I awoke in pain.
I hadn't expected my Awakening to be such a dramatic event, though I suspected neither had my mother—since she'd failed to prepare any kind of countermeasure for what occurred. My entire body throbbed like I'd been crushed and reassembled from the inside out.
Besides the pain, the first thing I noticed was the sound of birds chirping. A sound I had not heard at all since coming to this world. It felt strangely out of place, almost jarring. As my eyes slowly opened, I squinted—everything was unusually bright. But once my vision adjusted, I understood why.
I was in an unfamiliar place. Not a cave. Not the damp, sticky den of web and silk I had grown up in. This was a proper room. And not just any room—it was clean, organized, and clearly meant for humanoid living.
Panic rose in my chest as I looked toward a nearby window—one with crystal-clear glass panes. Outside, a sprawling city stretched before my eyes, far grander and more structured than anything I had imagined existed in this world.
How had I ended up here?
Had I been dreaming before, and now returned to reality?
I shook the thought away. No. My memories were far too vivid. Everything—from my life as Vellen Arcturus, to being reborn, to living with Ashara in the silken web-cave—was undeniably real. Judging by the lack of any memory of traveling here, the most likely explanation was that my mother had brought me. Perhaps she had panicked over how long I was unconscious after the Awakening and rushed me to this city for treatment.
That theory made sense… except for one thing.
The room was clearly designed for standard humanoids. The doorframe, furniture, ceiling height—none of it could have accommodated the large and imposing frame of an Arachne. There was no sign of my mother's presence. She hadn't brought me here herself. That much was clear.
The room itself was sparsely decorated but luxurious in subtle ways. It didn't feel like a treatment ward or a hospital. It felt more like a high-class inn or noble guest chamber. The sheets were smooth, the furniture sturdy and polished. Everything smelled faintly of lavender and cedarwood.
As I explored the room, I eventually discovered a white one-piece dress hanging inside a wooden wardrobe. It was the only article of clothing available—clearly meant for me.
It was also the first proper piece of clothing I'd encountered in this world.
I didn't know much about the culture of this place, but I could tell the dress was expensive. I hadn't cared much for fashion in my past life, but I had touched luxury—run my fingers along rare fabrics, worn bespoke suits. This dress didn't match the best of Earth's high fashion, but the material was undeniably refined. It wasn't quite as comfortable as the silk clothes my mother had woven for me, but it came close.
I slipped into the dress with some hesitation. It fell just below my knees and fit me fairly well, though it felt strange to wear something so… feminine. Despite my female body, my mind still clung to its masculine identity. Putting on a dress almost felt like cross-dressing—something I never would've considered in my previous life.
Still, I had been adjusting surprisingly well. Probably because my memories had returned when I was still an infant. That early integration helped buffer some of the dissonance. But even now, years later, I could still recall the confusion and awkwardness of learning how a female body worked—the subtle differences in anatomy, function, and feeling. The basic necessities alone had been a strange experience.
While searching the room earlier, I had noticed a mirror. I now approached it carefully. For the first time, I examined my new appearance—my true self in this world.
A girl stared back at me.
My hair was silky and raven black, cascading down in long, uneven strands that hadn't been trimmed or styled. My horizontally pointed ears stuck out clearly, similar to some elves or dark fae. I still had a roundness to my face—baby fat that hadn't fully vanished—but underneath, I could see sharp features beginning to emerge. If I inherited my mother's beauty, I'd likely grow into a rather stunning woman.
Though… I still had mixed feelings about that.
And yet, none of those features compared to my eyes.
My most striking trait by far—my eyes looked like something out of a nightmare or a prophecy.
They were entirely different from Ashara's or any other creature I'd seen. My sclerae were pure black—voidlike and endless. Not a hint of white to be seen. My pupils were narrow slits, similar to a cat's or serpent's, and my irises were an unnaturally bright, glowing violet. So vivid, in fact, they seemed to emit their own light. Alien. Piercing. Beautiful—and terrifying.
I ran a hand through my hair, doing my best to tame its wildness, then returned to the bed. My heart was beating faster now—not from anxiety, but anticipation. My Awakening had slipped my mind in the confusion of waking up here, but now… now it was time.
Time to see what power this world had given me.
Time to see my Status.
Continued...
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