Suddenly, adrenaline surged through her veins, and once again, she found herself gasping for air.
(gasp followed by a cough)
It felt as though an eternity had passed as everything began to take shape around her. Raina could feel warmth spreading through her body, a stark contrast to the cold that had enveloped her moments before.
"Are you okay?" called a voice from nearby.
With great effort, Raina lifted her heavy eyelids, revealing a blurry figure standing before her.
"Can you hear me? Brother! She's awake!" the figure exclaimed.
As Raina rubbed her eyes to regain her focus, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice still shaky.
The figure introduced herself as Ah Xiao.
With a slow, deliberate movement, Raina sat up and surveyed the strange yurts surrounding her. "Where am I?" she inquired.
Ah Xiao, eager to assist, responded as she guided Raina through the yurts, "This is our campground!"
"Campground? I see…" Raina paused, contemplating her next question. "Um, do you know how to drive?"
Ah Xiao tilted her head in confusion. "Dri-drive? What do you mean?"
"Do you have a car, or can you at least point me toward the road?" Raina repeated, her annoyance creeping into her tone.
Ah Xiao fumbled with her fingers, clearly perplexed. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
"How about a phone?" Raina pressed, desperation creeping into her voice.
Silence fell between them as Ah Xiao stared blankly, clearly confused.
With a resigned sigh, Raina pushed past her and stepped outside the yurt.
"Wait! You're still sick! You need to rest more before going out!" Ah Xiao called after her.
Raina looked around, taking in the sight of yurts clustered together, making her feel as though she had stumbled into a nomadic tribe.
Still clad in her sleeping attire, Raina stepped out into the snow-covered ground.
At that moment, someone draped a fur coat over her shoulders. It was the stranger from before—the one who had saved her.
Raina grasped the stranger's hand urgently. "Excuse me, could you please take me home or to the nearest police station? I need to find my sister."
"Brother!" Ah Xiao shouted from behind them.
Both Raina and the stranger turned to look at her.
"I tried to stop her!" Ah Xiao insisted, her voice filled with concern.
Raina interrupted, "Listen, I can't stay here. I have to get back. My sister is out there somewhere, and I need to find her."
"You mean back to the hut? I thought you lived alone; I didn't see anyone there… that's why I brought you along," the stranger remarked.
Raina shook her head vehemently. "No, I mean City Z. I have to go back! Please!"
Confusion spread across Ah Xiao and her brother's faces as they exchanged glances.
Raina sighed, frustration evident in her voice. "Okay, can you at least tell me where I am?"
"This is the Fuzhuan campground," Ah Xiao chimed in.
Raina's brow furrowed. "I mean what city or country?"
Ah Xiao looked at her brother, then asked, "What country? Do you mean what empire?"
Her brother replied, "This is the Dong'Yuu empire."
Raina's jaw dropped in disbelief. What were these people talking about? She had never heard of such an empire. Were they playing a joke on her?
As Ah Xiao's brother stepped closer, Raina instinctively backed away.
"What's wrong with her, Ah Xiao?" he asked, concerned in his voice.
Ah Xiao scratched her head, contemplating the situation. "She's probably traumatized from the drowning. Perhaps she's experiencing memory loss."
Her brother nodded slowly. "I see."
Raina quickly interjected, "Listen here, Mr. Whoever you are, this isn't funny—"
"Wu Fu Hao. My name is Wu Fu Hao," he cut in.
Raina paused for a moment, then continued, "I don't care what your name is; I just need to get back, and for that, I need a car."
Fu Hao and Ah Xiao stood there, utterly bewildered.
Frustrated, Raina turned abruptly toward the forest. Fu Hao attempted to stop her, but she was resolute, breaking free with a swift kick and shove.
Ah Xiao helped her brother to his feet as they both watched Raina's figure gradually vanish into the snow-covered forest.
Just days prior, Fu Hao's group had been attacked, and he had sustained injuries during the skirmish. Fortunately, they managed to fend off their attackers and were on their way home. They decided to camp near the Huiyang town before returning, and it was there that Fu Hao encountered Ziyi.
"Brother," Ah Xiao said, a hint of worry lacing her voice.
Fu Hao shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
One of Fu Hao's subordinates approached quickly. "Young master! Are you alright?"
The subordinate helped his master to his feet and was about to take off after Ziyi when Fu Hao swiftly stopped him.
"Maybe it's best we let her go," Fu Hao suggested.
"But brother, she's sick," Ah Xiao interjected urgently. "I'm afraid she might collapse. Even if she makes it to town, she might go crazy—she's lost her memories, after all."
After a moment of contemplation, Fu Hao commanded, "Chai Mu, gather two more people. We're going to the town."
"What about me, brother?" Ah Xiao asked.
Fu Hao mounted his horse. "You stay here and take care of the rest."
"But—" Ah Xiao began, but her brother was already riding away.
