When I opened my eyes, I wasn't lying on the prison bunk or burning concrete. I was lying on something soft. It felt like clouds but was solid enough to support my weight.The air was cool and clear. It had this sweet-smell, like spring rain and incense.I sat up slowly, as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.I wasn't in the prison quite alright but where I was didn't make sense because the space around me was vast and empty, stretching infinitely in all directions. The "ground" beneath me glowed with a soft, white light. Above, the sky—if it could be called that—swirled with colors that shouldn't exist. "Where..." I tried to speak then stopped because my voice sounded strange."You're in the Between," a voice said and I spun around.A figure stood behind me. It didn't look human at all because no human was this tall or had limbs that bent at angles that defied anatomy. It had no face–I mean, I didn't see any because it felt like looking at someone through frosted glass

Night fell over the Tang mansion, and I laid in this stupid crib staring at shadows dancing across the ceiling.My body was exhausted, I never knew being a one-year-old was this draining. I mean, every movement requires so much effort. My neck still wobbled when I tried to hold my head up for too long, then my fingers couldn't quite grip things properly.But my mind was still painfully sharp. I'd been awake for sixteen hours in this new body, and every minute had been psychological torture.The nursery was beautiful with cream walls, and hand-painted murals of rabbits and clouds, a mobile hanging above my crib playing soft music while expensive toys lined the shelves. Everything a wealthy heir could want. It was a cage dressed as paradise.I raised one pudgy arm and watched it shake with effort. I managed to roll to my side after three attempts, breathing hard from the exertion.Years, I thought with growing despair. I'll be trapped like this for years.The door opened softly and Tang

The month I turned five, was the same month I was enrolled in the city's most exclusive kindergarten.The school was called Golden Phoenix Academy, a name that made me want to laugh bitterly every time he heard it. Fate is such a cruel bitch."You'll excel here," Tang Mei said on my first day, adjusting my navy blazer with that maternal care. "The best families send their children to here, you are on the path to greatness."I nodded looking all serious and composed. I didn't act like my age mates, I rarely smiled and play like other children. Even my teachers were concerned about my behaviour but Tang Mei saw it as a thing of joy. I am just five yet, I'm already thinking like her but the realization didn't bother me as much as it should have."Class, we have a new student," the teacher announced brightly. "This is Tang Rui. Let's all say hello!""Hello, Tang Rui!" the children chorused. "Wonderful! Now, who wants to show Tang Rui around during playtime?"Several hands shot up but th

I waited until no one was looking to open the flash drive. The house was silent with Tang Mei asleep in her wing, the staff had long retired, if I dropped a pin, it would echo through the house. I sat there with the laptop in front of me, and the small piece of metal and plastic that Tang Jun had pressed into my palm like a grenade with the pin already pulled.My hands were shaking as I plugged it in.There were a couple of folders but only the one labelled 'Medical' caught my attention.My cursor hovered over that folder. Something about it made my skin crawl, though I couldn't say why. Medical records seemed harmless enough right ? Boy was I wrong. Because as soon as I clicked, my identity came crashing down.The first few files were exactly what I'd expected. Intake physical examination, dental records, standard blood work, vision test. I was disappointed and almost slammed the laptop shut, when my eyes caught the words "FERTILITY SCREENING - MANDATORY PER FACILITY PROTOCOL"I stare

Friday arrived and I hadn't slept properly in five days. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those words. Every time I looked in the mirror, I searched for traces of Li Feng in my features. Every time her hand touched me, my skin crawled with the knowledge of what she'd done. "You're not eating," Tang Mei observed, her eyes sharp with concern. "Rui, you've barely touched your food all week. Are you feeling ill?" "Just nervous about exams," I lied smoothly because I had become an excellent liar. Tang Mei had trained me well. "You always ace your exams so there's nothing to be nervous about." She reached across the table, touching my hand. "But if you're truly stressed, perhaps we should see Dr. Wang and have him run some tests to make sure everything is alright." Bingo. "Actually," I said carefully, "I have been feeling strange all week" Tang Mei's concern deepened immediately. "Strange how?" "Hard to describe. Just... off. Like my body doesn't quite work right." I looke