~~~零~~~

~~~新的开端~~~

Loud music boomed as a young woman slipped out of a large house. Multicolored lights could be seen strobing through the windows while the ground was pulsing with the bass from the music. Many cars were parked in the house's driveway and down the street, but she paid no attention to any of them.

The female adjusted her black jacket displaying a tiger embroidered into the back, the mascot of the college she attended, on her shoulders over a black and white camisole. Her legs were left mostly bare as she wore a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and heeled combat boots that came just above her ankles as she continued down the sidewalk. The woman's brown eyes were focused solely on the screen of her phone as she connected it to her wireless earbuds. Long raven locks fluttered freely behind her as the cold sea breeze of Coronado Bay drifted by.

"Unbelievable," she scoffed while hitting shuffle on her most used playlist. Her tanned skin tone was difficult to see under the orange streetlights but visible enough. "Fucking bastards had the nerve to invite me out for once and the first thing they do is ditch me."

The woman kept walking until she reached an old playground and plopped down onto one of the swings. Everything in the playground seemed a bit faded and rusty so she wasn't surprised to hear loud creaks as she began kicking her legs back and forth.

The name 'Mina Von Astra' that was embroidered into the left breast of her jacket became visible when she opened her phone once more. She easily navigated over to her messages and began ranting to one of her group chats about what just happened.

The second-year college student was under the impression that some friends she hadn't seen in a while invited her out to spend some time together, but that wasn't the case. She was just invited out because she was known for not drinking and her 'friends' just needed someone to drive them home after the party was over. They didn't even tell her about this, urging her to come out for the whole duration of the event when she didn't even like parties.

She continued to text back and forth with her self-proclaimed sisters for the next half hour before she checked the time. With a sigh she placed her phone back into her pocket before thinking, 'It's getting late, I should probably head back.' The woman shook her head before jumping off the swings. 'I may be mad, but I still don't want them getting hurt trying to drive themselves when they're drunk.'

The ravenette tied her hair back into a low ponytail since the wind was starting to pick up before she made her way back down the empty streets. As various genres of music blared through her headphones, she didn't realize the second shadow behind her.

Everything seemed normal, relaxing even, as she hummed along to the melody. It wasn't until she was about to pass an unlit alleyway that she felt a sudden tug on her wrist and let out a yelp. Before her mind could process what was happening, the female's back hit a wall and a hand was placed on her neck.

Her pupils dilated and her breathing quickened as she came face to face with an unfamiliar male. The woman's earbuds managed to fall out with all the commotion, so she clearly heard his raspy voice say, "I finally found you, bitch."

The man's speech was slurred and he reeked of beer, so it wasn't hard for the ravenette to tell that he was drunk, but that didn't stop her anxiety from spiking. She gulped down the excess saliva that was pooling in her mouth and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry, but I- I think you have the wrong person."

"Bullshit!"

The grip on the female's throat tightened to an unbearable degree before she was thrown to the ground. A short cry left her lips as her elbow made contact with the ground, followed by the rest of her body. She was quick to try and get back up but was pulled back by her hair so that her head was slammed into the nearest wall.

The woman's ears started to ring as the drunken male proceeded to scream at her, accusing her of something she didn't even understand. Tears were pouring down her face at this point and she tried to reach for her phone only for a boot to come down on her wrist.

He continued talking, but she no longer tried to focus on his words. Instead, her eyes were locked onto the pocket knife the male had pulled out of his jacket and attempted to remove his foot from her wrist.

The next hour was filled with screams, crashes, and the sound of something being thrown against concrete. By the time the male had stumbled out of the alley, he was covered in blood and the knife fell slipped out of his hands, covered in the same deep red.

It felt as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. The female couldn't feel or move her limbs, and it was hard for her to breathe. It hurt to try and it was cold, even with her insulated jacket still zipped up. Though her vision was starting to tunnel, she could still see the red flowing down the concrete she was laying on and she was aware enough to know that it was her own blood.

'This is it,' she thought while closing her eyes. Sleeping felt like the most reasonable thing to do at the moment. 'I always knew I would die by murder, but I always thought it would be for something I did. Not for some random reason a drunk bitch decided to pin on me.'

'Oh well,' the female continued as her body started going numb. 'At least I don't have to worry about my studies anymore, but... I wish I could have at least said goodbye first.'

She didn't know how long it actually was, but it felt like she was drifting through an endless void for what felt like months. It was warm and she felt safe. Every now and then she would hear the soft voice of someone singing. It was like this for a long time, until she felt something change like it was time for something big.

Her warm safe haven suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable. It felt like something was pushing her away from the darkness and she suddenly felt very, very wet.

The first thing that registered was the bright lights and fuzziness as she opened her eyes for the first time in forever. Next, came the sound of people talking around her and it was then that she noticed that something was wrong.

The fuzzy figures cleared up and it was then that she realized that she was being held by a large person... or was it that she had become small? It appeared to be a woman dressed in all white who wore a smile on her face.

'What in the fuck is happening here?' the being thought as she blinked up at her surroundings with a small wiggle. 'Why can't I move?!'

"Congratulations, it's a healthy baby girl!" the woman spoke as the smaller being was handed over to another woman. She looked quite tired and had sweat running down her forehead as a man helped prop her up on some pillows. "She's very beautiful."

'Are they talking about me?' the newborn thought with a scrunched-up nose. Her eyes drifted between the soft smile of the one who held her and the worried expression of the man standing by the bed. 'Are these my parents?'

The male leaned in closer, his silvery white locks falling over his shoulder as a soft chime came from the silver bell hanging from his waistband before he turned to the midwife to ask, "Is she really okay?" His lavender-steel irises flicked back to the woman holding his child. "She hasn't cried once."

"Xūnyī, she's fine," the new mother stated. Her dark brown eyes focused solely on the swaddled bundle in her arms as her brown hair fell loose from its bun. "I should know best, right?"

"Of course, Rúyì," he replied, expression immediately softening as he returned to her side. He wrapped an arm around her. "You know best."

The girl let out a happy noise at the sweet scene in front of her, earning a chuckle from the one holding her. She honestly was happy, but not for reasons one might think.

'Fuck yes!' she internally cheered. As her new father brought an index finger to her nose. 'If my parents are this good looking then I better be hot when I get older!'

Before the parents could further dote on their new child, the midwife came back from cleaning her hands and asked, "What would you like to name her?" A brush and record book were held in her hands as she approached the three.

The mother looked up at her husband who gave her a small nod. She then turned back to the midwife and confidently said, "Xuělián. Her name will be Xuělián."

Many years passed by in a flash for the small family of three. The infant known as Dōng Xuělián grew up to look quite unique. She had skin as smooth and pale as the finest porcelain, silky jet black hair that rivaled the darkest night of winter, and expressive purple eyes that resembled two of the finest amethysts. She looked just like a doll, which was surprising to many considering who her parents were.

Dōng Xūnyī, her father, was a quiet but loving man. He worked as an artisan, making flutes of various kinds and out of various materials. He got along with many people for his friendly personality and cared deeply for his family.

Dōng Rúyì, her mother was a soft-spoken and kind-hearted lady. She was a well known healer in their village and would never turn away anyone in need of help. She also got along well with others in the village as she was their primary source of healthcare when anyone was injured or got sick.

The girl felt blessed to be the daughter of this pair as they were both very loving and taught her many things. From her mother, she learned how to identify specific plants and herbs. She also learned how to treat various injuries and basic illnesses. From her father, she learned how to play and make flutes. They were mostly made out of wood and bamboo, but she really wanted to make one out of bone.

Since Xuělián had kept the memories of her previous life, she was able to determine that the life she was living now took place in an entirely different world. She was able to deduct this from her inability to recognize any names of places she had seen or heard as well as the fact that people could have naturally silver hair from birth or naturally purple eyes. However, there was one specific thing that set this world apart from her previous one and that was the regular use of magic.

She had believed in magic and energies before, having been a witch in her previous life, but magic in her new one was much different. It was literally everywhere. Ordinary people could use it to do various things in such an immediate way.

After a bit of playing around, the girl had discovered that she was naturally talented with it. By using some of the focus techniques she had as Mina Von Astra, she found that it was extremely easy to manipulate her spiritual energy. By her third birthday, she was already using threads made from her energy to play with her dolls as if they were puppets.

Sadly, her use of magic was quite restricted by her parents. Whenever they saw her using it outside of the house, they would quickly bring her in and tell her not to use it anymore with worried looks. They would never give her a direct reason for it, but the girl knew that if it were for no reason, then they wouldn't look so scared whenever she used it.

She had been reprimanded three different times before she learned to just stop using magic when other people were around. The young girl would practice when she was out collecting herbs in the woods for her mother or when she was by herself in her room.

Overall, Xuělián loved her new life. It was so much better than being confined by the standards of modern-day society in the other world. She could just live and work happily with her family instead of stressing out over every little thing she did. Her parents may have been in the middle class, but they were happy and made enough money to eat and have a roof over their heads. It was more than some others could ever hope for.

Unfortunately, like all the happiness she had achieved in her previous life, this peace wouldn't last.

It was a few days after her sixth birthday when the young girl was walking around the market with her mother. They were in need of some fresh produce since they had run out so the pair had volunteered to go while Xūnyī decided to stay back to work on a custom order.

Everything was normal, just walking from store to store to get what they needed until the two females passed by a restaurant. Out in the front was a group of men that obviously didn't belong to the village. Their clothes were too expensive for that and some of them wore armor, which was strange for where the small community was in the Jin Empire.

Neither mother nor daughter seemed to notice the strangers as they just kept walking until they reached a split in the roads. Rúyì turned to her daughter and gave her a small bag of coins, asking "Why don't you go down to Auntie Rong's shop to buy some carrots while I go and buy some flour?" She brought her hand up to brush away some stray hairs from the child's face. "You can handle that, right?"

"You got it, Mama!" the girl chirped in response, clutching the coin bag to her chest. She wore a determined smile as she rocked on the balls of her feet. "I'll be back real quick!"

"Alright, we'll just meet up at the bun stand when we're done, okay?" the woman questioned. This earned a small nod in response before her daughter skipped off towards the produce shop. A small chuckle left her lips before she turned in the opposite direction and began walking towards the other shop.

Getting the orange vegetables from the produce shop was an easy task for the six-year-old girl. She knew almost everyone in the village and they all knew who she was so it was easy to get along. The carrots were gathered in a basket that she held with both of her hands and she still had some coins to spare, though she didn't plan on spending them. Her family might be living decently, but that didn't mean that she still wouldn't be stingy with money.

She was just about to turn a corner when a man in silk robes stepped out in front of her. The ravenette instinctively opened her mouth to apologize, but the words were caught in her mouth as she looked up at the man's face. At first glance, he might have seemed normal, but she knew the look in his eyes all too well. This man was not someone she had the abilities or want to deal with.

"Young Miss, I seem to be a little lost. Do you mind helping me out?" he asked, turning to the girl with a sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm looking for the committee office of this village."

