Chapter 2: A New Era

Selene’s vision blurred as she collapsed in the banquet hall, the poison coursing through her veins, rendering her unconscious. When she finally awoke, it wasn’t to the grand halls of the Anzarian palace or the comforting presence of her father. Instead, she found herself in a dimly lit, unfamiliar room, the faint sounds of traffic and distant voices reaching her ears.

She sat up slowly, her head pounding, the remnants of the poison still lingering in her system. The air was thick with unfamiliar scents, the room cold and sterile in contrast to the warmth of the palace. Panic surged through her as she looked around—this was not the Anzarian Empire. She wasn’t in her world anymore.

A woman in her early fifties, dressed in plain clothing, entered the room, her face warm and kind. She was the first person Selene had encountered in this strange place.

“You're awake, dear,” the woman said softly, rushing to her side. “You’ve been out for three days. How are you feeling?”

Selene blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. She could barely understand the words the woman was saying; they were different, yet somehow familiar. The language was not the one spoken in the Anzarian Empire, but it had an oddly similar cadence to her own.

“I… I don’t understand,” Selene murmured, her voice hoarse. She touched her throat, feeling the dryness there. “Where am I?”

The woman seemed unfazed by Selene’s confusion. “You’re in an orphanage, dear. We found you in an alley. You were unconscious and barely breathing. We didn’t know who you were, but you looked like you needed help.”

Selene’s mind raced. Orphanage? Alley? This was not the empire she had known. It was as if everything she had ever known had vanished in the blink of an eye. She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled beneath her, forcing her to sit back down.

“You’ve been through a lot,” the woman continued, her voice gentle but firm. “You should rest. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

The woman left the room, and Selene was left to ponder her situation. The last thing she remembered was the banquet, the poison that had taken her down, and Lyria’s triumphant smile. Had she died? Was this the afterlife? No, it couldn’t be. The pain in her body, the disorientation, told her that she was very much alive. But how? And why was she here, in a world so different from her own?

As the days passed, Selene slowly adapted to her new life. She learned that the world around her was no longer the ancient empire she had ruled, but a strange, modern city filled with towering structures, machines that moved without horses, and glowing lights that illuminated the night. This was a future she could never have imagined.

The orphanage, where she had found shelter, was a modest place, home to dozens of children who had no families to care for them. The matron, a kind-hearted woman named Mrs. Everly, treated Selene with compassion, though the other children were skeptical of the regal stranger who seemed out of place among them.

Despite her confusion, Selene’s innate ability to heal and her knowledge of medicine and poisons quickly made her an asset to the orphanage. The children, who had once avoided her, now sought her out for her soothing presence and the remedies she provided. She taught them what she knew, sharing her knowledge freely, as if her entire life had led her to this moment—this world, this new purpose.

However, there was undeniable tension in the air. The city was ruled by criminal organizations, and Selene could sense the danger lurking at every corner. It wasn’t long before she encountered one of the city's notorious mafia bosses. His men had been harassing the orphanage for weeks, demanding protection money in exchange for safety. It was then that Selene made a decision that would change everything.

With a mixture of her martial skills and her foresight, Selene took a stand. She could not, would not, allow these criminals to terrorize the innocent children. One evening, she faced off with the mafia thugs, using her knowledge of poisons and her quick reflexes to neutralize them before they could do any real harm.

But it wasn’t just the thugs she had to worry about. Her actions had caught the attention of someone much more dangerous—the mafia boss himself, Ronan Kane.

This chapter sets the stage for Selene's new life in the future, as she grapples with her displacement while discovering her new purpose.

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