Early in the morning, even as the roosters crowed incessantly, the sun had yet to rise from its bed. Dara had already woken Dimas, preparing him for school.
Due to the long journey and the absence of a motorcycle or bicycle, they had to rise earlier than most.
"Eat your breakfast, little brother," Dara said.
"Okay, big sis," Dimas replied.
Both ate boiled sweet potatoes for breakfast. Afterward, Dara handed Dimas a five-thousand rupiah bill for his school allowance.
"Thanks, sis, I'm heading out," said Dimas, paying his respects to his sister.
"Take care, and make sure to study hard, okay?" Dara replied, to which her only brother responded with a thumbs-up.
Dara tidied up the eating utensils; there were leftover sweet potatoes, which she stored in the kitchen for their lunch later.
She looked at the money she had left, only ten thousand rupiah remained. Dara sighed, knowing the family's finances showed no improvement, becoming even more challenging as vegetable sales at the market were not always successful.
Noticing only two pieces of firewood left, Dara quickly headed to the forest to collect more as usual.
After changing into long clothes, she walked into the woods, now illuminated by the risen sun and daylight.
"Why are there no branches at all? There are usually plenty here. Do I need to go deeper?" she pondered to herself.
Dara couldn't see any tree branches along the way. Unwilling to return empty-handed, she decided to venture deeper into the forest.
She marked the paths she had passed to avoid getting lost, then proceeded further into the woods.
Sure enough, there were more scattered dried tree branches. Dara's smile broadened as she gathered them.
Suddenly, a sound made her hairs stand on end.
*Grrrrr*.... Aauuuuuuu.....
Dara glanced over her shoulder, although she was too frightened to look directly, knowing behind her was a predator ready to pounce—a wolf from the forest.
The wolf called its pack, and with urgency, Dara ran to escape. She dashed aimlessly, occasionally looking back. Unaware, she passed a small gateway that emitted light as she crossed it, causing the pursuing pack to cease their chase and turn back.
"Am I safe now?" Dara gasped breathlessly, seeing no sign of the wolves when she turned around.
"Where am I?" she exclaimed upon realizing the unfamiliarity of her surroundings.
"Damn, I must have gotten lost," she said to herself.
Dara walked in search of an exit, but after some time, she frustratingly found herself back where she started.
Sitting on the grass, she inadvertently brushed against something. Startled, she found a sword almost entirely buried in the ground.
"Wow... its hilt is stunning, like an ancient sword, but why isn't the blade rusted?" exclaimed Dara.
Touching the sword's blade, her finger got cut, and the blood dripped onto it.
"Ouch, damn, I cut my hand," she muttered.
"It seems like an antique sword, but so unblemished. Why shouldn't I take it? It might still be worth something and—alone in the forest—surely, it has no owner," Dara reasoned with herself.
Without further hesitation, she pulled the sword out effortlessly, admiring its majestic and beautiful form.
However, she jumped when the sword vibrated in her grasp. Frightened, she threw it, and instead of falling, it hovered in the air, making Dara shiver.
Slowly, the sword dissolved into a green light and swiftly entered Dara's head.
"Arrrgghhhh!!!!!!" Dara screamed in agony.
Unable to bear the intense pain in her head, she fell unconscious.
...
"Your Highness... wake up, Your Highness..." a voice reached Dara's ears.
Gradually, Dara opened her eyes, realizing she had fainted for an extended period because the day seemed to be turning to evening.
"Ughh..." Dara clutched her slightly dizzy head.
She closed her eyes again to alleviate the dizziness. Feeling somewhat better, she reopened her eyes to see a massive white tiger before her.
"Xiao Bao..." Dara called the tiger without fear.
"Your Highness, you're finally awake," Xiao Bao spoke.
While unconscious, Dara struggled with another being for possession of her body and received memories of someone who looked identical to her. Thus, she was not shocked to see the tiger called Xiao Bao, the pet of the woman she resembled.
Liu Annchi, a princess and a respected female general in the Star Empire, had fallen victim to betrayal by her dear friend Fang Yue, the prime minister's daughter, who paralyzed Annchi with a bone-numbing poison.
Afterward, Fang Yue pierced Annchi's heart with her own beloved sword and disposed of her lifeless body by hurling it off a cliff into the abyss.
Dara sighed, unable to believe such an illogical event could transpire. Initially feeling it was a dream, it felt too real. She realized, however, that Liu Annchi's memories were now nested in her mind, Annchi's soul having merged with hers after, somehow, Dara had conquered the soul that sought dominance.
"I never imagined you would survive thousands of years, Bao. You must have made great sacrifices," Dara said, stroking Xiao Bao's head.
"Not great, Your Highness, for I also do not understand. I was sucked into the whirl of the abyss trying to rescue you when you fell. By accident, I entered your sword and was trapped within," Xiao Bao explained.
"What are your plans now? You are free; you can go wherever you wish," Dara noted.
"I still wish to follow you, Your Highness," Xiao Bao maintained.
"But I'm merely a common person now, and Liu Annchi no longer exists in this world. I am Dara, an ordinary person who happens to carry the memories of Liu Annchi's life, though her soul has fused with mine. Still, I am not your master, Liu Annchi," Dara revealed the truth.
Whether Annchi's soul and memories resided within her, it was clear Dara was the dominant one, in control of her own body.
"I'm aware you are not my Lord, but my Lord chose you to inherit her memories. Thus, I have decided to follow you," Xiao Bao remained resolute.
"But I cannot take you with me. The entire village would be in an uproar if I brought a large tiger home. And my brother would be frightened of you," Dara reasoned.
"Your Highness can put me in your dimensional space," Xiao Bao suggested.
"Dimensional space? That's only possessed by special individuals like Liu Annchi. I, however, do not have one; this is the modern era, such things don't exist," Dara was skeptical that Annchi's abilities could have transferred into her body.
"You may not possess one as an ordinary person, Your Highness, but now you hold the soul, memories, and all experiences of the former Your Highness within you. It's possible that Annchi's special abilities have also entered your body," Xiao Bao conjectured.
"Could Annchi's special qualities have passed to my body?" Dara pondered.
"I am merely guessing. But it wouldn't hurt for you to look within yourself," Xiao Bao suggested.
Dara nodded, willing to follow Xiao Bao's advice. Dara would know how since Annchi's memories were now part of her consciousness.
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