"Uh... You just walk down this street and take the third left," the girl stated with a nervous smile. Just being in this person's presence sent shivers down her spine. "The committee office should be the fourth building to the right."

"Unfortunately, I'm not that good with directions, would you mind taking me there?" the man requested with a small frown. "I promise that it won't take up too much of your time."

The young female stayed silent. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to get her, a small girl that was by herself, to go with him and it was ringing every alarm in her head as she internally hissed, 'You're one shady motherfucker. Why would I go anywhere with you?' Her eyes flicked around at the very few people who were around. 'But what excuse could I give that would for sure get you to leave me alone?' Luckily, she didn't have to think for long as a familiar voice called out from behind her.

"Xuělián!" called a raspy male voice, causing both individuals to turn and see an elderly couple. Both were wearing matching blue robes. "What are you doing over there?"

'Yes! Here's my exit ticket!' the child thought, allowing a large grin to cover her face as she rushed over to them. She kept her eyes focused on the couple as she reached out to tug on the woman's sleeve.

"Yéyé! Nǎinai!" the girl called loudly with a smirk. She didn't need to turn around to know that the man had tensed. "This mister needs help getting to the committee office can I help him?"

The two looked over to the unfamiliar male before their eyes flicked back to the beaming girl holding onto the woman's sleeve. It was at this point that they knew something was off. The couple knew that if the girl really wanted to help someone she wouldn't ask for permission, so it was strange.

"Silly girl, your parents are still waiting for your help at home, you can't keep them waiting," the elderly male stated as he brought a hand up to ruffle her hair. He then took her hand and started leading her down the street with his wife. "Come on let's go home."

"Okay, Yéyé!" she chirped with a smile as the woman took her other hand. As they walked past the stranger, her eyes flicked back to see a frown setting into the male's sharp features and she let out a huff.

'Serves you right for trying to target a little girl in such a close-knit community,' the girl thought as they turned a corner. 'Everyone is already wary of your presence here, dumb nut.'

Once they were far away from the man, the girl thanked them and offered to walk to where she would meet her mother on her own, but the couple denied. They walked with her to the stand selling steamed buns and ended up waiting with her until the local healer arrived.

Upon seeing the serious expression on her friends' face, the mother looked to her daughter and said, "Xuě-er, why don't you head home with Mrs. Yue for now?" She wore a smile on her face, but the younger could see that it was fake. "I'm going to talk with Mr. Yue for a bit."

"Okay, Mama, but hurry up," the girl replied, shooting one last look at her before taking her neighbor's hand and beginning to walk. Purple eyes flicked up to the elder's face but found nothing.

'This definitely has something to do with that creep from earlier,' she thought with a straight face. The only sign that she was feeling disturbed coming in the form of the tight grip she had in her basket. 'Something bad is going to happen, isn't it?'

When the female had reached home, the first thing she did was place the carrots in the kitchen before going into the workshop. Her father was sitting at his desk and carving pitch holes into his current piece. He was so invested in his work that he didn't notice her until she picked up the smaller flute she had started.

"Ah, Xuě-er, you're back," he greeted with a soft smile, placing the flute down to place a hand on her head. Pale eyes flicked over to the door leading back into the house. "Where is your mother?"

"Mama is talking to Mr. Yue," the ravenette replied as she picked up a small needle tool. With steady hands, she began tracing simple designs into the bamboo. "She told me to go ahead. Mrs. Yue, brought me home."

"Is that all?" the male asked as his hand dropped down to her shoulder. His eyes were focused on how surprisingly controlled the movements of her fingers were for a six-year-old. "Something seems to be bothering you."

She let out a sigh before looking up at the serene face that had raised her. This was the thing about having such a man as a parent. She could no longer hide her emotions from him, especially the negative ones. The tactics that worked back in her previous life with other people would not work with him.

Xuělián bit her lip before saying, "A scary man approached me today." She didn't have to look him in the eye to know that he was concerned. As much as he knew her, she knew him. "He looked rich. His robes were made of silk and he had a fan that had a jade tassel hanging from it."

Xūnyī let out a small gasp as he crouched down, eye level with his daughter, his free hand landing on her other shoulder. "Xuě-er," he started, doing his best to keep his voice even, "Was the jade in the shape of a flower?"

"No, it was in the shape of a snowflake," the girl answered. Her reply caused the male's grip on her shoulders to tighten slightly and she didn't miss the hiss he let out either. "Papa?"

"It's nothing, Xuě-er. Let's just get back to work, okay?" he mused, walking back over to his stool and picking up his piece. His eyes narrowed back into his work, but the child knew that he was worried.

'I swear to whatever gods are listening, if anything happens to this family, I will fucking scream,' she thought as she did the same. Her small hands reaching for the appropriately sized carving knife when her designs were finished.

The father and daughter worked together in silence, the former helping out anytime the other needed it. Both of them fell into the rhythm of the craft and it was easy for the younger to understand why the other picked this profession. She had a love for both crafting and music in her past life, so it just seemed natural for her to enjoy flute making as well.

This continued one for about half an hour before the girl perked up. Off in the distance, she could hear the front door open and close, something her father couldn't do. In fact, she had better heating than most people and she loved using that to her advantage.

"Papa, Mama's home!" she chirped, carefully setting down her tools and flute before darting into the main house. She was quick to navigate through the small home before launching herself at the woman.

A giggle left the girl's lips as the woman caught her and spun her around with a chuckle of her own. She brought the younger being off to her face before saying, "I got you!"

"Nope! I got you!" the child mused as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. This earned a small snort before she was set down.

