightless, suspended in a void of calm unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was as though she were cradled in an embrace, warm and soothing, like the comfort of a mother's love.
She frowned inwardly at the thought. A mother's love? The concept felt foreign, almost laughable. Her parents had never offered her such a thing. To them, she was little more than a pawn in their endless pursuit of wealth, a tool to be used, criticized, and discarded when convenient.
Memories stirred, unbidden. Her childhood flashed before her: cold, joyless, and filled with the sharp sting of neglect. No birthday cakes, no words of encouragement, no hugs when she cried. Her efforts to please them had gone unnoticed, her accomplishments dismissed. And when something didn't go their way? She had been their punching bag, absorbing their anger without complaint.
Lin's fists clenched or at least, she thought they did. Could one even clench a fist when floating in nothingness? It didn't matter. Her mind wandered further, revisiting the moment she had turned eighteen. That was when she had finally escaped, breaking free from their suffocating grip. She had thrown herself into work, building a life and identity entirely her own. The freedom had been exhilarating at first, but it came with a price.
Isolation.
Her social anxiety had worsened over the years, pushing people away. She didn't know how to be gentle, how to connect with others. It was easier to bury herself in work, in goals, in endless deadlines. Now, in this strange liminal space between life and death, she wondered if it had all been worth it.
And yet, here she was, her story ending in the most absurd way possible: dead from an accident in the kitchen. Irony at its cruelest.
Lin almost laughed at the thought, but her musings were cut short as a blinding white light erupted around her. It was searing, all-consuming, pulling her out of the comforting void like a sudden riptide. She felt as though she were being yanked forward, her very essence stretched thin, and then—
Nothing.
The first thing Lin noticed was the suffocating warmth of heavy silk against her skin. She blinked, her vision blurry, as her senses slowly returned.
The room around her came into focus a vast, opulent chamber dripping in excess. The bed she lay upon was enormous, its canopy draped with crimson and gold fabric embroidered with intricate patterns. The walls were gilded, adorned with portraits of stern-looking figures, their gazes cold and unyielding. A chandelier the size of a small car hung from the ceiling, its crystal facets scattering rainbows across the polished marble floor.
Lin bolted upright, her breath quickening. Her hands clutched the rich, velvet covers, her pulse hammering in her ears. This wasn't her apartment. This wasn't anywhere she recognized.
What the hell is going on?
Her panic grew as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet touched the cool marble, grounding her just enough to take in more of her surroundings. The room was massive, far too large for any practical use, and the furniture was equally ostentatious: gold-trimmed chairs, a massive wardrobe carved with ornate designs, and a vanity laden with glittering jewelry.
Lin's heart raced, her mind scrambling for answers. Was this a dream? A hallucination? Some twisted afterlife? She clutched her head, willing herself to calm down, but the unfamiliar weight of a jeweled tiara atop her head only added to her unease.
As the first waves of panic began to ebb, something strange happened. Her hands tingled, a faint warmth pooling in her palms. She looked down just in time to see a small, black orb materialize between her fingers.
"What—" she started, but the orb pulsed, and before she could react, it shot out of her hand and hit the floor with a deafening boom.
The shockwave sent her stumbling back onto the bed as chaos erupted around her. The marble floor cracked like ice beneath the orb's impact, fractures spreading outward in jagged lines. The furniture splintered and shattered, fragments flying in all directions. The walls groaned as the explosion rippled through the room, tearing tapestries from their hooks and reducing the gilded décor to rubble.
Lin sat frozen amidst the destruction, her ears ringing and her chest heaving. She stared at her hands in disbelief.
What the hell was that?
Her shock was short-lived. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from beyond the ruined chamber, followed by the frantic voices of women.
The door what was left of it burst open, and a group of young women in maid uniforms rushed in. Their faces were pale, their wide eyes darting between the destruction and Lin.
"Your Majesty!" one of them cried, her voice trembling with fear.
Lin blinked at her. Majesty?
Before she could respond, the maids fell to their knees, their heads bowed low in terror. The reality of the situation began to settle over Lin like a heavy shroud.
This wasn't her world. This wasn't her life.
And, apparently, she was someone very dangerous.