"Soul Fragments: A Love That Shatters"

Chapter 1: "I'm Not Dying Like a Loser This Time"

When Shi Yue opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the smell—heavy incense, faint blood, and too much sandalwood. The second thing was the sharp pain in his back.

“System, where the hell am I?” he asked mentally, keeping his face perfectly blank.

> [Ding!] Welcome, Host! You have entered World 1: ‘Palace of Ashes.’ You are currently inhabiting the body of—”

“Let me guess. A tragic cannon fodder who dies for no reason?”

> “...Yes.”

Shi Yue sighed and sat up. He was in a lavish side chamber of some palace, draped in silks that screamed wealth—but the kind of wealth reserved for decoration, not power. There were no guards, no attendants, and a sharp chill in the air. Yeah. Definitely a forgotten concubine.

“Figures,” he muttered aloud, lips curling into a lazy smile. “At least I’m pretty.”

He stood up and caught his reflection in a bronze mirror. Pale skin, shimmering peach blossom eyes framed by thick lashes, soft lips with a faint natural pink tint—and right below his lower lip, a small, seductive mole.

“Damn. I’d fall for me too.”

> “Host! Please remain in character! You’re supposed to be quiet, submissive, and tragically lovestruck! You cannot go OOC or you’ll fail the mission!”

“Calm down, you desperate calculator. I’m acting in my head. My face is still tragic as hell.”

> “You have three main objectives! 1: Fulfill the last wish of your body. 2: Make the world ML and FL fall in love. 3: Get the villain—who is a soul fragment of your destined one—to fall for you.”

“Completing all three will earn me precious mission energy! I’m going to evolve into the most powerful sub-system under the main system’s domain!”

“You’re just a glorified pest with dreams of grandeur.”

“Also—why do I have to make the villain fall for me just to hook up the actual couple?”

> “Because true soul fragments only respond to emotional resonance. If he doesn’t fall for you, the fragment won’t integrate. And you can’t leave the world until the main couple ends up together.”

“So yes. You must suffer.”

“...I already hate this world.”

---

Three Hours Later — Imperial Court Garden

Shi Yue knelt silently in the snow, an ornamental food tray at his knees. He’d snuck into the kitchens to steal an extra bun, only to be caught and punished—again.

His stomach growled.

He wasn’t technically hungry. He just liked eating. It soothed his nerves. His expression remained cold and stoic, just as the host would have behaved. But inside, he was screaming.

“System. I swear if I don’t get something sweet in the next hour, I’m throwing this mission into the fire.”

> “Focus, Host! Your target approaches!”

Heavy boots crunched through the snow. The energy around them shifted like frost crackling across glass. A man in dark armor came into view. Towering. Emotionless. Dressed in black with a long scar across his jaw—he was death incarnate.

The infamous General Li Zhen, Minister of War. The villain of this world.

He stopped in front of Shi Yue. A long silence. Then—

“You. What are you doing here?”

Shi Yue raised his head slowly, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, voice soft and broken:

“I… I stole a bun.”

Li Zhen stared at him.

Something flickered in his eyes. Not pity. Not interest. Something darker.

“Stand.”

Shi Yue obeyed, shivering as he rose.

Li Zhen leaned down, gaze sharp, breath cold.

“Pretty little things like you shouldn’t lie in the snow.”

He reached forward and wiped a drop of blood from Shi Yue’s cracked lip.