The night was unusually cold.
A biting wind swept across the village, rattling loose wooden shutters and sending dry leaves skittering through the empty streets.
Inside the Lu family home, Kelly sat alone.
The children were asleep.
Or at least they appeared to be.
The glowing map she had seen inside the space kept replaying in her mind.
A military district.
A red point.
A hidden clue.
And most importantly—
someone else was searching for her.
Kelly lowered her gaze to the jade pendant resting in her palm.
Under the dim light, it looked ordinary.
Just a simple piece of jade.
Yet it had changed her fate.
Given her the space.
Connected her to a mystery stretching back years before her birth.
"What are you hiding?" she whispered.
The pendant remained silent.
But somehow, Kelly felt that she was getting closer to the truth.
Much closer than she realized.
---
The following morning, the village was buzzing with activity.
The New Year was approaching.
Villagers were busy cleaning homes, preparing food, and exchanging greetings.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Kelly felt something close to peace.
She was cooking breakfast when Lu Chuan suddenly appeared beside her.
The little boy rubbed his sleepy eyes.
"Stepmother..."
Kelly smiled.
"You're awake?"
Lu Chuan nodded.
Then his gaze drifted toward the pot.
"Does breakfast have eggs?"
Kelly laughed.
"Yes."
The little boy's eyes immediately lit up.
Seeing his reaction, Kelly couldn't help but smile.
Children were easy to satisfy.
A warm meal.
A little kindness.
A sense of security.
Things she herself had never truly possessed in either life.
Soon, Lu Cheng and Lu Tuan joined them.
The atmosphere around the table felt different now.
Not perfect.
Not completely healed.
But warmer.
The fear in their eyes had faded little by little.
And every day, they trusted her a bit more.
Kelly treasured that trust.
Because she knew how fragile it was.
---
After breakfast, she headed toward the village supply station.
She needed a few necessities before the New Year.
As she walked through the village, people greeted her.
Something that would have been impossible only weeks ago.
"Kelly!"
"Going shopping?"
"Take care on the road!"
Kelly politely returned the greetings.
But inwardly she remained alert.
The female lead had become strangely quiet recently.
Too quiet.
And that worried her more than open hostility.
Suddenly—
a familiar system notification appeared.
[WARNING]
[ABNORMAL FATE FLUCTUATION DETECTED]
Kelly's footsteps halted.
Her eyes narrowed.
Abnormal fluctuation?
Before she could investigate further—
a loud scream erupted from nearby.
"Help!"
The scream belonged to a child.
Kelly reacted instantly.
She ran toward the sound.
Several villagers had already gathered.
In the center stood a crying boy.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
His mother looked frantic.
"What happened?"
Kelly asked.
The villagers quickly explained.
The child had fallen while climbing a tree.
The wound looked frightening.
Many villagers panicked.
Medical resources were scarce.
Even a simple injury could become dangerous.
Kelly crouched down beside him.
Fortunately, her space contained basic medical supplies.
Items she had stored long ago.
After making sure nobody was paying attention, she secretly retrieved disinfectant and bandages.
The villagers watched nervously.
A few minutes later, the wound was properly treated.
The bleeding stopped.
The crying child gradually calmed down.
His mother burst into tears.
"Thank you, Kelly."
Several villagers nodded in agreement.
Their opinions of her improved further.
Kelly accepted their gratitude politely.
But the system warning still lingered in her mind.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
---
That evening, snow began to fall.
Tiny white flakes drifted from the dark sky.
The children gathered near the window excitedly.
"Snow!"
Lu Chuan practically bounced in place.
Kelly laughed softly.
The sight warmed her heart.
For a while, everything felt normal.
Almost too normal.
Then—
a knock sounded at the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The room instantly fell silent.
Kelly frowned.
Visitors this late at night were unusual.
Especially during snowfall.
She walked toward the door cautiously.
The system suddenly erupted.
[WARNING]
[HIGH-LEVEL FATE CHARACTER DETECTED]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN]
Kelly's heartbeat accelerated.
High-level fate character?
Who?
Slowly, she opened the door.
A figure stood outside.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dressed in a military coat.
Snow covered his boots.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then the man slowly raised his gaze.
His eyes landed on Kelly.
And froze.
The expression on his face changed instantly.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And something else.
Something far deeper.
Kelly had never seen this man before.
Yet the way he looked at her made her uneasy.
As though he had been searching for her.
For a very long time.
Finally, he spoke.
His voice was hoarse.
"May I ask..."
He paused.
His eyes drifted toward the jade pendant hanging around Kelly's neck.
The color drained from his face.
Then he whispered:
"Where did you get that pendant?"
Kelly's heart skipped a beat.
The jade pendant.
Again.
Everyone seemed connected to it.
The system exploded inside her mind.
[CRITICAL EVENT DETECTED]
[MAIN STORYLINE ADVANCEMENT]
[QUEST PROGRESS: 10%]
The military man's hands trembled.
He reached into his coat.
Instantly, Kelly became alert.
The children moved closer behind her.
But instead of a weapon—
he pulled out an old photograph.
A faded photograph.
Worn from years of handling.
Kelly stared at it.
Then froze.
The photograph showed a baby.
Wrapped in a blanket.
Wearing a jade pendant.
The exact same jade pendant.
The world seemed to stop.
Snow continued falling.
The wind howled.
Yet Kelly could hear nothing.
The man's voice trembled.
"Who are you?"
At that exact moment—
another voice rang out from behind him.
Cold.
Calm.
Dangerous.
"I was wondering the same thing."
Kelly's pupils contracted.
Standing beneath the falling snow—
was the reborn female lead.
Smiling.
Watching.
Waiting.
And for the first time—
there was no warmth in her eyes.
Only certainty.
As if she had finally reached the answer she had been seeking.
The system flashed wildly.
[WARNING]
[MULTIPLE SCRIPT HOLDERS PRESENT]
[COLLISION EVENT INITIATED]
[THE THIEF'S CHOSEN PIECE HAS MADE ITS MOVE]
The female lead looked directly at Kelly.
Then at the photograph.
Then at the jade pendant.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"You found her."
The military man's expression changed dramatically.
Kelly's blood ran cold.
Because the female lead's next words shattered everything.
"Unfortunately..."
The woman took a step forward.
"...she was never supposed to survive."
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted somewhere in the darkness beyond the village.
The ground shook violently.
Children screamed.
Villagers rushed outside their homes.
And the system issued its most terrifying notification yet.
[EMERGENCY ALERT]
[WORLD CORRECTION DESCENDING]
[HOST'S TRUE IDENTITY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED]
[DELETION PROTOCOL ACTIVATING]
Kelly's face went pale.
The female lead smiled.
The military man turned in shock.
The jade pendant blazed with emerald light.
And above the village—
the sky cracked.