PAIN...*
*EXTREME LACERATION...*
The kind of pain you expect after falling from a ten-story building.
"...Chemical reagent 5," Bai Fengxi groaned, cracking open her eyes.
The air was clean and fresh, scented with something floral and earthy. Her body felt weightless—almost unreal.
"Where... am... I...?" she muttered, her voice cracked, mind still foggy.
She looked around—and suddenly realized... she was falling again!
But this time, she was falling free, without gravity pulling her down.
A soft breeze brushed her hair and face like a mother's gentle touch.
Though she appeared to be falling from a cliff once more, this time, she refused to meet her earlier doom.
With her free hand, she reached out desperately—clinging to the underside of a tree branch jutting from the cliffside.
"Ah! Ah!" Bai Fengxi breathed heavily. Pain surged through her body, but she gripped the branch tightly.
Looking down, thick fog cloaked the bottom of the cliff, hiding whatever lay beneath.
As she hung there, voices echoed from above.
"Run! Why don't you just keep running?" a gruff voice barked.
"It's a dead end. Just give in quietly. Is that so hard?!" another sneered.
"Lady! You can't blame us. We're just doing a job."
"Really?!" Bai Fengxi scoffed silently. She had faced similar danger before—and now, once again, mercenaries aimed to eliminate someone for a price.
"Relay my message—They aren't worth it!" A cold, melodious voice said, likely belonging to the girl above.
"Hey!"
"You…!"
"Well…"
"What…?" Bai Fengxi looked up and saw a figure in white descending the cliff.
"She really jumped!" someone exclaimed.
As the figure neared her, Bai Fengxi reached out and grabbed her hand.
Now, Bai Fengxi hung by just one hand—like a desperate monkey clinging for life.
The sudden extra weight strained her body, forcing a painful grunt.
"Ugh… Ack!" The hand gripping the branch began to bleed.
"Let go. One of us has to survive," the girl whispered softly.
Bai Fengxi looked down—and froze.
Staring back at her was the girl's reflection.
"What...?!" Bai Fengxi gasped, jaw dropping, eyes wide with disbelief.
The woman she was holding had the *same face* as her—an identical twin, a doppelganger!
Before she could say a word, the branch beneath them *snapped* with a sharp crack.
Both plummeted into the swirling depths below.
"She'll never survive," came the last cruel whisper.
*KRUM!!!*
*SPLASH!!!*
---
---
"Really?" That was Bai Fengxi's last thought as icy water swallowed her, pulling her under with an unstoppable force.
Too weak to resist, she surrendered to the suffocating depths.
Water pressure built in her ears; the cold wrapped around her like a vice, squeezing the air from her lungs.
Then—a figure in white appeared, arms outstretched, cutting through the water.
As the figure drew closer, her face was revealed—the girl she had saved. The girl who wore her face.
Strong arms gripped Bai Fengxi tightly, propelling them upward toward the surface.
Breaking through the water's edge, Bai Fengxi gasped, lungs burning for air.
The girl pulled her onto land, laying her gently on the ground.
"Ack! … *Cough* … Ack!"
Bai Fengxi coughed violently, her chest heaving with every labored breath as she spat out water.
Each cough stabbed like a knife through her ribs, but she was alive—and that was all that mattered.
The girl—her doppelganger—leaned over, her face filled with genuine concern.
Bai Fengxi looked up weakly and managed a faint smile.
"Thank… you…"
Then her eyes fluttered shut as darkness took her once more.
The doppelganger stared down at the unconscious Bai Fengxi, dressed in strange clothes— a red long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and shoes meant for a laboratory. Her white lab coat was stained with mud, sand, and blood.
The girl sighed deeply, her eyes cold but conflicted.
"I'm only helping you because you helped me," she said quietly, "not because you look like me."
The doppelganger carefully untied the ropes binding Bai Fengxi's legs, her fingers nimble despite the tension. Spotting several large, sturdy leaves nearby, she had an idea.
Gathering thick vines and flexible branches, she wove them tightly together, creating a rough frame. Then, she layered the broad leaves across it, weaving more vines to secure the leaves firmly in place.
The result was a crude but sturdy stretcher—light enough to carry, yet strong enough to support Bai Fengxi's injured body.
With steady hands, the doppelganger gently lifted Bai Fengxi onto the makeshift bed and began pulling her toward the safety of a nearby cave.
Luckily , she was able to find a small cave near the edge of the dense, deadly forest. It wasn't deep, but it was sheltered—tucked behind thick vines and mossy stone. After gently placing Bai Fengxi inside, the girl didn't waste a moment.
She dashed out into the dark woods, carefully navigating the undergrowth until she reached a shallow stream. With her hands trembling slightly, she fashioned makeshift containers—large leaves folded tightly, and bowl-shaped stones polished by the water's current.
Returning quickly, she set to work.
With quick, deliberate movements, she stripped the mud- and blood-soaked lab coat from Bai Fengxi's body, then removed the rest of the clothes to prevent infection. The sight of so many bruises and lacerations made her jaw tighten, but she didn't hesitate.
Using the cold stream water, she began cleaning each wound carefully. Every wipe revealed more damage—scraped skin, deep gashes, twisted bruises. She worked in silence, only the crackling of wind and distant animal cries breaking the stillness.
She had been lucky to find herbs nearby—ones known only in texts and village tales. A few slivers of ginseng root. Bitter fever-leaf. Blood-seal moss for external wounds.
She crushed the herbs between stones, mixing them with water, then heated them by placing the stone bowl over a small flame made from dried leaves and bark.
The scent of medicine filled the cave—earthy, sharp, and strangely comforting. She applied the salves to the wounds, then held the bitter brew to Bai Fengxi's lips, coaxing drops into her mouth. She tore the shirt into stripes, and used it to bandage the wounds.
Finally, she removed her own outer white robe and used it to cover Bai Fengxi's fragile, trembling body.
It was deep into the night. Bai Fengxi's fever burned like wildfire—her skin scorching, her body restless.
The girl didn't sleep. She sat beside her, one hand checking her pulse, the other wringing out cool cloths.
Only when the first rays of morning light crept through the leaves—and Bai Fengxi's breathing softened—did the fever finally break.
Still, the girl stayed awake, watching her with unreadable eyes.