Guilty Hero

This is the Love Distric Lane in Beijing, a place where pleasure is sold and souls are silently lost. The neon signs buzz faintly in the damp evening air, casting lurid red and pink glows over narrow streets. Inside of the dingy rooms of a love hotel, the scent of cheap perfume mingles with cigarette smoke, thick and stale.

Mei Chen lies on the bed, her body stiff and unresponsive beneath the weight of the man above her. His breath, hot and sour, assaults her neck as his lips press against her skin. Each touch, each lick is invasive. Her mind recoils in disgust, but her body moves in practice motions as if separated frkm her thoughts. She shifts her position, now straddling the man, her hands on his chest, pushing herself to perform. She tries to force out a soft moan, faking pleasure to match the man's escalating rhythm. Her head tilts back as he grabs her breast roughly, his eyes glazed over with lust, oblivious to her internal turmoil.

She glances down at him, watching his face twist with pleasure. Her own face remains cold, distant. A part of her is already far away floating above this moment, observing it from a detached corner of her mind. "This is all i am now," she thinks bitterly. "A body for rent. Just another girl in this endless cycle of degradation." She closes her eyes, willing the moment to pass.

As the man reaches his climax, she fakes an orgasm, letting out a forced cry. He groans in satisfaction, unaware of the hollowness behind her performance. The moment he finishes, he pushes her off him without a word. He tosses a handful of crumpled bills onto the bedside table, his smirk lingers like a brand, a mockery of her dignity. The door slams shut behind him, the sound echoing in small room like the closing of a prison gate.

Mei stares at the money, bile rising in hee throat. The sharp taste of bitterness fills her mouth as she sits up slowly. She pulls her knees to her chest, hugging herself tightly. The room feels suffocating, the wall closing on her. "You're worth more than this, Mei," she whispers shakily to herself, though the words feel like a lie now. They are just distant echo of the she once was the kind, hopeful girl who believed in a future full of promise.

She wipes a way tears that escapes despite her efforts to remajn composed. "This isn't the life i imagined."

Even though it's late, Mei gets dressed and head to her part-time job at a convenience store. She stands behind the counter, robotic jn her motions, scanning items and making charge. The hun of the fluorescent lights above adds to her fatigue. Customers come and go, some lingering longer than necessary to ogle at her. She's used to it by now— the stares, the whispered comments about her beauty. Her beauty, which once made her feel proud, now feels like a curse.

"Mei, still working this late?" A friendly voice interupts her monotonous task. She looks up and sees one of her classmates, a boy with a warm smile who often jokes around with her. His name is Jian.

Mei's lips curl into a small smile, genuine for a brief moment. "Yeah, still working," she replies, her tone lightening for the first time thay day.

Jian leans against the counter, shaking his head. "You're always pushing yourself too hard. It's dangerous to walk home alone at night. Let me walk with you later."

Mei chuckles, shaking her head. "I'll be fine, but thanks. I still have a few more hours to go." She appreciates his concern, but she's used to doing things on her own. She always has been.

The next day, Mei entered the prestigious architecture school. She walked through the hallways, students whispering and stealing glances. Her beauty turned heads, and her intelligence had already made her a star among the students.

As she entered the classroom, whispers turned to admiration. "There she is, the brainy beauty," someone remarked, their tone half-envious.

She took her seat, the instructor calling on her to answer a question. Mei's confidence surged as she spoke, her words flowing with ease.

"It's all about the balance between form and function," she explained, her eyes shining with passion. The class hung on her every word, impressed not just by her looks but her knowledge.

Later that day, Mei found herself working at a bustling restaurant as a waitress. She navigated the crowded room, her beauty drawing attention from patrons and coworkers alike.

"You've got to show me your secret," one of her coworkers joked, trying to flirt. Mei laughed, her laughter light, yet her heart felt heavy with the weight of her other life.

After her shift, she makes her way home, the path leading to a run-down apartment, a stark contrast to the prestigious institution she attends.

As she steps inside, the familiar stench of alcohol assaults her sense. Her father's drunken voice echoes through the dimly lit living room. Her father, drunk and enrage, was beating her mother, "You're useless! Why can't you earn more money?" He bellows, his words slurred, a venomous reminder of their financial struggles.

Mei's heart sinks as she find her mother cowering in a corner, tears streaming down her face. Without hesitation, Mei rushes in, fear and anger igniting within her.

"Stop! Just leave her alone!" Mei cries, her voice shaking with anger and fear.

Her father's rage turns to her, a fist flying toward her as she tries to shield her mother. The impact sends her sprawling backward. "You think you can tell me what to do? You're both useless!" The bitter sting of betrayal burned in her chest as she scrambled to her feet, her mother's cries ringing in her ears.

