Chapter 3 – First Breath of a New Self
Aurora lay still for a long time, afraid to even move.
The meadow smelled faintly of wildflowers, damp earth, and something sharp—like the lingering tang of starlight itself. Grass brushed against her fingers, cool and soft, grounding her in a reality that didn't feel real at all.
Slowly, she raised her hand.
It was small. Pale. Slender. The calluses from years of hard work and struggle were gone. Her palm was unblemished, delicate, as if she had never lifted a burden in her life.
She turned it in front of her eyes, trembling. This… is me?
The faint glimmer of silver trailed down her arm, veins pulsing like liquid moonlight just beneath her skin before fading. The System's seal was thorough—every fragment of divinity suppressed, leaving only fleeting traces.
Aurora sat up, her long hair spilling forward like a cascade of white silk. It slipped between her fingers when she touched it, impossibly soft. She froze when she caught her reflection in the pool of water nearby.
The girl staring back at her was breathtaking—features too refined, eyes shimmering with specks of galaxies, a beauty both fragile and untouchable.
She stumbled back, clutching her chest.
"That's… that's not me. I'm… I was—Ren. I was just—"
Her voice cracked. Higher, gentler. Even her voice wasn't her own anymore.
A pang of grief stabbed her heart. She had been betrayed, broken, killed—and now, even her identity was gone.
And yet…
When the wind blew, lifting the strands of her hair under the twilight sky, Aurora felt something stir. Something she hadn't felt in years.
Possibility.
For once, no bullies, no betrayals, no failures haunted her. She wasn't the man who had lost everything. She was… someone new.
But before she could settle into that thought, the crystalline voice of the System echoed softly in her mind.
[System Online.]
[Identity: Aurora – Vessel of the Sealed Bloodline.]
[Primary Bloodline: Cosmos – Light / Dark.]
[Warning: Dark aspect sealed. Overuse may result in soul corrosion.]
[Mission One: Survive and adapt.]
The meadow darkened slightly as if the world itself was holding its breath. Aurora felt the weight of unseen eyes—perhaps fate, perhaps gods—resting upon her fragile form.
Her lips curved into a bitter, shaky smile. "So… this is my second life. Survive, huh? That doesn't sound so hard. I've been surviving all my life."
But in her chest, she knew this was no ordinary survival. Something vast and cruel had set its gaze on her.
She hugged her knees close, resting her chin on them as the twilight deepened. For a brief, fragile moment, Aurora allowed herself to grieve, to wonder what her little sister would think if she saw her now.
And then, in the distance, a shadow stirred in the meadow's edge.
A presence. Watching.
Aurora's heart leapt into her throat.
Her story in this world was about to begin.