The first sensation was the impossibly soft feel of silk against my cheek. The second was the familiar scent of moonpetal incense that always filled my personal courtyard. I opened my eyes to see the polished mahogany ceiling of my room in the Su Family Estate. Everything felt calm. Everything felt peaceful.
But everything was wrong.
The last memory I had was the unimaginable pain of a sword piercing my back. I recalled the metallic taste of blood in my throat, the chilling cold spreading through my limbs as my life faded. I remembered turning my head to see my sister, Su Lian, her face twisted in satisfaction. Behind her stood Jin Hao, the so-called Alchemist Sovereign, his face a mask of triumph as I fell.
I had died. I was sure of it.
Panic coursed through me. I sat up with a gasp, my hands flying to my back, my chest, my Dantian. There was no wound. My white sleeping robes were spotless. My skin was smooth and unmarked. I focused inward, sensing the flow of spiritual energy through my meridians. It was there, a flowing river, but weaker than it should be. It matched the power of a cultivator at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. I had died at the Peak of the Nascent Soul realm.
I threw the silk blanket aside and scrambled out of bed, my heart racing against my ribs like a trapped bird. My legs felt younger, less powerful, but they moved swiftly to the bronze mirror in the corner.
The face looking back at me was mine, but it was a version I hadn't seen in years. I saw a young woman, barely twenty, her features soft with youth. The hardness brought by years of pain, loss, and relentless cultivation was absent. The tell-tale mark of a Nascent Soul expert's transcendent spirit was missing from my eyes.
This was me, before everything had gone wrong.
My gaze darted to the ornate calendar hanging on my wall, a gift from my father. I caught my breath as I read the elegant script.
Era of Ascension, Year 7,888. Month of Awakening, Day 23.
The date burned in my mind. It was the day the patriarchs of the Chen and Su families were scheduled to meet. It was the day before Jin Hao, the cause of all my suffering, would arrive in Clearwater City. It was less than a week before my sister, Su Lian, would also arrive, setting off the events that would lead to ruin.
I was reborn.
This realization brought a wave of rage and grief. The memories of my past life hit me like open wounds.
I remembered Arya. My Arya. The brilliant genius of the Chen Family. The boy I had known, sparred with, and loved fiercely. I had saved him from a Shadowfang Wolf as a child, an act of bravery I kept secret, only for my sister to later take credit for it. I remembered watching him fall under Su Lian's influence, his misplaced gratitude warping into an affection that blinded him to her true nature.
I remembered the day he died. The news spread through Clearwater City like wildfire. Jin Hao, the insufferable protagonist, had crippled him and then slaughtered his family. The pain from that memory felt physical, a crushing weight on my soul that years of cultivation had never managed to ease.
My path in that life had been shaped by that grief. I trained like a madwoman, my only goal being revenge. I became a legend, a terrifying sword fairy who hunted Jin Hao across the continent. I cornered him. I grew stronger. I was about to deliver the killing blow.
And then, the blade in my back. From my own sister. "He is the future, Meira," she whispered, her voice carrying the same false sweetness she had used to deceive Arya. "You are just the past."
I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white. My breathing grew ragged, and my vision blurred with tears of pure fury.
No. Not again.
"I will not let it happen again," I whispered, my voice low and fierce.
In my last life, I was a silent guardian, a passive observer until it was too late. I watched the tragedy unfold, my warnings ignored. This time, I would not be silent. This time, I would shape my destiny.
I knew my father and Chen Tianyuan were meeting today. In the original timeline, they would have discussed Su Lian. Her beauty and supposed charm made her the more politically favorable choice in their eyes. But I knew the truth. An alliance with her was an alliance with a viper.
I would not allow it.
Without a moment's hesitation, I stormed out of my room, my sleeping robes swirling around me. I didn't care about decorum. I marched directly to my father's study, my mind set on one goal. The guards, surprised by my disheveled appearance and the determination radiating from me, did not try to stop me.
I pushed the doors open without knocking.
My father, Su Mingyan, sat at his desk, reviewing scrolls. He was a Peak Golden Core expert, a wise and pragmatic leader. He looked up, surprise on his face, quickly replaced by concern as he took in my expression.
"Meira? What is it? What happened?"
I walked to his desk and placed my hands flat on it, leaning forward. There was no time for subtlety. "Father," I said, my voice devoid of any plea. "You are meeting with Patriarch Chen today."
He blinked, surprised by my directness. "I am. We are discussing matters that are important to our families."
"I know," I replied. "You are discussing a marriage alliance. You are considering Su Lian."
My father's eyes narrowed. "How did you…"
"It doesn't matter how I know," I interrupted, my gaze steady. "What matters is that it's the wrong choice. Su Lian is not worthy of the Chen Family. She will bring us only ruin. I will not allow it."
"Meira," he began, a mix of concern and confusion in his voice. "Your sister…"
"I will be the bride," I declared, my words like stones. "Offer me. I want to marry Arya Chen."