"Alright, we got each other, now go get your father so we can have some lunch," Rúyì instructed while picking up the basket that was placed by her feet. "I got some steamed buns so I could immediately start working on dinner later."

"There's no need for that, I'm right here," the craftsman stated as he emerged into the main area of the house. He then stepped forward to lay a kiss on the woman's forehead. "Welcome home Rúyì."

She returned the gesture with a kiss on the cheek before revealing a small bundle in her basket while saying, "Come now, lunch awaits." The other two followed the woman into their kitchen dining area with the doors open to let in some air.

Their small meal went by as normal with small conversation filling the silence between them. They acted as if the strange encounter that morning never even happened, but it still lingered at the back of the girl's mind.

About an hour after their midday meal, the six-year-old was feeding the fish in their backyard pond. There were various different colors of koi fish, goldfish, and some smaller species that she couldn't identify. They all came up to the surface as soon as they saw the girl carrying the red tin their food was in.

Many of the fish were actually quite large, so she had to be careful of them jumping out and splashing her. There have been times in the past where some of them jumped straight out of the pond and she had to toss them back in, but it was rare.

Just as she finished her small task and stuck the lid back on the tin, her ears picked up on the small clacks of shoes on wood. Purple eyes flicked in the direction of the sound to find that it was her mother with an empty basket.

"Hi, Mama!" the ravenette chirped as she wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. A bright smile was on her face as she gazed up into soft brown eyes. "What's the basket for?"

"Well, I just started dinner when I realized that I'm missing some herbs so I need someone to go out and get some," the brunette started while holding the woven basket in her hand. "But where can I find someone to do so?"

The girl knew what she was implying, but it still didn't stop her heart from racing as she bounced up and down while saying, "I can do it! Which herbs do you need, Mama?" This earned a small chuckle as the woman gently touched the child's nose.

After receiving an extremely long and specific list of herbs she needed to find, her mother then leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. The woman then stood back up and said, "Once you find everything, go to your favorite tree for a present from me and your Papa, okay?"

"Okay, Mama!" chirped the child before turning to run off into the woods. It was right behind their house so she didn't think the task would take too long to complete.

In this new life, the female found things much easier for her to remember, so recalling the list of herbs her mother gave her wasn't difficult. The difficult part came from trying to find all of them because many of them were on the cusp of being out of season. She knew this but was determined to find everything, so her tasks kept her in the woods until the sun began to set.

"Mama, couldn't you have just gone to the traders to get some of these herbs?" the girl groaned as she began making her way to a familiar clearing. "I mean they give herbs to you for free anyway."

In the center of the clearing was a single wisteria tree with draping purple flowers. Despite its inviting appearance, the plant was used to make potent poisons which is exactly why it was the girl's favorite. Just the aspect of something so beautiful being so deadly naturally drew her to it.

Sitting at the base of the tree was what looked to be a circular basket with a metal latch to secure the lid shut. The girl also noticed that there were long leather straps attached to it so that it could be carried crossbody, but she was more curious about its contents. Upon opening the basket, she saw that there was a small bag of coins, a cloth, a needle and thread, a small flute made of bone, and a folded up piece of paper.

Her eyebrows knitted together with the strange combination of items gathered in the travel basket, but just as she was about to unfold the paper she felt a strong pulse of spiritual energy. Her head snapped in the direction that it came from and she saw multiple birds flying away from the direction of her house.

The girl could feel the blood rush from her face and she quickly latched the basket shut, throwing the strap over her shoulder before she began running home. She passed multiple animals who were all scattering to get away and the closer she got, the more foreboding the energy became. The only thing she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears as she weaved through the trees.

'Just how far did I go this time?!' she thought before she finally caught sight of her home. The wooden home was engulfed in bright yellow flames with a single figure standing in front of it.

"M-Mama... Papa," the girl uttered out, unable to say anything else as multiple thoughts raced through her head. The only thing she could comprehend was the image of the place she created so many memories going up in an ever growing blaze.

Hearing the small voice caused the figure to turn around, revealing it to be the same man she had run into that morning. He looked sinister with the glow of the flames reflecting in his eyes as a soft smile was formed by his lips.

'Run,' she thought, taking a step back as the man took one towards her. 'Fucking snap out of your petrified state and run unless you want to die again, bitch!'

The moment the girl turned on her heel, she heard a whistling by her right ear and her head suddenly felt much lighter. A small curtain of black fell to the ground as she took off running and thought, 'This mother fucker just cut off my hair! What the fuck, man?!' She let out a yelp as another object went flying dangerously close to her head and continued, 'Okay, shutting up before the next one of those things ends up lodged in my skull!'

It was already difficult to see with the sun setting in the distance and the young female's mind was clouded as she had no control over her breathing. If she were able to calm down and think rationally, she probably would have been able to avoid the raised root that stood in her path, but that wasn't the case.

Her foot caught onto the exposed piece of plant and all air was expelled from her lungs when her body made contact with the ground. 'No! Not this shit again!' the ravenette thought as she struggled to free her shaking limb from the roots. The man was already looming over the girl and she was still trying to free herself.

"What a troublesome little doll you are," he scoffed while stopping to crouch down in front of her. "First, you manage to worm yourself away from me in public and now you've even damaged the product."

The man reached forward to grab her wrists and inspect her palms that had been scraped by her fall before gesturing to her hair that had been sliced off at a diagonal. He clicked his tongue before continuing, "You've just dropped in price by a considerable amount, but I think it would still be worth all this effort."

