Chapter 3: A New Life? No! (Two in One)

If it was truly 2032, that could explain the girl’s school uniform—a short skirt straight out of an anime.

Back in her day, boys and girls wore shapeless, baggy uniforms like flour sacks, covering everything.

Jiang Lingwei wanted to deny it, to scream that this was a new phantom demon’s trick.

But what if this was reality?

Wouldn’t she be carted off to a mental hospital right after leaving the ward?

Her mind swirled with chaotic thoughts and guesses, nearly paralyzing her ability to think.

Silently, she followed Dr. Xia down the corridor.

A female doctor and nurses took over, examining her thoroughly, especially for brain damage.

The process was tedious but bearable.

The results showed she was normal—healthier than average, even.

Throughout, Jiang Lingwei moved like a puppet, letting them guide her to stand, sit, and place her head in unfamiliar machines, marveling at the new era’s technology.

Her initial disbelief and daze faded.

Rationality crept back, bringing a sharp, piercing fear.

Were her vivid past memories just a middle-aged woman’s dream, a brain-crafted illusion?

Were those people, those events, all fake?

The thought was terrifying.

She had no one to ask.

She’d heard of people waking from long comas, some becoming artists, claiming to have “seen hell” and creating bizarre art.

But those stories came from her “unconscious” memories.

What if they were false too?

What was real?

What was fake?

Physically, she was fine, but the question gnawed at her, sparking a headache.

The more “real” the present felt, the more her past stung.

Jiang Yao, the girl claiming to be her daughter, stayed by her side, explaining things everyone in 2032 took for granted.

The clothes Jiang Lingwei wore were prepared years ago, replaced annually with new styles, ready for the day she awoke.

The doctors drafted a report, suggesting home recovery and memory restoration through familiar objects.

Jiang Yao handled the paperwork, and they left the sanatorium in silence.

“Um…”

At the roadside, Jiang Lingwei glanced at the tree-lined street.

Warm afternoon sun filtered through leaves.

Few pedestrians passed; some backpackers cycled by, their wheels rustling over fallen leaves.

Everything felt warm, serene.

But closing her eyes, she saw monsters, demons, and black miasma flashing vividly.

Those scenes felt so real.

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath, squeezed Jiang Yao’s hand, and asked tentatively:

“Are there any belongings we need to collect? Are we just leaving?”

“No need, Mom.”

Jiang Yao shook her head.

“Let’s go home.”

“…Alright.”

An awkward silence fell.

Soon, a car pulled up before them.

Jiang Lingwei understood—Jiang Yao must have booked it via an app.

But entering the car, she noticed the driver’s seat was empty, and the engine hummed quietly, like an electric vehicle.

“This…”

“It’s a driverless taxi,” Jiang Yao explained.

“Mom, just get in.”

“…Alright.”

Jiang Lingwei slid into the back seat awkwardly.

Jiang Yao followed.

The car started, gliding forward.

Neither spoke.

Jiang Yao’s eyes flicked toward her “mother” subtly, then darted away, only to glance back moments later.

Jiang Lingwei noticed but was too nervous herself.

‘I can’t keep this up… Say something… Anything…’

She racked her brain.

‘Wait, if we’re going home, is a man—my husband—waiting there?’

‘Oh no…’

Sitting up straighter, she tried a light, half-joking tone:

“So, I still can’t believe it. Am I really your mother?”

“Of course,” Jiang Yao replied instantly.

“You heard earlier—my memories are stuck twenty years ago,” Jiang Lingwei said.

“Honestly, I feel as young as you. Suddenly having a daughter—and such a beautiful one—I need time to process.”

“Hm…”

Jiang Yao smiled at her words.

“Isn’t it because you’re beautiful that I’m good-looking? You’re already amazing, Mom. If it were me, I’d be too flustered to speak.”

“Ha…”

Jiang Yao’s sunny smile seemed to lighten her dark circles.

Jiang Lingwei felt a spark of satisfaction.

True or not, as a magical girl in her “dream,” she hated seeing others sad.

Seizing the moment, she pressed on:

“Can you tell me about your father?”

Jiang Yao’s smile froze.

Sensing the misstep, Jiang Lingwei backtracked:

“Look, in my memories, I’ve never even had a boyfriend. If I meet your father—my husband—how do I talk to him? What’s he like?”

“…”

Jiang Yao’s smile vanished, her expression turning lonely.

She shook her head slightly.

‘Something’s wrong.’

Jiang Lingwei realized Jiang Yao handled everything for her discharge.

No friends or relatives appeared.

Surely the father should have shown up.

“You…”

Hesitating, she opted for simplicity:

“Yaoyao, what happened to your father? Why isn’t he here?”

“Mom, you called me Yaoyao?” Jiang Yao’s face lit up briefly, but it dimmed at the next question.

