Chapter 2 — Quiet Beginnings
Morning light spilled softly through the thin paper windows of the modest wooden hut. Su Yanyue awoke to the gentle cooing of doves and the distant clatter of pots.
Her body still ached, but the sharp pain from yesterday's injury had dulled into a steady throb. Sitting up slowly, she found herself surrounded by quiet warmth—an aroma of herbs mingling with fresh earth.
The three little boys, no taller than her knees, were already wide awake. They sat cross-legged on a straw mat, each holding a small wooden sword, their eyes bright with mischief.
"Mother, breakfast is ready!" the smallest piped up, eyes sparkling.
"Not mother," Su Yanyue corrected softly, but the triplets only grinned, ignoring her protest.
The man who called himself their father was already outside, tending to a small fire pit. His face was serious, but there was an unspoken gentleness in his movements.
He glanced back at the hut and caught her watching.
"You're stronger than you look," he said quietly, not looking at her directly.
"I was a doctor… once," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Doctor?" His brows lifted slightly.
She nodded. "Medicine, herbs, a little fighting, and… business, if you can believe it."
He studied her for a long moment, then turned back to the fire.
"We'll need more supplies if you want to stay," he said.
"Stay?" Her heart skipped.
He gave a short, dry laugh. "You're safe here. For now."
The triplets ran to him, tugging at his sleeve. "Father, teach us to fight like you!"
He glanced down, then back at Su Yanyue.
"You'll have to help with that," he muttered.
The three boys beamed and ran back inside, chasing each other with gleeful shrieks.
Su Yanyue watched them, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Despite their youth, their eyes held a sharpness beyond their years—a cunning born from hardship.
Outside, the forest whispered secrets of the ancient world she'd found herself in—a place where survival depended on strength, wit, and alliances.
She clenched her fists. Whatever this world was, she would not be powerless.