**Chapter One**
After humanity broke the speed of light and entered the Great Leap Era of deep-space colonization, the Milky Way became a battleground for power and resources. To survive in the vast expanse of space, the ancestors of humanity forged an agreement with the galaxy's original inhabitants, establishing the Star Federation. The natives, in turn, formed their own Empire. The Federation and the Empire now controlled the major space lanes, while five great families monopolized wormhole jump technology. The fringe star systems became lawless zones. In this sea of stars, legend and technology intertwined; ancient alien relics lay hidden within dangerous, high-risk star systems, and extraterrestrial insectoids lurked in the shadows, watching. For nearly a century, humanity had been at war with these insectoids, fighting to protect the ancient civilizations…
Over these hundred years of conflict, humans evolved and adapted to the harsh environment of deep space. Genetic mutations gave rise to Guides and Sentinels. They were no longer rare existences hidden from the world but became key strategic forces maintaining interstellar colonization and exploration.
Sentinels possessed extreme sensory perception and combat abilities. Yet, this very power was also their fatal weakness. Without training or when emotionally overwhelmed, Sentinels could collapse into a frenzied state due to sensory overload. In these moments, they needed the soothing presence of a Guide. Guides had the ability to calm the agitated senses of Sentinels, and could erect mental barriers to protect themselves and help filter out chaotic sensory information.
However, after a century of war, Guides—whose physical constitutions were not as robust as those of Sentinels—grew increasingly scarce. With Sentinels multiplying in number and Guides dwindling, many Guides were forced to soothe multiple Sentinels alone. Some extreme Sentinels even abducted Guides, forcing mental bonds upon them. This led to a high mortality rate among Guides, and their numbers plummeted. Guides became increasingly precious, while Sentinels were treated as expendable commodities.
**New Era 205, L Star System – A Junkyard Planet**
Amid a heap of interstellar garbage, a figure was busily searching for something.
"Ah~ found another energy stone! I can trade this for two bottles of mental stabilizers tomorrow." The voice belonged to a gaunt figure with long, ink-black hair that curled weakly due to malnutrition, giving her a disheveled appearance. Yet, her amber, glass-like eyes shimmered with a hint of joy before dimming again as she lost herself in thought. "Grandma's illness…"
A clear, youthful voice interrupted her contemplation. "Jia Yue, time to go back! I've already traded for some Pig-Beast meat!" Lin Mo Xi waved her small hand.
"Coming~ Sis Xi!" Shen Jia Yue(Moon) brushed the dust off her hands and wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve. She carefully stored the small energy stone she had found in her system space before walking over to Lin Mo Xi.
Lin Mo Xi gently patted her head. "You've been scavenging again? That garbage mountain is full of radioactive elements. You shouldn't play there so often. Be good, Yue Yue~" Shen Jia Yue nodded obediently, though inwardly she thought, "That's all points! I need to earn more points to help Grandma get better."
**I am Shen Jia Yue, a reincarnator. Yes, you heard right…**
*Flashback*
"Shen Jia Yue! You fool. Only an idiot like you would treat me as your best friend. I just didn't want you returning to the Shen family and taking everything I have. As long as you don't exist, Shen jia heng will have only me as his sister. Even though they still see you as their precious daughter in their hearts, soon enough, that won't be the case anymore."
Ya Er stood by the hospital bed, looking at my withering body—weakened by a shattered mental core, I resembled a living mummy. Her eyes were filled with malice and pleasure. Ya Er was the illegitimate daughter of the house of Andreas.an A-class Guide from the Fifth Military Academy, and once my sister. She had been adopted by the Shen family in the imperial capital as a child.
Four years ago, I tested as an S-class Guide and enrolled in the Fifth Military Academy, where I met Ya Er. At first, we were close friends. Not long after, Jia Heng shen found me and claimed I was the youngest daughter of the Shen family, his sister. I didn't believe it at first, but a genetic test confirmed it, and I was recognized and brought back to the Shen family.
After returning, Ya Er constantly filled my head with doubts, making me believe my family didn't truly love me. Misled by her, I joined the Fifth Military Corps after graduation. Because we were "close friends," I helped her whenever she asked. But all along, she had been poisoning me slowly.
Her reason? She had seen the jade pendant I wore and realized I was the daughter the Shen family had lost years ago. Fearful of being cast out, she pretended to befriend me and began poisoning me.
While treating a frenzied Sentinel in the military, I was injured, and the poison in my body seized the opportunity to attack my mental core. Even as my mental entity struggled to repair the damage, it was futile. In the end, my mental entity succumbed to the poison and died. My body withered away as I lay in the hospital, waiting for death.
"You…" I trembled, unable to speak, my heart aching as if sliced open.
"Just wait here to die, my dear sister. I will forever be the young lady of the Shen family—no, I'm about to become the crown princess of the Empire. I don't need the Shen family anymore. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—your fiancé, Tyrus, is with me now. You fool, he never loved you. He's been mine from the start. We played you all along. Ha-ha, how could you be so stupid? And you call yourself an S-class Guide?"
"Your eldest brother is still searching for a way to save you, even though I've already stolen the core technology from his company and handed it over to theAndreas family . He has no idea the Shenfamily is on the verge of collapse. The core technology now belongs to the You family, and we intend to keep it. Soon, your family will be joining you, Yue."
With a smile and a voice full of delight, Ya Er walked out of the room.
In that moment, I hated myself for my naivety. I hated myself for bringing ruin upon the Shen family. If only I had seen through Ya Er's schemes earlier. If only I had noticed the strange atmosphere between her and Tyrus. No—I had noticed, but I trusted her too much.
Tears streamed down my face as I drowned in regret and hatred. Unnoticed by me, the jade pendant beside my pillow began to glow, resonating with my intense mental fluctuations.
After You Ya Er's visit, my condition deteriorated rapidly. One day, I saw on the interstellar news broadcast that the Shen family was in crisis: my mother had fallen ill and was hospitalized, my father had been arrested on false charges of forging military equipment, and my brother's company was on the verge of bankruptcy due to capital chain rupture. Meanwhile, the You family was thriving.
Overwhelmed with self-blame and rage, I wished I could break free and kill You Ya Er myself. Suddenly, a searing pain pierced my heart as if a sword had run me through. I vomited blood, my eyes turning bloodshot and bulging as if they would pop out. It was a sign of mental collapse. The emergency light on my bed flashed, and medical personnel rushed in. Soon, everything went dark…
"If I could start over, I would protect everything I care about." A tear trailed down Shen Jia Yue's pale cheek and fell onto the jade pendant beside her pillow.