“Dad…”

Her voice was soft.

“He left when I was very young.”

“Dead?” Jiang Lingwei asked, eerily calm.

“I don’t know.”

“…Abandoned us?”

Jiang Lingwei’s disbelief sparked anger.

She hadn’t met this man, but the thought of abandoning such a wife and daughter fueled her rage.

“No, he loved you so much, Mom. I remember…” Jiang Yao’s face paled.

She shook her head, eyes pleading.

“I don’t know how to explain, Mom.”

“…”

Jiang Lingwei couldn’t push her.

Forcing a child to relive her father’s absence was cruel.

The taxi stopped at a busy commercial street, idling at a traffic light.

Ending the topic, Jiang Lingwei gazed out the window.

A golden-haired idol sang on a massive building screen.

“I’m Xiaoying-chan, a magical girl from Jiangning City! Everyone, let my magic bring you joy!”

[Cheerful music 🎵]

‘An idol of this era? Openly embracing her magical girl persona.’

Jiang Lingwei mused, realizing she needed to adapt to 2032’s trends.

Magical girl culture was still thriving twenty years later.

That discovery warmed her heart.

But it wasn’t her world anymore.

She was just a magical girl in a fantasy.

It was time to embrace her new reality.

‘My… real life…’

Boom…

A tremor shook the ground.

‘An earthquake?’

The thought flashed, but no—this felt different.

Her hand instinctively touched her neck.

Her eyes widened.

Two seconds later, reality confirmed her impossible suspicion.

Bang!

Dust exploded in the street as a massive worm, its four-petaled mouth gaping, burst from the ground.

“Raaargh!!!”

The worm screeched, yellow liquid dripping from its mouthparts, sizzling on the taxi’s hood, leaving burn marks.

Corrosive acid.

Jiang Lingwei knew exactly what it was.

‘A fucking earthworm demon!’

Shock left her speechless, but her battle-honed instincts kicked in faster than her thoughts.

She reached to transform, clawing at her neck—only to leave red scratches.

Reality hit: she couldn’t transform.

She spun, grabbing a dazed Jiang Yao, and lunged for the door.

Bang!

A flipped car slammed the door shut.

“Damn it!”

Cursing ungracefully, she shielded Jiang Yao with her body.

After the impact, she tried the other door.

Bang-bang-bang!

Three more worms erupted from the ground, their bodies writhing, devouring flesh in sight.

Another car crashed, blocking the other side.

Their taxi was trapped.

Screams filled the air as the crowd fled in chaos.

Jiang Yao struggled beneath her, shouting, “Mom, we have to get out!”

Jiang Lingwei shielded her with one hand, smashing her elbow against the window.

Instinct drove her to reassure without thinking:

“Don’t be afraid! Mom will—”

Boom—

Another shock hit, this time directly beneath them.

Jiang Lingwei’s pupils shrank.

Bang!!!

The taxi flipped, and Jiang Yao was torn from her arms.

Snap—

Buzz—

After a dizzying spin and crashes, screams rang in her ears—twisting metal, shattering glass, and the worms’ hissing.

Her head spun, hair disheveled, body aching.

“…Hah… cough…”

Crawling from the wreckage, Jiang Lingwei frantically searched for Jiang Yao in the dust.

She wasn’t nearby.

“Gaa…”

A sharp hiss came from behind.

The worm that flipped them loomed, its four-petaled mouth wide, a small organ inside targeting her.

“Damn it.”

Fighting dizziness, Jiang Lingwei leaned against the car, dragging out a metal shard.

No longer a magical girl, nor a high school boy, she struggled with the shard’s weight.

Its sharp edge cut her fingers, blood dripping.

“Come on!”

Despite a sprained foot, she stood firm, gripping the shard, glaring at the worm’s gaping maw.

“Let’s see if you can eat me!”

“Screee—”

The worm’s cry sharpened, its body lunging from the hole.

As its shadow engulfed her, Jiang Lingwei aimed the shard at its mouth.

Her last chance.

‘If I can hit its sensory organ, Yaoyao might escape.’

‘I hope I’m not her mother, just a misunderstanding. Then she won’t grieve.’

Casting aside distractions, she faced the worm’s toothy maw.

One second to pierce its sensory organ before being crushed.

‘Bring it on!’

Time slowed.

The worm’s stench hit her, corrosive liquid nearly splashing.

Bang!!!

At the last moment, something struck the worm.

Instead of crushing her, it twisted midair, crashing heavily to the side.

The shadow retreated, sunlight returning.

A girl in light skirt armor, wielding a long sword, landed before Jiang Lingwei.

She adjusted her grip, retracting her elbow.

Turning slightly, her black hair revealed purple highlights in the breeze.

Nervously, she said:

“Ma… Miss, are you okay?”