Tears began streaming from her eyes as his words processed in her mind. Despite her heavy disadvantage, she was still spiteful enough to think, 'I knew this guy was shady!' She closed her eyes as he reached out again. 'For whatever you're going to do to me I hope you get stabbed in the dick!' The female waited for something to happen only to hear the familiar sound of a blade being sheathed into flesh followed by a gurgling sound as a warm liquid dripped into the front of her clothes.

Her eyes snapped open to see the tip of what looked to be a sword sticking out of his gut and blood dripping from his mouth. The man's body was then flicked off to the side to reveal a woman holding the hilt of the sword.

The woman wore a form-fitting chest piece made of a silver toned metal with a blue asymmetrical skirt that drifted all the way down to the backs of her ankles. Her hands and arms were covered in thin gauntlets that matched her armor while she wore white boots with small heels.

Her skin was smooth and fair, but still had more color to them than the child while her bored gaze sparkled in a brilliant blue. Drifting softly in the wind were long, azure locks as she flicked the scarlet liquid off of her blade before sheathing it at her belt.

"Girl, you have magic," the lady spoke, snapping the child out of her shock. Her eyes scanning the smaller form. "Why didn't you do anything with it?"

'Oh fuck. She right,' Xuělián thought as she took the chance to get her foot unstuck and calm her breathing. 'I could have at least bought some time for me to run further but I completely forgot that I could use magic.'

"I... Mama and Papa told me never to use it," she stated, deciding not to lie but also not to reveal the whole truth. She did not want to embarrass herself any more than she already had.

The stranger nodded, seeming to accept her explanation, before saying, "Alright. You're either stupid or extremely disciplined for following those instructions in a situation like this." She then turned away. "I'll choose to believe it's that second option for now, but get up. It's time to go."

"Go where? Who even are you?" the ravenette questioned as she stood up and dusted any dirt off of her clothes. She still didn't have all of the details of the situation and it wasn't sitting well with her.

"The orphanage in the next village," the woman answered bluntly, her words ramming into the child like a truck. "Your parents were killed by this man and your father requested me to take you there if this situation ever became reality."

"They're... dead," Xuělián gasped, breath catching in her throat. The news echoing around in her head. "Mama and Papa are really... dead."

The woman let out a scoff before taking the girl's hand and dragging her forward. She didn't look down at the pitiful expression on the child's face and said, "Don't cry. If you really feel bad about their deaths, then you better work hard and live a good life." She led the girl to an expensive looking carriage. "That is they're one and only wish."

They had been riding in the carriage for about an hour before the ravenette had ceased crying. She had yet to read the note that was in the basket her parents left for her and she didn't think she had the heart to do so. Instead, she let the very blunt woman, who she figured out was of noble blood, even out her hair. What used to reach her lower back was now cut short, resembling what would be considered more appropriate for a young boy.

When they had arrived at the orphanage the next morning, the woman in blue placed a folded set of clothes in the girl's lap. Upon receiving a raised brow in return she said, "I'm going to talk to the head of this place first, so change in here and make it quick." She then stepped out of the vehicle. "Once you're done, come out and wait by the door."

The girl responded with a nod and the door was shut. She then reached up to close all the curtains to block vision of all windows before stripping out of her dirt and blood-covered clothes. Unfolding the new dress, she was quick to notice that it was pretty expensive.

The first and most obvious sign was the color. The fabric was a deep purple, an indicator of wealth due to how expensive creating the pigment was. The second sign was the feel of the fabric. It was very soft but breathable. The girl could tell that it was meant to last a long time.

After changing into the purple dress and black cardigan, the girl put the strap of her basket over her shoulder and exited the carriage. Her eyes flitted around the new surroundings as she made her way up to the main doors of the small building. So far, this new village seemed quite similar to her old home, just slightly bigger.

The female turned her focus to her immediate surroundings and noticed a group of children playing in the nearby yard. They didn't seem to have noticed her yet, but she couldn't help but feel as if eyes were glued to her.

'God dammit, I'm being placed in a house with the most brutal things in existence,' she internally hissed as she ran her fingers through her short hair. 'Children.'

At that moment, the girl jumped as she felt something hit her shoulder. She immediately turned around to see another girl around her age with fiery red hair. She was tossing a marble in between both of her hands and purple eyes flicked down to see another one by her feet.

"Hey, why are you wearing a dress if you're a boy?" the child questioned as she walked up with her arms crossed over her chest. Her green eyes were narrowed and her face scrunched into a sneer.

"Actually, I'm not a boy," Xuělián replied as calmly as she could muster. Her hands went to play with the latch of her basket to keep them busy. "I'm a girl like you."

"No, you're not," the redhead interjected almost immediately, "Your hair is so short, so you must be a boy." She then brought one of her braids forward. "Everyone knows that pretty girls have long hair like mine."

The ravenette's face remained neutral as she took a breath while thinking, 'I am this close to drowning this bitch.' The girl in front of her continued to blabber on, but she wasn't listening. 'I already hated children but this one takes the cake.'

"You're not even listening to me!" she screeched as she brought her hands forward to shove the girl in purple to the ground. She then stomped her foot to the ground and exclaimed, "You're so mean to me!"

Purple eyes focused onto the red aura that was gathering in the girl's hands and she prepared her one energy only for a form to get in between them. "Anne, what do you think you're doing?!"

The six-year-old's head cranes up to get a look at her savior. It was a boy who didn't look to be much older than herself. He had short, but fluffy hair that was a deep shade of navy blue and it was hard to tell from her current angle, but it looked like his eyes matched. The boy wore a black blouse and baggy brown pants that were tucked into a sturdy pair of leather boots.

"Dàoyì-gege!" the green-eyes girl yelped. She immediately halted her energy flow and gripped onto the boy's arm with a pout. "Thank goodness you're here! This boy was being so mean to me!"