Stumbling back, Mei's frustration bubbled to the surface. "I'll give you everything I have— just please , I'm begging you, leave us alone, Don't hurt us anymore."

When he paused she threw money at him, desperate to distract him. "Here! Take this and leave!"

"See? You had the money all along— so why did you make me beat you first? He smirks, wiping wiping the blood from his knuckles. "Now I can drink even more, thanks to you." With a twisted laugh, he turns and walks away, leaving the air heavy with menace.

As he staggered away, Mei rushed to her mother's side, treating the bruises and wounds with trembling hands. "We'll get out of here, I promise," she whispered, but her mother shook her head.

"He's just heartbroken," her mother murmured, tears streaming down her face. "You know your father— he only became like this after his business went bankrupt. But he was once a kind father and husband to us. Give him some time and forgive him.

Forgive him? Mei thought, her heart heavy with rage and hopelessness. "I dont even remember who he used to be. All i know now is the scumbug father who gets drunk and beat us."

The next day, Mei walked through the same bustling hallways of her school. She wears a mask, oversized sunglasses, and a hat, all meant to shield her bruised face from prying eyes.

Despite her attenpts to blend in, whispers ripple through the crowd, each one a dagger to her heart.

"Did you hear about Mei? That video..."

"Is that really her in that video."

"It's definitely her… I can't believe it."

"Can you believe it? The smart, beautiful Mei has a scandal like this?

"She always acted so perfect, but look at her now!? What a joke,"

"She's just another girl using her looks. I'm not surprised." another added, and their laughter rang out drowning out Mei's thoughts.

"Hey, Mei! How much do you charge?" A voice called out, laughter following it like a cursed.

With her heart racing, Mei rushed to the bathroom, her breath coming in quick gasps. She locked herself in stall, leaning against the cold metal door as tears streamed down her cheeks. As she checked her phone and was horrified to find a sex video of herself. "How did it come to this?" Her mind spiraled with memories of the night that led to this moment, the choices she made driven by desperation.

She can't bear it. The weight of judgment crushes her. She runs from the school, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tries to find somewhere— anywhere— to hide. She ends up in a dark alley, crouched in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably. Her hands tremble as she hugs herself, the world around her spinning in chaos.

Jian finds her there, his face full of concern. "Mei, what happened?" He asks softly, kneeling down beside her.

She shakes her head, unable to speak, tears streaming down her face. He gently helps her up, guiding her back to his house to rest. Mei feels a moment of relief, grateful for his understanding presence. She sits on his couch wiping her eyes, trying to calm down.

But then Jian's expression shifts. "Mei... was that really you in the video?" He ask, his voice careful but probing.

Mei's breath catches in her throat. She nods slowly, shame flooding her all over again.

Jian's arms wrap around her, pulling her into a comforting hug. But the his hands begin to wander, sliding down her body in a way that makes her freeze. "You looked so sexy in that video," he murmurs, his voice darkening. "I've always wanted to to touch you like this."

Mei's heart pounds in her chest, fear paralyzing her as Jian pushes her down. His body is heavy against hers, just like all the others before him. She struggles, but he is stronger. His hands are everywhere— rough, forceful. "Not him too," she thinks, tears spilling down her cheeks as she realizes even her friend, the one person she thought she could trust, has betrayed her.

The world fades away. She feels numb, staring blankly at the ceiling as Jian assaults her neck as his lips press against her skin and his hands roam around her body that now lead to her breast, each touch, each lick, is invasive. Mei just lay on the cheap, creaking couch, her body stiff, unresponsive and emotionless beneath Jian's body hovering above her.

As Jian finishes, thanking her with a smirk that she's seen too many times before. A smirk that mocks her very existence.

But this time, something snaps inside Mei. As Jian gather his things, she grabs a lamp from the table. With a blank expression, she smashes it against his head. He collapses, but she doesn't stop. She keeps hitting him, over an over, until the lamp is drenched in blood, until his body lies still and lifeless beneath her.

She's shaking as she showers, scrubbing at her skin, trying to wash away not just the blood, but the memories— the shame, the violation. But no matter how hard she scrubs, it's still there, lingering on her skin like a stain that won't fade.

When she returns home, trembling from what she have done, the reality of her actions sinking in.

But as she approached home chaos greeted her once more. Shouting and banging echoed through the walls.

Inside, her father was at it again, mercilessly beating her mother. "You're useless! You brough this on us! If I haven't wavered and chosen you over my business, it wouldn't have gone bankrupt. You're nothing but bad luck!" He screamed, and Mei rushed forward, instincts kicking in.

"Leave her alone! She didn't do anything wrong." She yelled, but he turned, his anger redirecting towards her, "It's your fault too, if you hadn't been born, I wouldn't be stuck on this mess. All of this started because of you!" his fists striking her with a force that sent her reeling.

