Pain. It was the first thing she felt—deep, gnawing, and all-consuming.
Lin Xinya's eyelids fluttered open, her vision blurry as she stared at the cracked wooden ceiling above her. A wave of nausea rolled through her body, leaving her breathless. The air around her was heavy with the scent of damp wood, stale herbs, and something faintly metallic.
"Where… am I?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a croak.
She tried to move, but her limbs were weak, trembling under the effort. As she lifted her hand to her face, she paused, staring at the pale, delicate fingers before her—frail and malnourished, a stark contrast to the strong, capable hands she once knew. Panic surged within her chest. Something was terribly wrong.
Memories not her own flooded her mind in fragmented flashes. A different life. A different name.
Bai Yue.
An orphan, living under the roof of the prestigious Bai family, yet treated as nothing more than an unwanted burden. The neglected, frail girl whom everyone ignored—or worse, despised. Xinya's heart pounded against her ribs. Had she… taken over this body?
A creak from the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned her head weakly, watching as a young maid hesitantly stepped inside, clutching a chipped ceramic bowl in her trembling hands. Her wide, fearful eyes met Xinya's, and for a brief moment, silence stretched between them.
"Y-You're awake, Miss Bai Yue?" the maid stammered, as if she had just seen a ghost.
Xinya swallowed hard, forcing her lips to form words despite the dryness in her throat. "Water," she said weakly.
The maid flinched at the sound of her voice but quickly placed the bowl on the rickety wooden table beside the bed. She glanced at Xinya one last time before scurrying out of the room, her hurried footsteps echoing down the hall.
Alone once more, Xinya closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. The truth was sinking in fast. She was no longer Lin Xinya, the skilled modern-day healer. She was Bai Yue now, an abandoned heiress with no power and no allies.
« Survive ».
The word echoed in her mind like a vow. No matter what had happened, no matter how weak this body was, she refused to be a helpless victim in this unfamiliar world.
Gripping the thin blanket tightly, she whispered to herself, "I will survive."