Xuělián let out a scoff, shaking her head as she stood up and dusted her new clothes of any dirt. Much to her amusement, the boy shrugged off the other and said, "Anne, you need to stop lying. I saw what you did and please stop calling me that." He then started to turn to the ravenette with his eyes narrowed at the entitled girl. "I'm not your brother."

"I'm sorry about Anne," he spoke, scanning the newcomer for any injuries. They both ignored the fuming redhead who had started screaming just behind him. "You're not hurt are you?"

"You don't have to apologize for her, you didn't do anything," the ravenette replied with a kind smile as he looked down to gaze into amethyst-toned irises. She didn't notice the way his breath hitched as she fiddled with the latch of her basket. "Thank you very much for helping me. I'm Dōng Xuělián."

"I-I'm Dàoyì," the boy replied after shaking his head. He then stuck his hand out to the girl and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Just as the other girl took a breath to start screaming once more, she was interrupted by the door opening and a voice saying, "How annoying." All three children looked up to see the woman in blue standing next to the head of the orphanage with her arms crossed. Her bored eyes flicked down to the ravenette before saying, "Everything is organized for you here, but I will drag you out by your tail if I catch wind of you acting like that, understand?"

"Yes, Miss, thank you for taking care of me on the way," the child replied with a small bow. "Can I have your name before you go?"

"Long Xièhú," she answered, giving the child a curt nod before stepping into the silver carriage. As it began to move once more, the child in the purple dress waved after it, not receiving anything back.

After being shown around the establishment by the head of the orphanage the first thing the girl did was set up her chosen bed. Since she was still under the age of ten, she was placed in a large room that housed both boys of girls around her age. Many of them stared. Whether it was because of her hair or because she was new, she didn't really care. She just felt uncomfortable.

In order to distract herself, she took the folded piece of paper out of her basket and finally unfolded it, only to let out a gasp. The paper was covered in text that she couldn't read. The child knew that it was her mother's writing from the messy brush strokes, but the characters were much different from what she was taught to read.

'Mother... What the fuck?!'

With a sigh, the female hopped off the bed and walked down to the office of the Head. She asked if she could visit the local library and was sent off with one of the older volunteers that helped around.

Just like that, Dōng Xuělián's life in the orphanage began. She may have been placed in a room full of other kids her age, but that didn't mean making friends was easy for her. Many of the other children had been told that the girl was a demon from Anne and stayed away from her as a result. She also just didn't put any effort into talking with any of the other children, but one always seemed to find his way to her side.

The boy with blue hair always made sure she had someone to talk to and that she never felt lonely. Whenever she sat in the back corner of the dining hall, he would show up and eat with her. Whenever she made trips to the library, he would walk with her. Whenever she was just hanging around, he would be by her side to keep her company.

Through his efforts, the two children became close friends. They got to know each other better. They even began training their magic together and soon enough, the people of the village learned that if one of them were around, the other was not too far away.

A few months passed and the boy's seventh birthday came around. The pair were sitting by themselves in the middle of a nearby flower field, watching the sun go down. The female was resting her head on his shoulder while humming an old lullaby her mother would sing for her. There had been a small party at the orphanage to celebrate, but they were extremely happy to just have some quiet.

After a few moments of silence, the female sat straight up and began looking for something in the basket that she brought everywhere. Her partner raised a brow at this until she pulled out a small bone flute. It looked similar to the one he had seen and heard her play in the past, but there was a small flower carved near the foot joint.

"Here," she said while holding it out for the boy. His blue eyes widened in surprise, but she paid it no mind. "It may not be as nice as the one my dad made, but it's the best one I've made."

He gingerly took the instrument from her hands and replied, "Thank you, but what is this for?" His blue eyes flicked over to his friend to catch her shaking her head before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, someone wouldn't tell me what he wanted for his birthday, so I had to default back to something I was good at," the girl huffed as hugged her knees up to her chest. "I don't like buying presents for people I actually like. There has to be something I made."

"Would you actually give me what I wanted if I told you?" Dàoyì questioned as he ran his fingers over the intricate carving. It must have taken her quite a while from how much detail was put into it and he wondered how she was able to pull it off without him noticing.

"Of course I would! You're the only one who gives a damn about me here!" the ravenette retorted as she threw her hands up in the air. Her eyes flicked back over to the boy for a moment before focusing down on the ground. "It would be the least I could do for you if I could get you what you wanted on your birthday."

The boy brought a hand up to his chin to look like he was thinking. A few moments passed before his lips twitched up into a smirk and he said, "If that's the case, then I want you to be my younger sister."

"What?"

"And I want you to call me 'Dào-gē' from now on," he continued as the female stared at him with wide eyes. The words were still processing in her unprepared mind.

"Wait, are you serious?" she questioned, eyes scanning the male for any hints of lies only to find nothing. "That's what you want?"

"You will give that to me, right?" the male shot back. He looked her right in the eyes with a smile, knowing that he won. "You said you'd give me anything I wanted."

Xuělián fumbled over her next words but took a deep breath before coming up with, "Yes, but... that's all you want?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head to the right. "That's all you really want?"

Dàoyì gave her a firm nod and she chuckled lightly. She shook her head before laying it back on his shoulder and muttering, "Alright... Dào-gē."

Four years passed like that. The pair continued to grow closer as they spent more time together. They trained and the girl even taught him how to play the flute she had given him.

The two children now walked side by side in the busy streets. Like many of the other children of the village, they were out enjoying the Winter Festival. The people were celebrating the end of the year and the cold weather that would allow families to come closer together.