As she fell, her mother tried to intervene, "Our daughter has nothing to do with this. She's the most precious thing I have. The only thing I regret is ever believing in you." But the chaos escalated. A sickening thud echoed through the room as her mother is pushed, her head hitting the corner of the table, blood pooling around her.

"Mother!" Mei cried, rushing to her side, but it was too late. Her father's regretful eyes widened in horror, he rushed to his side in regret of his action, "I d-didn't mean any of it! Honey, wake up! Please, don't leave me. I'm so sorry— please!" but Mei felt only rage. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen, the weight of it familiar and heavy in her hands.

With a blank, soulless look, she lunged at him, stabbing him repeatedly, thr blade sinking into flesh, releasing her pent-up anguish with each thrust. With blood spilling from his mouth, his father murmured the words, "I'm s-sorry." At that moment she broke down in tears as the memorues flashed in her mind— memories of a time when their family was supposed to be happy.

"Why? Why did it have to be this way?

Now, she left alone, the bodies of her parents lying on the ground before her, sirens wailed outside, a reminder of the chaos that surround her. Confusion washed over her. "Why does our family have to go through this? What did i do to deserve this?" She screamed into the silence, her heart heavy with despair. She had worked so hard, sacrificed everything for a life she had hoped would be different.

In a final act of desperation, she pointed the knife at her neck, preparing to end it all. But just as she about to strike, a blinding light engulfed her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself transported to a realm beyond comparison, when the only sight was a vast, pure horizon. Confused and unable to process everything, she checked her surroundings and realized she was not alone; other individuals stood nearby, just as bewildered as she was.

The silence was suddenly broken by a commanding presence that immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Welcome," the voice resonated, rich, and godly. "You now stand in the realm of the divine— the realm of Reincarnation."

Mei Chen's breath caught as she stood among the others in the realm of the Eternal God of Reincarnation. The divine being loomed before them, bathed in soft, radiant light, its presence overwhelming. The god's voice echoed through the endless horizon, offering a choice—redemption or erasure. But Mei hardly heard the words, her mind trapped in the chaos of her past.

Her father's screams, her mother's blood pooling beneath her, the weight of the knife in her hand.

The memories flooded back with unbearable clarity. She had tried to forget, to bury the pain of what she had done. But now, standing in this strange realm, her guilt was inescapable, suffocating her like a vice around her heart. Her hands clenched into fists as she recalled that terrible night—her father's words, full of venom and hatred, the violence that had consumed her home. And her mother, the only source of love in her life, was gone forever because of him.

And because of her.

"If you hadn't been born, I wouldn't be in this mess."

Her father's words cut deeper than any physical wound, still fresh in her mind. "This is your fault."

Mei glanced around at the others, standing as lost and broken as she was. Each of them carried their own burden, but could anyone here understand the kind of darkness that followed her? Could she really redeem herself after what she had done?

The Eternal God's voice pulled her back into the present. "You are here because your lives have been weighed. Each of you carries both sins and good deeds within you, a balance of light and shadow. I am here to offer you a choice: to be transported into another world, with a chance to right your wrongs, to redeem yourselves… or to be erased from existence entirely."

Mei's heart pounded. Erased? The thought sent a cold chill down her spine. Could that be better? Could disappearing wipe away the stain of her sins, free her from the pain and regret that gnawed at her soul? But would it really be freedom? Or just another escape?

Her mother's face flashed in her mind, the last moment they shared before everything fell apart. "You're the most precious thing I have." Her mother had loved her, despite everything, despite the violence that had consumed their home. And her mother had died trying to protect her.

Mei's hands shook, the weight of that love almost too much to bear. She had failed her mother. Failed to save her. But could this second chance be a way to make it right? Could she live in a new world and do something to honor the memory of the woman who had sacrificed everything for her?

"I don't want to disappear," Mei whispered, her voice trembling with both fear and hope. "I can't go back to the pain, but I don't want to fade away. Not without trying."

The god's faceless gaze seemed to fix on her, as if seeing deep into the shattered pieces of her soul. "The choice is yours, Mei Chen. In this new world, your actions will shape your fate. Redemption is possible, but the path will not be easy."

Mei stared at the being, her heart pounding. Could she really find redemption? Could she atone for the blood on her hands? The thought terrified her. But the idea of disappearing, of fading into nothingness, was worse.

Taking a deep breath, Mei made her decision. "I want to live again," she said, though the weight of her past still pressed down on her. "I'll try to atone… for everything."

The god's light flared, brighter than before. "Then go, Mei Chen. Seek redemption in this new world. But know that your journey has only just begun."

Mei closed her eyes as the light enveloped her. A second chance. It was all she had now. But whether it would be enough to cleanse her soul, only time would tell.

When she opened her eyes again, the world around her had changed, and with it, the faint glimmer of hope began to bloom within her fractured heart.