Qie Xieling winced as pain shot through his body. Every inch of his body ached but he knew he had to get up. His eyelids fluttered open, the weak light of the broken console stinging his eyes.

He was sprawled across the control panel of his escape pod, the once pristine surfaces now marred with smoke and fire damage. The acrid smell of burning plastic and metal filled the air, making him cough. He had crash-landed on a junk planet, surrounded by a forest of rusted metal and decaying machinery.

Pain flared across his forehead, hot and insistent. He brought a hand up to touch it, his fingers coming away slick with blood. His head was pounding, each throb sending a new wave of pain through him. His arm was twisted at an awkward angle, the bone clearly broken. He bit back a cry of pain as he cradled it against his chest, slowly pushing himself up from the ground, his knees shaking under his weight.

The painful memories of this game character flooded his brain like a storm. The heartbreaking Images and voices were swirling around him in a chaotic mess. This character’s past, his present, and his future, all merged into one, overwhelming his senses. He stumbled out of the escape pod, his vision blurring at the edges.

The forest around him was alive with sound. He could hear the rustle of wind through the leaves, and the distant call of wild animals. But above all, he heard the roars. They were loud and primal, a clear warning to any intruders. His fingers instinctively tightened around the grip of his gun, the cool metal a small comfort against the unknown. Whatever little experience he had camping it was useless here.

He was turning towards the noise when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun, raising his gun with his good arm. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited, his finger twitching on the trigger.

A figure emerged from the bushes, tall and imposing. The man was wrapped in a hooded cloak, his face hidden in the shadows. Qie Xieling’s grip on his gun tightened, his injured arm throbbing in protest. The man slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a weathered face. His eyes were kind, but Qie Xieling saw the hardness in them, the same hardness he saw in Luo Muchen in the previous world.

"You are bleeding. Let me help you?" The man’s voice was gentle, his hands raised in surrender.

Qie Xieling wanted to refuse but his vision was fading, the edges of his sight turning black. He swayed on his feet, his strength leaving him. "No..." he managed to gasp, but it was too late. His knees buckled, and he fell forward, the world around him fading into darkness. The last thing he felt was the man’s hands catching him, lowering him gently to the ground.

***

Qie Xieling blinked his eyes open, the dim light filtering through the dusty windows of the rundown house. As his vision adjusted, he took in the sight of the cluttered space around him. The room was filled with a chaotic assortment of old spacecraft parts, androids, robots, and machines, all in various states of disrepair. Wires snaked across the floor, and shelves were stacked precariously with rusted tools and faded instruction manuals.

Though the room seemed crowded, the area around the bed was surprisingly clean and well-organized. It was as if someone had taken great care to clear a space for him amidst the chaos. Qie Xieling’s gaze shifted to his arm, and he winced slightly. The pain wasn’t as intense as it had been before he had passed out from the crash of his escape pod, but it still throbbed uncomfortably.

Seeking some answers, he pushed himself up and looked around, searching for the man who had helped him earlier. But the man was nowhere to be seen.

He lay back down and closed his eyes feeling quite vulnerable. He missed Luo Muchen more than ever at this moment. He had always been by his side, supporting him thick and thin throughout the years. But now, in this strange place, Luo Muchen wasn’t there with him. He was in pain, lonely and in a strange place yet Luo Muchen wasn’t there for him. His emotions were a chaotic mess and he couldn’t help but break down.

Qie Xieling’s heart ached as he reflected on their last moments together on that beach. Tears welled up in his eyes as he lay there, the weight of his situation pressing down upon him. He felt the emptiness of the room around him mirrored in his own heart. He longed for the comfort of Luo Muchen’s presence and the reassurance of his touch. The pain in his arm seemed to amplify the ache in his soul, a constant reminder of the fact that Luo Muchen wouldn’t remember who he was and he would have to have him fall in love with him all over again.

The weight of his despair and desperation seemed to press down on him, suffocating him from the inside out. The oppressive silence was shattered as the creaking of the front door echoed through the desolate space.

Qie Xieling’s heart raced, his instincts sharpening in a moment of self-preservation. He swiftly reached for his gun, his trembling hand clutching the handle. As the door swung open, his finger tightened around the trigger, pointing the weapon at it.

The man, who had saved him blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback by the unexpected sight of a gun pointed in his direction. He cautiously closed the door behind him, his eyes fixed on Qie Xieling.

"Are you always pointing that thing at everyone?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity and a hint of concern.

Qie Xieling’s gaze hardened as he locked eyes with the man. The flickering light cast shadows on the lines etched on his face, a testament to a life filled with danger and darkness. "Do you know who I am?" He questioned, his voice filled with defiance as if daring the man to deny the truth.

Unfazed, the man moved purposefully towards him, pulling out a flask filled with steaming liquid. He poured it into a small cup and handed it to him.

"Drink it," he commanded gently and Qie Xieling didn’t move a finger so the man continued, "Of course, I know you kill people."