When she finally stirred, her long eyelashes fluttered open and she found herself lying down on a nice warm bed in a luxuriously decorated room.
A white-haired old man was sitting by her bed and when he saw that she had awoken, his whole face lit up and exclaimed:" Silly girl, you finally woke up! Don't scare your Grandfather!"
"Grandfather..." she whispered hoarsely, though the word felt both foreign and achingly familiar on her tongue.
The old man's eyes widened, pain and relief colliding as he pulled her against him.
"You're safe now, Erysimum. No matter what they say... no matter what the world believes... you are my granddaughter. And I will not lose you."
Her body broke into sobs , weak, breathless, but real. For the first time in two lifetimes, someone held her not as a tool, not as trash, but as family.
And in that fragile embrace, the spark within her chest stirred once more.
For though fate had scorned her twice, she would rise.
Even in ashes, a flame can be reborn.
The room was dim, lit only by the faint flicker of a lantern. Erysimum lay propped against soft pillows, her body wrapped in clean bandages. Her skin still ached from bruises, but compared to the torment of hours before, this was a paradise.
Her grandfather had been at her bedside when she first stirred, his stern face softened with relief as he urged her to rest. He had fussed over her like a man terrified of losing what little family remained. Her uncle too had checked on her before finally retiring, though his eyes burned with quiet fury at whoever had harmed her.
Now, the estate was silent. Only the night wind sighed against the windows.
Erysimum turned her head slightly, her gaze falling to the object resting against her chest. A pendant.
It was plain at first glance: a silver chain with a gem set in its center. But what unsettled her was its appearance, it was the fact that it had belonged to her before in her past life. This necklace was hers, she had gotten it in a vintage jewelry store.
Her brows furrowed. With slow, careful fingers, she lifted it, intending to clean off the dried blood that clung to its surface.
The moment she wiped it with the corner of her sleeve, the gem pulsed faintly.
A soft light glowed within.
Erysimum froze, her heart leaping into her throat. Then, before her eyes, the blood she had tried to wipe away was... absorbed. Not dissolved, not smeared. Drawn into the gem, as though it drank life itself.
Her mouth went dry. "What..."
The pendant vibrated once. Then light exploded from its core, wrapping around her body like a cocoon. The world spun, her vision blurred, and her cry was swallowed by silence.
____
When she opened her eyes again, the bed was gone.
Instead, she stood beneath a sky that shimmered with unfamiliar stars. A cool breeze brushed her cheeks, carrying the fragrance of earth and herbs. Her feet sank into soft grass, and before her stretched a sight so vast, so unreal, that for a moment she forgot how to breathe.
Fields. Endless fields of green, rows upon rows of medicinal plants swaying gently as though bowing in greeting.
Erysimum staggered forward, her hands brushing against the leaves. Her medical training from her past life flared to life at once, she recognized the herbs immediately. Ginseng, astragalus, lingzhi... each one rare, priceless, and thriving here in abundance.
"This... this can't be real," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Yet it was. The pulse of life from the plants was undeniable.
Ahead, a crystal stream cut through the fields, its waters sparkling like liquid jade. It glowed faintly under the starlight, a purity that whispered of healing and cleansing.
Her body ached, the bandages beneath her clothes stiff with blood. She hesitated only a moment before kneeling by the stream. She cupped her hands, lifted a palmful of water, and took a sip.
The effect was immediate, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation rising from her stomach. Clearly visible to the naked eye, a stinky black grease spilled forth from her entire body.
Erysimum was greatly shocked. Such a change lasted for a few minutes, resulting in erysimum entire being covered by the dirty black grease. Her body issued a nausea inducing stench.
However, where she had originally felt pain and weakness of the internal organs, on the contrary, she now felt relaxed. A soothing warmth spread through her body, chasing away the deep ache in her bones. The burning pain in her ribs eased. Even her shallow cuts tingled faintly, as if knitting themselves back together.
Erysimum quickly stripped and, using the spirit spring water, she washed away the filth on her body and clothes.
"This... this water heals..." she whispered, stunned. Could it be that not only got this space but even a spirit spring water. Like in a legend, the spirit water would not only heal injuries, it would now even remove impurities within the body?! Erysimum was overjoyed at this turn of events.
The cool water wrapped around her battered body, carrying with it a warmth that seeped deep into her flesh. The pain melted away as though it had never existed. Her skin, once marred with bruises and blood, smoothed beneath the caress of the water.
She closed her eyes, sinking until the water lapped at her shoulders. Relief swept over her. For the first time since her death, since her transmigration, she felt... safe.
When she finally emerged, her reflection in the shimmering stream startled her. Though pale and fragile still, her skin glowed faintly, and her wounds were almost completely gone.
The ripple in the clear spring water reflected the little girl's tender and snow white skin. A pair of ink like phoenix eyes slowly opened, they were not charming and flirtatious, rather they were like the darkness under the starry sky. A vast, resplendent expanse.
The red lips were no longer chapped and cracked, instead they were like peach blossom petals, glossy and delicate. The upper lip was slightly raised, as if in silent invitation.
Erysimum touched her face in shock, the spring water reflecting the little girl also touching her face. Two long, delicately curved, shapely eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. Like a budding flower that attracted tender affection
"This is a miracle..." she breathed, her voice unsteady. "No... it's more than that. This place is... divine."
Her gaze traveled again across the vast fields, the glowing stream, and the looming structure beyond. Something inside her whispered that the spring was only the beginning.
Driven by that thought, she crossed the bridge of stone leading to the building.
Rising like a guardian of this place, stood a grand structure. A story-building of pale stone veined with silver, its roof tiled in shimmering jade. It radiated both age and sanctity, as if it had stood here since the dawn of time.
Erysimum's heart pounded against her ribs. Her steps carried her forward, each one shaky but driven by a force beyond her control.
She pushed open the doors.