After walking around for about an hour, they decided to stop at one of the resting areas as they sipped on some hot chocolate. At the same time, the two turned to each other and opened their mouths to speak only to cut each other off with giggles.

"You go first, Dào-gē," the ravenette mused as she brushed a stray hair out of her face. During the four years, she had needed to keep her hair as short as it was when she first arrived due to Anne always sticking things in it.

"Okay," the boy chuckled while shaking his head, knowing that the girl could and would argue to get her way. "Close your eyes first. I have something for you."

She let out a hum but did as told and closed her eyes. In the darkness, she heard the male shifting behind her before feeling a cold weight on her neck and just above her chest. After a few moments, she felt another piece of metal fall onto the back of her neck and the male returned to his spot to her right.

"You can open your eyes now."

When purple eyes were revealed once more, they immediately flicked down and her hand reached up to feel a metal pendant over her chest. It was a floral themed pentacle with a five-petal flower as the star in a wreath of smaller flowers. It was cast in what looked to be pewter and was the size of a large coin as it hung from a black leather cord.

"You were telling me about the pentacle's relation to the elements and I know that you like flowers, so I thought you might like it," Dàoyì explained with a small smile. His actions were genuine, but he still looked away when he met the wide eyes of his companion.

Despite the chilly weather, Xuělián could feel heat rising up to her face and she brought her hands up to cover her cheeks. With how pale she was, she knew that they were definitely red as she thought, 'God dammit, my heart needs to chill out.' She gave him a smile in return. 'I fell in love with a fucking child... but I'm a child too, so this is fine. I just hope he'll feel the same way when we're older.'

The girl let out a small chuckle before reaching into the basket that hung by her left thigh. After closing the latch, she held her hand out to reveal a traditional pentacle pendant with a five-pointed star inside a complete ring. It was made of stainless steel and hung from a sturdy chain.

"Lián-mei," the male gasped as she placed the piece in his hands. The steel was a bit cold from not being touched in a while, but his chest still felt warm.

"It seems like we had the same idea, Dào-gē," the female chuckled. Her hands reached up to the metal on her chest. "The pentacle is also used as a talisman of protection and can help focus one's spiritual energy. It is a very useful symbol in magic as it represents the five elements of air, earth, fire, water, and spirit."

Her companion gave her a large hug before putting the piece on. Throughout the rest of the day, they stayed side by side, unaware of the multiple pairs of eyes that were glued to their forms.

Just as the sun began to set, and the two children decided to make their way back to the orphanage, a sudden noise caused the girl to snap her head up. Her eyes narrowed as she thought, 'Was that... A scream?'

Her question was answered as a group of village citizens rushed past them. Looking back, the children saw a large snake-like creature running amok through the plaza. It had four red eyes on either side of its head and reflective scales all around its neck that contrasted the matte black scales on its head and the rest of its body. It was only the size of one of the food stalls so it was still quite young, but it could still do a lot of damage.

"Iron-Throated Devil," the boy identified before his blue eyes narrowed. "But why is it out right now? It's the middle of winter, all of them should be hibernating right now."

The ravenette was thinking the same thing until her eyes caught onto the white scales that lined the reptile’s lips. She let out a gasp upon recognizing the being as one they had encountered during one of their training sessions in the nearby forest.

"Dào-gē, that's Nana!" she exclaimed while gripping his arm and pointing at the creature. His eyes widened in response, but they had no time to discuss as a lance impaled itself into the ground dangerously close to it.

'Bounty hunters! That's why she's so worked up!' the male realized as various men hopped down from the rooftops. All of them aimed various weapons at the young snake as the skin around its head flattened out with a hiss.

His eyes looked down at the worried look of the younger child before he grabbed her shoulders and said, "I'll try and distract them from the side while you lead Nana back to the forest, okay?" The girl pursed her lips before nodding, the pair diverging within a split second.

As she darted by the men, she took her thumbnail and made a slice across her index finger. Focusing energy into her blood, the liquid rose out of her cut to form a thin needle. The girl then flicked her wrist towards the closest individual and watched as it sunk into the back of his neck. A smirk formed on her lips as she focused on a different part of her energy. 'Drawing from the elements of Water and Flame: Boil.'

A scream sounded out from behind her as she followed after the young serpent. The small spell caused her blood to boil, no matter what or who it was in. Sticking the needle into the person's neck prior to activating the spell would leave them having problems for quite some time.

After following the snake for a bit, the girl found that they were already close to one of the exits of the village. She reached into her basket and pulled out the last flute her father made her. Placing the instrument at her lips she took a deep breath and began playing a calming melody she had remembered from her previous life. 'Drawing from the elements of Spirit and Air: Siren's Charm.'

Upon hearing the familiar sound of the flute, the large snake stopped hissing. It stopped flattening out its skin and began following the melody, slithering right past the slightly confused bounty hunters.

They looked between each other for a few moments, watching as the beast began following the little girl in a purple dress before one darted forward. He raised his sword to strike at it while it was unfocused only to be stopped by a purple energy wrapping itself around his waist and picking him up. Following the energy, all of them saw that it was connected to the girl as a tail. She had not stopped playing her flute, but they could clearly see a pair of pointed ears sitting atop her head, made of the same energy as her tail.

"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed one of the males as she used her tail to fling his comrade to the side with ease. She then started leading the serpent back into the forest, not once stopping her song. "This kid has already figured out how to control her Astral Spirit?!"

'That's right and you aren't laying a single finger on this sweet little angel,' the ravenette internally hissed. Her purple eyes narrowed, now glowing as her pupils were narrowed into slits. 'Go back to wherever you came from!'

