Chapter 2: A New Beginning

Ayame's eyes blinked open as a jolt of adrenaline coursed through her veins. She gasped, "I'm alive?" As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she realized that she was inside a building she had seen before. An eerie calm filled the air as a cold chill ran across her skin, but her eyes were ablaze with determination and fear.

The muffled sounds of people chattering filled the air. Ayame felt a sudden wave of nostalgia as she realized where she was: her high school. She was in her high school's auditorium!

Ayame stood up and looked around. Everything was the same as she remembered it from when she had graduated a century ago.

"What is going on?" she thought to herself.

"Is this time... leap? Have I returned to my childhood? It feels like such an eternity..." wondered Ayame to herself.

The principal stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. "Welcome, new students," he began in a booming voice that echoed throughout the auditorium.

"We are delighted you have chosen our school as your educational home for this coming year! We hope you will find it an enjoyable experience."

He paused, standing at the podium with a slight smile on his face, looking out at the crowd in front of him. His voice rang out as he began to speak, detailing the upcoming events such as sporting matches, club meetings, and dances that were available for students to take part in. His words were met with enthusiasm from the crowd as they eagerly listened to the possibilities of getting involved in the life of the school.

He encourages the students to have a balance between hard work and enjoyment, never letting either one overwhelm them. His advice is met with nodding heads and enthusiastic murmurs from the excited crowd.

His face projects optimism as he grins, and his eyes twinkle with enthusiasm as he encourages the students to make use of the amazing opportunity that awaits them. He speaks with confidence in his voice, and his words carry a sense of excitement, hope, and good wishes for the future of the students. He finishes by raising his hands in a gesture of wishing everyone luck, sending a warm feeling through the room and reminding everyone present of what a special chance they have been gifted with.

"Oh, and I almost forgot to announce, we will begin the cultivation course from this year onwards! Our school is one of the lucky five schools chosen by the cultivator bureau to teach students how to cultivate, and if you have the talent, you could become a part of the cultivator bureau as well."

Ayame's eyes widened in disbelief. She had never heard of this before, and her mind raced to comprehend what she had been told. With a slow realization, dread began to seep into her heart. "Cultivation and cultivator bureau," she whispered. She had no idea what this meant, but the words felt like a warning, an omen of an impending disaster.

She was intrigued, she thought she had time-leaped, but some parts felt like they didn't match her memories. Something was off.

Suddenly, the person on the stage called out a girl from the student's sitting area.

The girl rose from her chair and marched to the podium. She was nervous, but Ayame could tell she was faking it. Her eyes were too still for a person who was nervous. It was a look she had seen before, the hardened gaze of a soldier who knows the horrors of battle all too well.

The girl cleared her throat before beginning her speech.

"I'm so anxious while I stand in front of you all," said the girl on the stage, her left hand in front of her chest as if she was nervous and trying to soothe her nerves.

"But I'm so happy to have a chance to be here," The girl on the stage said as her eyes lit up with excitement.

She held out both hands dramatically.

"I've always wanted to learn and experience the art of cultivation with people the same age as me."

"Now, I've finally realized my dream!" The girl shyly said while smiling.

"UOHHHHHHHH!!!" The male students in the audience shouted in excitement.

Ayame tried to concentrate again on the girl on the stage and began to realize that her appearance wasn't right for this place. She knew she didn't have a schoolmate that looked like her. After all, she was stunningly beautiful. She a beautiful long blonde hair, blue eyes, a face like an angel who had fallen down from heaven, and a radiant smile that made people want to look at her... The way she dressed too, for example, her dress was very short and tight fitting.

The outfit wasn't even really that revealing or indecent (even though people would probably call it that)... In fact, it made her look innocent.

Ayame waited for the ceremony to end before turning towards the back of the auditorium and taking her first step out of reality. She walked slowly but steadily, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary.

After making it outside, she immediately noticed how bright the sun was. The sky was much different than compared to her old world.

The sky was a deep, vibrant blue with white puffy clouds drifting lazily by. The sun was shining brightly, making the air around the area sparkle and shine like thousands of tiny diamonds. The grass and trees surrounding her were a lush, vivid green, and the air had a fresh, earthy scent that reminded her of her home before she instigated the nuclear war.

"It looks just as it did decades ago," said Ayame to herself.

Ayame seethed with rage and disbelief. Her body shook with unspent energy as she realized that all of her hard work had been for naught. "How utterly absurd," she scoffed bitterly as a mocking laugh escaped her lips. Her fists clenched tight as she fought her urge to scream, the frustration starting to overwhelm her. In one swift moment, all of her efforts had been reduced to nothingness.

Ayame exited the campus and took in the sights of her neighborhood with newfound appreciation. The streets were winding and lined with tall trees that provided shade from the setting sun. The sidewalks were cracked and aged, but the homes around them were preserved and well-kept. The walls were painted in pleasant pastel colors, and the gardens were in bloom. Ayame felt a sense of nostalgia as she walked along the familiar roads that led her home.

She's almost at her house when a fierce gust of wind blasts through the street, sending debris from the street to soar up into the sky and pushing her off her feet onto the ground.

The wind skitters across the road, creating a howling sound that drowns out all other noise as it passes through.

The wind blows down trees and across a street light; the light flashes on and off as the wind churns it around.

A ceramic pot flies by and barely misses her head.

"...huh?!"

When Ayame tried to get back up, she saw what was in the sky.

A man with long white hair was sitting on a flying sword and was surrounded by a haze of glittering swords.

A second man with green hair was flying, accompanied by pieces of paper—long, thin bits of yellow parchment—fluttering like butterflies above him.

"Was I, no, am I in a parallel world...?" Ayame had finally realized what was wrong.

The two men were fighting in the sky. The man with white hair was attacking fiercely while the other defended himself using talismans and some kind of magic.

Ayame had never seen such a thing before. She wasn't scared, but she couldn't take her eyes off the fight in front of her.

The man with white hair who was accompanied by floating swords was Lin Feng, a notorious international criminal wanted by the Cultivator Bureau.

Lin Feng was losing the battle.

Each of his attacks was intercepted by the man with the talisman.

"Surrender, Lin Feng! The cultivator bureau will be here any moment now. There will be no escape for you. I have already reserved your seat in prison, you criminal!" The man with the talisman shouted.

More and more, his defenses fell short, and soon he was the one getting pushed back.

Their battle continued for what seemed like an eternity.

Suddenly, Lin Feng flew right into the other man and held his wrists.

Lin Feng raised his free hand with palms facing the heavens.

With a mighty roar, thick clouds churned and filled the sky.

The clouds spewed forth a pillar of fire, a great conflagration that couldn't be quenched by any means.

The pillar of fire was like an erupting volcano, and within was a man surrounded by talismans and spells.

The air was scorching, and the smell of burning flesh was all that could be smelled.

The talisman-wielding man died instantly while Lin Feng fell to the ground.

His swords disappeared like a mirage after he landed on the pavement.

He was severely burnt and bleeding profusely.

His clothes burned off, and his skin blistered and cracked open.

He slowly got back up, clutching himself tightly as blood dripped from every wound.

Ayame watched the fight with great interest until she turned around quickly, and a shadow passed over her head.

An old woman stood in the sky above Ayame, staring straight ahead without saying anything. The old woman took Lin Feng before disappearing into nothingness.

There wasn't much time left before the so-called cultivator bureau arrived, so Ayame ran home as fast as possible.

She didn't want to get implicated in whatever was going on.