Chapter 1: The Frame That Stole Time

At twenty-one, Mi Na had always been obsessed with ancient history. While others her age scrolled through social media, she spent her nights reading about lost dynasties, forgotten generals, and ruined palaces swallowed by time.

That morning, excitement buzzed in her chest as she hurried toward the city’s newest attraction—the newly opened Ancient Relics Museum.

As she walked, she sent a voice note to her best friend.

“I’m going to that new museum everyone’s talking about. You know me—I can’t miss anything historical.”

The building stood tall and silent, wrapped in glass and shadow. Inside, the air felt… different. Old. Heavy. Like the past itself was breathing.

Mi Na wandered through rows of artifacts until one frame stopped her.

It was a large, ancient photograph—black and white—showing a young general in traditional armor, standing beneath a torn banner. His eyes were sharp. Fearless. Alive.

The moment Mi Na stepped closer, the frame shimmered.

The lights flickered.

Her heart skipped.

Then the photograph moved.

The general’s eyes shifted.

Before she could scream, a powerful force yanked her forward.

The world twisted.

The museum vanished.

And Mi Na was pulled straight into the frame.

Darkness swallowed her.

A voice echoed in her mind—cold, calm, and not human.

“System activation complete.”

“Welcome, Player. You have entered the timeline.”

Mi Na gasped for breath.

“Your guide: Tiān Jī System.”

“Mission one: Survive.”

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Mi Na’s body slammed onto cold, hard ground.

The air was thick with the scent of earth and smoke. Her lungs burned as she sucked in a sharp breath, coughing. When she opened her eyes, the world was no longer glass and lights and polished floors.

It was… ancient.

Wooden buildings lined a narrow street. Red lanterns swayed above her. People in long robes froze mid-step, staring at her like she had fallen from the sky.

Because she had.

Her heart pounded wildly.

Where am I? What just happened?

“Warning,” the voice returned in her mind.

“You have entered an unstable timeline.”

“Host identity loading…”

A sharp pain shot through her head.

Images flooded her mind—another life, another name.

“New identity confirmed.”

“You are now: Lin Yue Xin.”

Mi Na—no, Yue Xin—staggered to her feet, her hands trembling.

People were whispering now.

“Who is she?”

“Her clothes are strange…”

“Is she a spy?”

Panic rose in her chest.

“Mission Update,” the Tiān Jī System said calmly.

“Blend in. Do not reveal your origin.”

“Primary Objective: Reach the General.”

Her breath caught.

The General?

Before she could ask anything, heavy footsteps echoed down the street.

The crowd suddenly parted.

Soldiers.

And at their center…

A man in dark armor, his presence sharp enough to cut the air.

His eyes locked onto her.

Cold. Ruthless. Unmistakably dangerous.

The Tiān Jī System whispered:

“Target located.”

“General Zhen Wu.”

And in that moment, Lin Yue Xin knew—

Her fate had just collided with the most feared man in the dynasty.

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