Chapter 6 – Scar of Fate
1176 Words
It was three in the morning.
Outside, the snow had stopped. The whole city was covered in a thick white blanket. The world was so quiet that even breathing sounded too loud. A faint moonlight slipped through the window curtains, drawing a cold, silver line across the floor.
Su Wan woke suddenly. A sharp pain burned on her wrist.
Her eyes opened halfway, still heavy with sleep. She looked down — and froze.
There it was again.
The red mark.
Brighter than before, glowing faintly under her skin, like a flame hidden deep beneath the flesh, waiting to break free.
She reached out to touch it, but the moment her finger brushed the mark, pain shot through her arm.
Not normal pain — it felt like fire spreading through her veins.
Her heartbeat grew faster, her whole body trembling.
Fear rose from somewhere deep inside her.
This wasn’t just a leftover dream.
It felt real — like an old memory waking up inside her.
The sky outside was still dark, but a cold light began to creep through the window.
Everything looked strange, silent, and unreal.
Su Wan walked to the bathroom and turned on the tap.
Cold water rushed over her hands, numbing her fingers.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Her face was pale.
The red mark on her wrist looked almost alive, glowing faintly under the light.
It felt like a silent warning — something was coming.
She took a deep breath. “It’s just an illusion,” she whispered, trying to convince herself.
But even she didn’t believe her own words.
---
Morning came.
The hospital was already busy. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
From the hallway came the sounds of rolling wheels and quiet footsteps.
Shen Yu stood at the end of the corridor.
His white coat was perfectly straight, his eyes calm but tired — the kind of tiredness that came from too many sleepless nights.
When he saw Su Wan, his brows tightened slightly.
“You don’t look well,” he said quietly.
She forced a small smile. “Didn’t sleep much.”
His gaze dropped — and stopped on her wrist.
That red mark, bright under the sunlight, caught his attention instantly.
“What happened?” he asked, voice soft but serious.
Su Wan hesitated. “It’s nothing. Just a small scratch.”
“Can I see it?” His tone left no room for refusal.
She hesitated again, then slowly rolled up her sleeve.
The mark was clear — like a burn, but the skin was unbroken.
Faint red light shimmered under it.
Shen Yu frowned deeper. He lifted his hand as if to touch it, but stopped midway, pulling back at the last second.
“It looks like a burn,” he said quietly. “But there’s no wound.”
“I don’t know how it happened,” she said softly. “I… dreamt again last night. It felt real this time.”
He looked at her. “You dreamt again?”
She nodded slowly. “In the dream, I was sentenced to death. The emperor — Ning Yu — wanted to kill me. You were there… you stood in front of me.”
Shen Yu froze, his expression unreadable. “And then?”
“I said I didn’t want to die again. My silver needle started glowing… and then I woke up.” Her voice shook a little.
He fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes dark and thoughtful.
“Maybe this scar isn’t from your dream,” he said finally. “Maybe it’s your body remembering something.”
She stared at him. “The body can remember dreams?”
“Maybe dreams,” he said softly, “are not dreams at all. Maybe they’re memories from before… or warnings of what’s coming.”
---
By noon, the meeting room was filled.
Ning Yu arrived, dressed in black, his coat still dusted with snow.
He stood at the doorway, calm and cold — like an iceberg that carried its own storm.
His eyes went straight to Su Wan.
For a long moment, he didn’t look away.
There was something deep in his gaze — a mix of recognition and danger.
“Dr. Su,” he said evenly, “I’ll need you to personally oversee the project.”
“...Yes,” she replied softly, though her heart tightened for reasons she couldn’t explain.
“I trust you,” he added with a faint smile.
The smile was gentle — but it made her heart freeze.
It felt like there was something hidden behind it.
Beside them, Shen Yu watched quietly.
The air between the three of them grew heavy again — that same strange, familiar tension, as if the past was replaying itself in silence.
When the meeting ended, Su Wan walked out quickly. Her fingers trembled slightly under the table. Her heart was full of confusion — and fear.
---
The corridor was quiet.
Only the sound of distant footsteps echoed down the hall.
She stopped by the window, pressing a hand to her chest.
Her wrist began to burn again.
The mark glowed red, pulsing, the pain spreading through her arm like fire.
She gasped and crouched down, gripping her wrist tightly.
The silver needle slipped from her pocket and fell to the floor with a clear, ringing clink.
“Su Wan!”
Shen Yu’s voice came from behind, urgent and worried.
He rushed to her side and held her by the shoulders.
They were so close that she could feel his breath against her skin.
“Another dream?” he asked quietly, searching her face.
Su Wan bit her lip. Her eyes were wet.
“It’s changing,” she whispered. “This time, I could move. I could speak. I could… choose.”
His eyes darkened. “And what did you choose?”
Her voice trembled. “I chose to live.”
He froze, eyes softening for a second — a mix of surprise and pain flashing through them.
It was as if he had known she would say that, and yet hearing it still hurt.
---
That night, the city was silent again, wrapped in snow and moonlight.
In her small room, Su Wan sat at her desk.
The silver needle lay beside the lamp.
The light shimmered on its thin metal surface.
Then — it moved.
Just slightly.
A tiny tremble, like it was breathing.
Su Wan stared at it, her heartbeat speeding up.
Something deep inside her told her — it wasn’t over.
She reached out, her palm still warm from earlier, and gently touched the needle.
“Dreams aren’t repeating,” she whispered softly.
“They’re answering me.”
The silver needle trembled again — this time, stronger.
It was as if it understood her.
A small, brave smile appeared on her lips.
For the first time, she wasn’t afraid.
She knew — whatever waited ahead, she would face it.
Because this time, she had made her choice.
She had chosen to live.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD