Chapter 1 – A New Beginning

The rain had been falling since dawn.

Tiny droplets clung to the leaves of the banyan trees, while a thin layer of mist covered the winding mountain paths. The river that flowed beside Qinghe Village was usually calm and gentle, but after three days of rain, its clear waters had turned dark and swift.

Few villagers dared to go near it.

Yet, on the slippery riverbank, a young girl knelt beside the water, carefully reaching for a cluster of medicinal herbs growing between the rocks.

Her name was Anaya.

She was eighteen years old and lived with her elderly grandmother in the poorest house in the village. Every morning before sunrise, she climbed the mountains or searched along the river for herbs to sell in the market. It wasn't much, but it was enough to buy rice and oil.

"Just one more bundle," she whispered to herself. "Grandmother's cough has been getting worse."

She stretched her hand toward the last plant.

Her fingers touched the leaves.

Then—

The moss-covered stone beneath her foot shifted.

Her eyes widened.

"No—!"

Her body slipped forward.

The roaring river swallowed her before she could scream.

Cold water rushed into her nose and lungs. She struggled wildly, but the current was far stronger than she was.

Within moments, everything faded into darkness.

...

Far away, in another world, another Anaya closed her eyes for what she believed would be the last time.

She had spent years chasing success in the city. Every day was the same—work, eat, sleep, repeat. There was never enough time to rest, never enough time to visit her parents, never enough time to simply live.

The last thing she remembered was collapsing after days without proper sleep.

She had expected darkness.

Instead, she felt icy water surrounding her.

Her eyes flew open.

'Water...?'

Her chest burned.

She couldn't breathe.

She tried to move, but her body refused to obey.

The river pulled her deeper.

Panic spread through her.

'What's happening?'

'Didn't I... die?'

Just as her consciousness began slipping away, a shadow plunged into the water.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist.

The stranger kicked against the current with practiced strength, fighting the river inch by inch until they finally reached the shore.

Anaya coughed violently, water pouring from her mouth as fresh air filled her lungs.

She lay on the muddy riverbank, gasping.

The sound of worried voices surrounded her.

"Is she alive?"

"She opened her eyes!"

"Thank goodness Arjun found her in time."

Arjun?

Slowly, she forced herself to look up.

A young man was kneeling beside her.

His dark hair was dripping wet, and his simple linen clothes clung to his broad shoulders. His hands were rough, marked with old scars from years of hunting and chopping wood. His breathing was heavy, but his calm expression never changed.

"Can you hear me?" he asked quietly.

His voice was deep but gentle.

Anaya stared at him blankly.

This wasn't a hospital.

There were no ambulances.

No concrete roads.

Only wooden carts, thatched-roof houses in the distance, and villagers dressed in plain homespun clothing.

'Where am I...?'

A sudden pain exploded inside her head.

Fragments of memories that weren't hers flooded her mind...

A little girl gathering herbs.

An elderly grandmother smiling despite illness.

Long winters.

Empty rice jars.

A life of hardship.

And finally—

The moment of slipping into the river.

Anaya froze.

She understood.

The girl whose body she now occupied had died.

And somehow...

She had awakened in her place.

As the realization settled over her, the village elder stepped forward with a troubled expression.

He looked from the drenched hunter to the young woman lying beside him.

A heavy silence fell over everyone.

Finally, the elder sighed.

"According to our village's customs," he said, "an unmarried man who carries an unmarried woman in his arms before the entire village must take responsibility."

He turned toward Arjun.

"You two will have to marry."

Anaya's heart skipped a beat.

She had survived death...

Only to wake up in another era—and be told she was about to marry a complete stranger.

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