Out of the ten original bounty hunters, only five were left standing. Two were taken care of by the ravenette and the other three by the blue haired boy who had not revealed himself.

Those who remained of the team were about to pursue the girl only to be stopped by a cloaked figure leaping down from one of the buildings to say, "That's enough. You've embarrassed yourselves enough for today."

"But, Boss, that's just a child getting away with our kill!" whined one of them. This earned him a scowl as the figure turned in his direction and took off the hood.

A woman with tanned skin and short red hair walked up to him until she was right in his face. Her mature face was twisted into a scowl as her scarlet eyes were pointed into a glare.

"That child, with an immature grasp of her Astral Spirit, was able to easily toss a Level Fifty Rogue to the side while maintaining a controlling spell on an Iron-Throated Devil," she hissed before shoving him back. "It would do all of you well to follow my orders and stand down."

Back in the forest, Xuělián knelt down in a cave next to the young magical beast. After bringing it back to its den, the female played lullabies for it until it fell back asleep, hopefully for the rest of winter like it was supposed to.

She was about to return to the orphanage when she heard footsteps echoing at the entrance of the cave. A low growl came from the girl as her energy condensed into the ears and tail once more.

"Relax, kid, I'm not here for the snake," spoke a deeper female voice. The child remained defensive as the woman stepped closer. "I'm here to cut you a deal."

Xuělián just let out a huff as her eyes scanned the stranger. She sensed no lie, so she retracted her energy but stayed alert as she asked, "What kind of deal?"

"Come back to my guild and train for six months," the older being spoke with a straight face, her golden eyes boring into the other. Upon receiving silence she explained, "You already have decent control over your Astral Spirit, something that others can only start doing when they reach their twenties. It would be a waste not to cultivate that skill."

"I'm sorry, but I don't really care about that," the girl replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Getting involved in things like that will only bring trouble and I just want to live in peace with Dào-gē."

"Ah, you're talking about that boy who was helping you," the bounty hunter spoke with a nod. She moved to rest a hand on her hip. "Does he know that song you were playing was from a Japanese video game?"

The ravenette choked on her breath as soon as the other spoke, earning a smirk in return. Japan did not exist in this world, nor did video games. In fact many concepts regarding modern technology didn't as magic items took their place instead.

"I knew you couldn't be from here either," the woman declared, earning a huff from the child as she stood up. "You were transmigrated from somewhere else."

"And what of it? That doesn't matter to me," the girl huffed with a glare. She crossed her arms over her chest as she continued, "My life in that world sucked and was ended so now I'm here. I'm living my née life as best as I can."

"I'm sure you are, but you have to at least be curious about your situation, right?" the red haired female retorted. "If you agree to come with me, then we can help you find more information than you could ever hope to gather on your own."

About a week passed before the ten-year-old stood at the doors of the orphanage with all of her things packed into a backpack that waited by her feet. Dàoyì stood to her left and gripped her hand in his own as they waited for the carriage that would pick her up.

"I'm sorry, Dào-gē," she spoke while gripping his hand tighter. It physically pained her to leave, but she had to know more. If there was one thing she learned from her previous life, it was to take chances whenever they appeared for there might only be one chance. "I promise that I'll write once a week at least."

"You don't have to apologize for wanting to get stronger, Lián-mei," the boy replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "You've always been supportive of me and I'll do the same for you, but I will hold you to writing every week."

A horse drawn carriage suddenly stopped in front of the two and the door opened to reveal the red haired woman. She gestured for the girl to get in and the two children gave each other a sad smile. They shared one last embrace before the female turned to get into the vehicle that would take her to the adventurers' guild at the eastern border of the empire.

"Be careful, Lián-mei."

"Don't worry, I will... I'll see you in six months, Dào-gē."

Over the course of the next few months, the girl had indeed kept to her promise. She wrote letters to the boy that arrived every week and she even sent back all the money she got from going on various jobs at the guild. She had gone through various ordeals, but during the final month of her training, the letters suddenly stopped. The boy was nervous but kept faith in his sworn sister.

One afternoon as the boy came back from his individual training in the forest, he walked into the main hall of the orphanage to see the head runner of the establishment crying in front of a familiar woman. It was the same one who had brought Xuělián to the orphanage four years ago. A frown was displayed on her face before she turned to the boy.

"Mrs. Long, what's wrong?" Dàoyì questioned. His heart was beginning to pick up the pace as his eyes flicked between the two women. "What are you doing here?"

"Xuělián has gone missing," she answered bluntly, causing the boy's heart to just about stop. "As the guild she joined was right in the border, it was caught up in an attack and destroyed. Every member's body was found and identified except for hers."

The boy was silent for a few moments with her eyes just scrutinizing his silent form before he swallowed. After taking a breath, he found his voice and asked, "So it isn't confirmed that she's dead, right?" He then reached up to the pentacle hanging around his neck. "She could still be alive?"

“That’s right, but what do you plan on doing with this information?” the woman questioned. Her expression was never changing as the male tightened his grip on his pendant.

“I’ll get stronger, and I’ll find her!” he declared, eyes burning with determination. “I’m her older brother, so it’s my job to bring her back safely.”

“Good. Very good.” the noble nodded, a smirk finally breaking her expressionless streak. She then stepped forward and gazed down at him. “If that’s your plan then pack up all your things and be prepared to travel by tonight.”

The male’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he asked, “Travel? Where am I traveling to?” This earned a sigh from the blue haired female before she shook her head.

“You will come back with me to the capital to train. Only when you get stronger can you even think of finding your friend.”

~~~Fin. Prologue~~~