Chapter Two: The Burning Hours

The blinding light in her field of vision gradually faded, softening into a gentle glow.

"Strange... am I still not awake?" In her mind, the scene of being swallowed by that intense light seemed to be playing on a loop.

The sunlight was a bit piercing. As she opened her eyes, she realized the curtains had not been fully drawn.

The girl turned over and sat up, slowly climbing out of her slightly messy single bed. She walked to the window opposite the bed and pulled the curtains open with a sudden motion, letting the unique brilliance of the morning sun spill over her face and down to her toes.

"..."

An indescribable sense of powerlessness washed over her; it seemed she truly hadn't woken up yet. But a splash of water on her face should fix that. She tidied her appearance in front of the vanity mirror. Standing about 1.6 meters tall, she possessed a unique beauty reminiscent of someone with mixed heritage. Her long, indigo hair fell past her shoulders. With practiced hands, she combed it out and braided the hair from shoulder-length downwards. She carefully arranged her bangs, styling one side into a side-part while ensuring the other side remained slightly voluminous and neat.

Accompanied by the sound of rushing water, she efficiently washed her face and brushed her teeth. Today was her first day as a transfer student, yet she hadn't slept well. Having moved far from her parents to attend school, she intended to make a good impression on her new teachers and classmates. Maintaining a polished image in public was her way.

The rented apartment was small but not too far from school. Her parents sent her living expenses regularly—a generous amount, as her family was quite well-off. Although she had only just moved into this small apartment and some cardboard boxes still sat in the corner, it looked tidy, and it was clear she planned to decorate the place properly later.

Having bought bread and yogurt for breakfast the day before, the girl quickly dressed, grabbed the yogurt, and headed out while chewing on the bread.

The elevator in her building was high-quality and not too crowded. By rights, it was only a fifteen-minute walk to school.

Along the way, the girl kept recalling that bizarre dream—the one that still haunted her even after waking up. It made her head ache slightly. The sensation had been so incredibly real that it felt like a lifetime ago; she could even remember the tactile feel of the cockpit. Yet, she was just an ordinary high school student, not some adolescent dreamer prone to fantasies.

Who would have thought she would dream of piloting a mecha in battle?

She smiled self-deprecatingly, wondering if she had been muddled by sleep. In her own memory, she was a generous, well-bred, and high-achieving girl from a military family. At her previous school, she had been a model student for everyone to emulate.

Her previous school? Right, her previous school... For a moment, she couldn't recall anything about it. This was too strange; it had only been a single vacation ago. She stood there blankly, drinking her yogurt, almost forgetting that the light across the crosswalk had turned green. It was only when someone behind her urged her on that she hurried across the street.

What on earth... she wasn't quite herself today. Feeling a bit awkward, she finished the last of the yogurt and tossed the empty container into a passing trash can. She checked the time on her phone—class was almost starting—and picked up her pace.

She walked quickly into the school gates, where the sign "New Spring and Autumn City No. 20 Middle School" stood prominently.

"Classmates, this is Qin Yun, a student who has transferred to our class this semester. Everyone, please get along well."

The female homeroom teacher was introducing the girl to the students below from beside the podium.

"Hello everyone, my name is Qin Yun. I look forward to your guidance!" Qin Yun tried to make her voice sound full and energetic, bowing slightly to the class.

As expected, everyone welcomed her warmly. After all, who doesn't like a girl who is attractive, generous, and poised? One female classmate raised her hand, inviting her to sit in the empty seat next to her, though she seemed a bit hesitant while doing so.

"Hi, Qin Yun... my name is... Li Jiayi... um, I happen not to have a desk-mate... so..." the girl introduced herself, clearly quite shy. Looking closely, she was the petite and cute type, and compared to Qin Yun’s poised and capable aura, her presence was significantly weaker.

"Hello, we'll be desk-mates from now on."

Qin Yun smiled at her politely. Inside, she felt a sense of relief—her new school life had begun smoothly.

The new school life proceeded well, and within a few days, Qin Yun had grown accustomed to Li Jiayi. During science classes, Li Jiayi displayed incredible computational abilities, to the point where even the high-achieving Qin Yun had to ask her for help. However, during P.E. class, Li Jiayi’s athletic ability was practically zero, which made her envy Qin Yun’s fitness. It seemed this new friend was quite complementary to her, Qin Yun thought.

At first, Qin Yun felt Li Jiayi was a bit timid and shy, but once the topic turned to IT or anime, games, and comics, she wouldn't stop talking. Whenever that happened, Qin Yun could only smile awkwardly in response.

Perhaps that was why she hadn't had a desk-mate before the term started, Qin Yun thought with a helpless, bitter smile afterward.

As time passed, Qin Yun began to hear students whispering in the hallways, wondering if she was the daughter of some prominent family. She just smiled faintly and paid it no mind. Her own family... while not wealthy tycoons, they were at least well-off.

Come to think of it, being from a military family meant her circumstances were relatively advantageous. Yet, upon reflection, Qin Yun didn't have much of a real sense of it. Although her parents had called her these past few days, since that strange dream, Qin Yun felt she was prone to drifting off.

Oh well, the priority was to get some good rest. Back home, Qin Yun turned on the TV and slumped onto the sofa. At home, she didn't bother keeping up appearances; she wore a loose T-shirt and her underwear, sprawled out on the couch watching a soap opera.

Her new life had just begun, and she had managed to make a friend in Li Jiayi, but honestly, the girl was a bit eccentric. She had her cute moments, but it would be best to find a time to have a word with her. She got up to grab a can of cola, her thoughts returning to the day's events.

"Qin Yun, let me tell you, the latest episode of *Mobile Mask* just dropped!"

During the break, Qin Yun and Li Jiayi were walking to the cafeteria for lunch. Li Jiayi was, as usual, chattering away. Aside from her love for robot anime, Li Jiayi was most skilled at anything IT-related. Watching her manic energy whenever she talked about these things, Qin Yun thought she might actually be a genius.

Li Jiayi seemed to have only Qin Yun as a friend. Because Qin Yun was naturally sociable and righteous, she was a shining presence in the eyes of her classmates, and naturally, many people wanted to approach her, including many boys.

However, out of consideration for Li Jiayi’s feelings, she didn't respond too much to others when Li Jiayi was clinging to her. Of course, this made Qin Yun feel a bit awkward to some extent. She even began to hear students who disliked Li Jiayi gossiping behind their backs, saying that since no one bothered with her the previous semester, she had specifically targeted an excellent transfer student to keep by her side.

Whatever. She wasn't interested in what happened to Li Jiayi the previous semester. Sometimes, if she became too clingy, she would have to remind her. She would mention it to Li Jiayi at school the next day. Having made this decision, Qin Yun immersed herself completely in the show.

Such were the trivialities of daily life, and for Qin Yun, handling them should be more than enough. However, a non-daily life was quietly approaching her.

Thousands of kilometers away from the city where Qin Yun lived, high above the open sea at an altitude of 15,000 meters, an anomaly was quietly unfolding.