---
**Jingzhou Town**
After what felt like an eternity, Raina finally arrived in the town. According to Ziyi's memories, this was a small settlement located east of the border.
Still grappling with the surreal nature of her situation, Raina dashed toward the town. To her astonishment, the people here were not dressed as one would expect. Adults donned ancient attire, and even the children were dressed in similarly antiquated fashion.
As Raina walked along the bustling road, she noticed people shouting and going about their business. Everyone seemed absorbed in their own activities, as if everything was perfectly normal and she was the only one out of place. The more she observed her surroundings, the more frustrated she became.
"Watch your step, miss!" a passerby warned her.
Another individual bumped into her. "What's wrong with you?"
Raina stumbled and fell to her knees. Why did everything feel so familiar yet so foreign? Why were Ziyi's memories so vivid and accurate, as if they truly belonged to her?
Was Raina Ziyi? Or was Ziyi Raina?
Suddenly, Raina sprang to her feet and approached a woman at a food stall. "Excuse me, can I borrow your phone?" she asked desperately.
The woman frowned at her. "If you're not going to buy anything, then move out of the way. I have customers to attend to!"
Raina was shoved aside, her gaze drifting over the bizarre scene before her. Perhaps she was still dreaming. But why did everything feel so real? She could feel the ache in her feet and a chill creeping through her body. Had she truly lost her mind?
Raina wandered through the town for several more hours before she found herself on the third floor of an ornate building. She looked down at the bustling activity below; everything felt so strange and alien. Was it possible she had been transmigrated? No, everything had happened too quickly. Perhaps this was merely a hallucination.
Raina stepped up to the wooden railing and looked down. Maybe if she jumped from this building, she would wake from this nightmare. As she slowly released her grip on the railing, ready to fall, someone suddenly grabbed her.
Both Raina and the stranger tumbled back onto the floor. "Miss, are you okay?!" the stranger exclaimed.
Raina's mind swirled with uncertainty—her heart raced, and her body felt hot with anxiety. What if she truly died and never woke up? Still struggling to comprehend her situation, Raina quickly stumbled to her feet.
Fu Hao and his men, who happened to be strolling down the street, witnessed the entire scene unfold. They rushed up to the building.
"Are you okay?" Fu Hao asked, enveloping Raina in his arms.
The stranger behind them inquired, "And who might you be?"
"She's one of my people. Thank you for saving her," Fu Hao replied, expressing his gratitude before ushering Raina away.
Once they arrived back at the camp, Fu Hao gently assisted Raina off the horse.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched across his features.
Raina nodded wearily.
Fu Hao noticed that Raina was barefoot and had sustained injuries from her frantic running. He quickly scooped her up and carried her toward his tent.
"I can walk by myself," Raina insisted, trying to regain her independence.
Fu Hao ignored her protest and carried her into the tent.
Inside, he began to wash and bandage Raina's injured feet.
"I never got the chance to ask you this, but what's your name?" Fu Hao inquired, placing the tray of medicine aside.
"Rai–Ziyi. My name is Feng Ziyi," she replied.
"You managed to find the town. Does that mean your memories are coming back?" Fu Hao asked, taking a seat beside her.
Ziyi shifted the topic. "You said your name was Wu Fu Hao?"
Fu Hao nodded. "Yes, but just call me Ah Fu."
"This is the Dong'Yuu empire?" Ziyi asked, her curiosity piqued.
Ah Fu nodded once more.
"Does this mean we're no longer on Earth, or are we still on Earth?" Ziyi pressed.
Ah Fu hesitated, unable to provide a definitive answer.
"What do you people call this world?" Ziyi continued, her questions flowing.
Ah Fu was puzzled by her inquiries but responded nonetheless, "We call this world the Zhuolu Continent."
Ziyi stammered, "What does that mean?"
"This is the Zhuolu Continent world. It is divided into three major empires—the Dong'Yuu empire, the Yong'An empire, and the Nong'Wei empire," Ah Fu explained.
Ziyi whispered, "Why does that sound oddly familiar?"
She looked back at Ah Fu, her gratitude evident. "Thank you for saving me once again. I promise I'll repay this favor."
Ah Fu rose to his feet. "No need for that. Just rest for now. We'll be returning to the Zhuolu Continent soon."
"Zhuolu Continent, is that where you were heading initially?" Ziyi asked, her interest piqued.
Ah Fu nodded. "Yes, so make sure to rest up. Tomorrow will be a challenging day."
"I'm going too?" Ziyi asked in confusion.
Ah Fu took a step toward the exit. "Unless you prefer to stay behind."
"No, no—I want to go," Ziyi replied eagerly.
Ah Fu then exited the tent, heading into his own.
Ziyi let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of her situation. "I will die if I stay here. Dammit, why must it be in such a coldplace? There's no way I'll survive without them… (she gazes up at the ceiling) Yelene, where are you? Are you alive or dead? (sobbing softly) Are you in the same situation as I am?"