The night was as black as ink.
A single, pea-sized orange flame burned quietly in the darkness.
It was as if it were the only light in the world.
The flame flickered and swayed, so fragile it seemed a single breath could extinguish it.
Within its faint glow sat a young man, his face pale and his eyes bloodshot.
He was about fifteen or sixteen, with plain, unremarkable features. He bit his lower lip gently, its color so pale it suggested he had recently lost blood.
His long, fine black hair was tied back in a simple high ponytail, like a woman's. He wore a long, gray-brown cotton robe with frog closures that reached his knees, obscuring most of the plain, matching trousers beneath.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Suddenly, a faint knocking sound came from not too far away in the darkness.
It was the sound of knuckles on thin wood, especially clear in the quiet night.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK... The sound came again.
The young man by the flame flinched but made no sound. He had clearly heard it, yet he had no intention of answering.
"Are you asleep?" A sigh came from outside the door. It was the voice of an older, middle-aged woman. She hesitated for a moment, then turned and slowly walked away.
Only when the footsteps had faded completely did the young man by the flame let out a small sigh of relief.
He held his hands out, cupping them gently over the flame to feel its faint warmth. A relaxed expression crept onto his face.
"Hui, you shouldn't have lit the lamp," a hushed voice said softly from behind him.
"Lighting a lamp will attract things that shouldn't be here. The night is different from the day!" The voice drew closer, and on the other side of the flame, the weary face of a woman who bore a strong resemblance to the young man slowly came into view.
She watched him with concern.
"What's wrong? Can't sleep again? You've been waking up startled in the middle of the night for the past few days. Did something happen during the day?"
"Mother, why are you awake too? I deliberately kept the flame low so I wouldn't wake you and Father," the young man said apologetically. "I just... haven't been sleeping well lately..."
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman sighed and gently patted his shoulder.
"Blame your mother for not being capable enough to move us into the Inner City... Otherwise... it wouldn't have come to this..."
She didn't finish, but the worry on her face deepened.
"It's alright, Mother. You go back to sleep. I'll just sit here for a little while longer and then go back to bed," the young man forced a smile to show he was fine.
"Alright... Your father has to go supervise work at dawn. I need to get some more rest, or I won't be able to get up." The middle-aged woman nodded, stood up, and went to check that the door and windows were shut tight. Then, in the darkness, she expertly fumbled for a purplish-black stone hanging on the wall by the door and gave it a squeeze.
After confirming there was nothing wrong with the stone, she turned and rustled her way into the inner room. Soon, the creak of a wooden bed could be heard, along with the mumbles of an old man turning over in his sleep.
Silence returned to the fireside.
The young man remained seated alone, his mind flashing through the dreamlike events of the past few days.
He had been dreaming every day. 'Or maybe,' he thought, 'they aren't dreams at all, but another life I once lived.'
In that life, the world was filled with skyscrapers, cars, and airplanes. Humanity ruled the planet and was reaching for the stars. Common people didn't worry about food or drink; most passed the time with their phones and computers.
It was nothing like the hardship of his current life.
The young man extended his index finger and gently wrote two words on the dimly lit floor—Lin Hui.
It was his name, the only mark he had in this life.
Wiping away the marks, he let out a soft breath, stood up, and carefully moved away from the flame toward the room's window.
He found a few small peepholes in the thin window and peered outside.
The Lin Family lived in a large courtyard. With dozens of members, they were one of the more populous and thriving clans in the area.
What met his eyes now was a square, traditional Chinese courtyard house.
The courtyard had it all: rockeries, ponds, large trees, and pavilions.
But everything was shrouded in a thin, grayish-white mist.
This was called the Mist.
The environment Lin Hui found himself in this life was extremely troublesome.
Or rather, "troublesome" didn't quite cover it. It was dangerous.
During the day, all sorts of bizarre creatures roamed outside the city. At night, when the Mist rolled in, an array of strange and terrifying dangers drifted about.
Here, people relied on the city's high walls to shelter from monsters, beasts, and other disasters during the day. At night, they depended on the Tuyue Jade Talismans, which they received from the Inner City Government Office, to protect their homes, not daring to step outside.
All of this was information that Lin Hui had pieced together from his memories since he'd "awakened" a few days ago.
But that wasn't even the strangest part.
HSSS.
Lin Hui carefully used his finger to poke the peephole, widening it slightly so he could see more clearly.
Right now, the courtyard he saw outside was completely different from the Lin Family's actual courtyard during the day!
Yes, completely different!
Although the Lin Family was a large clan, their courtyard wasn't nearly this exquisite. Its furnishings and upkeep were basic, just enough to get by. It was nothing like the one before him now, which had the extravagant style of a wealthy household.
Things like ponds, rockeries, and pavilions were luxuries that required constant maintenance by hired help to keep clean—things the Lin Family could never afford.
And yet, what Lin Hui saw now through the thin mist was so clear, so real.
GULP.
Lin Hui swallowed unconsciously.
He was panicking.
Before his past-life memories had awakened, seeing this scene—something that happened every night—wouldn't have made him panic like this.