Chapter 1: Death and Rebirth

When Lin Xi opened her eyes, the familiar white ceiling greeted her.

The pungent smell of disinfectant stung her nostrils, and she instinctively furrowed her brow. This scent was all too familiar—over the past three months, she had fallen asleep to it almost every night.

"Am I... still alive?"

She raised her hand, gazing at her pale skin, still marked by the IV needle. Memories flooded back like a tidal wave. She remembered clearly that she had died—on the operating table, amidst the panicked shouts of the doctors, her consciousness had gradually faded.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

The heart monitor suddenly grew frantic. Lin Xi turned her head sharply toward the screen, watching as her heart rate skyrocketed. This wasn't an illusion. She was truly alive, and she had gone back three months in time!

"Miss Lin, you're awake?" A nurse pushed the door open and, seeing Lin Xi's open eyes, hurried over to check her vitals. "You've been in a coma for three whole days. You really scared us."

Three days? Lin Xi remembered clearly that after the car accident three months ago, she had indeed been in a coma for three days. This meant she had truly returned to three months ago, to the moment when everything began.

"I... I want to see the news," Lin Xi's voice was hoarse.

The nurse adjusted her IV drip and said, "Your condition isn't stable enough for you to use your phone, but I can turn on the TV for you."

The moment the TV flickered on, Lin Xi's pupils contracted sharply. The news was reporting a bizarre disappearance case. On the screen, police were cordoning off an office building. This case was all too familiar to her—it was the beginning of everything.

"...This is already the third mass disappearance this month. The police have stated..."

Lin Xi stared intently at the TV screen. She knew this was no ordinary disappearance case. Those who had vanished had been chosen by the "Rules." And in three months, she would become one of them.

Memories surged back. She recalled the first time she had encountered the "Rules." It had been an ordinary afternoon. She was working overtime at the office when she received a strange text message:

"Welcome to the Rule Game. Rule One: Trust no one. Rule Two: Do not go out after dark. Rule Three..."

At the time, she had thought it was a prank—until she witnessed a colleague violate the rules and vanish into thin air. Only then did she realize that this world held a dark secret: certain people were chosen to participate in a brutal game of rules, and the price for losing was death.

"Miss Lin? Miss Lin?" The nurse's voice pulled Lin Xi back to reality. "Your heart rate is so fast. Should I call the doctor?"

"No need," Lin Xi took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. Since fate had given her a second chance, this time, she was determined to survive.

Just then, the door to the hospital room swung open, and a man in a tailored suit walked in. Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat—it was Lu Chen, her fiancé.

"Xi Xi, you're finally awake," Lu Chen hurried to her bedside, taking her hand. "Do you know how worried I've been?"

Lin Xi looked at the familiar face before her, but a chill ran through her heart. In her memories of her past life, it was this man who had betrayed her at the last moment. To save himself, he had pushed her into the abyss of the Rule Game.

"I'm fine," Lin Xi subtly withdrew her hand. "I'm just a little tired."

A flicker of something crossed Lu Chen's eyes, but his gentle expression quickly returned. "Then rest well. I'll come see you tomorrow."

After Lu Chen left, Lin Xi immediately pulled out her IV needle. She knew she had to act quickly. According to her memories from her past life, tomorrow morning, she would receive the text message that would change her fate.

She slipped out of her room and made her way to the hospital rooftop. The cold night wind made her shiver, but she paid it no mind. Closing her eyes, she began to try to summon a certain power within her.

In the final moments of her past life, she had discovered that she seemed to possess a unique ability—the power to see the essence of the rules. But by then, it had been too late. Now, however, she still had time.

"Let me see... let me see..."

Lin Xi focused her mind. Suddenly, her vision began to change. The pitch-black night sky was now filled with countless intricate patterns, like a massive web enveloping the entire world. This was the power of the rules—the invisible laws that governed this world.

Just then, a sharp pain shot through her head. Lin Xi felt as though her temples were about to explode. She staggered back, nearly falling.

"Still too much of a strain..." Lin Xi leaned against the railing, gasping for breath. Though it had only lasted a few seconds, she had seen enough.

She knew that starting tomorrow, a brutal game would begin. And this time, she wouldn't just survive—she would uncover the truth of this world.

Back in her hospital room, Lin Xi took out her phone and began to jot down all the rules she remembered. These were lessons paid for with her life, and every word could mean the difference between life and death.

"Rule One: Trust no one, not even yourself."

"Rule Two: Do not go out after dark, but if you hear crying, you must leave the room immediately."

"Rule Three: If you see the color red, close your eyes and count to ten..."

As she wrote, her hands began to tremble. She thought of her companions from her past life, of their gruesome deaths, and of her own despair in those final moments. But this time was different. She had been given a second chance, and she had the power of foresight.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting mottled shadows on the floor. Lin Xi stared at those shadows and suddenly noticed that they seemed to be moving, forming some kind of eerie pattern.

Her heart rate quickened, and a chill crept up from the soles of her feet. This feeling was all too familiar—it was the precursor to the arrival of the rules.

Sure enough, the next second, her phone vibrated. On the screen was a text message from an unknown number:

"Welcome to the Rule Game. Rule One: Trust no one. Rule Two..."

Lin Xi stared at the screen, a cold smile curling at the corners of her lips. The game had begun, but this time, she would be the one to master the rules.