As it turned out, sometimes being too beautiful wasn’t a blessing. Cold Night Feather got called on by teachers to answer questions in all four morning classes.

By lunch break, most students stayed at school—either eating packed bento boxes or cafeteria meals—since afternoon classes focused on combat and abilities. They needed to prepare early.

The girls took a bus back to Bai Xin’s place. Cold Night Feather, fresh from another world, stared curiously out the window. Freya Continent had magic-tech, but nothing like this. *How does this metal box move without mana?* She didn’t ask the others though… too embarrassing.

They drew stares all the way. All were stunning beauties, but Cold Night Feather redefined the word "gorgeous." No one dared approach them—not with Donglin Third Middle School uniforms on. Everyone knew Third Middle was a combat academy full of ability-users. Even in modern times, ordinary people still feared them.

"Seriously," Bai Xin deadpanned to Cold Night Feather, "you said you’d bring friends for lunch! Could you have *warned* me to buy more groceries?"

Cold Night Feather rolled her eyes. "You didn’t think of it either."

Bai Xin stomped her foot, nearly lunging at Cold Night Feather before Li Xiao Xiao and Lin Mi dragged her back. *This reckless idiot would’ve gotten thoroughly schooled*, Cold Night Feather thought dryly.

"Wow," Wang Lin whispered to Ouyang Meng, "Cold Night Feather and Bai Xin seem so close!" Ouyang Meng nodded eagerly.

"But I’ve never seen Cold Night Feather before. She just… appeared. And she’s *this* close to Bai Xin?" Ouyang Meng’s eyes practically burned with the word "Gossip!"

Wang Lin yanked Ouyang Meng’s collar back. "She invited us over to explain exactly that! Chill!"

Cold Night Feather heard every whisper. Her hearing caught even murmurs like shouts. She didn’t mind—she *had* planned to tell them the truth.

Problem was: not enough food. Li Xiao Xiao sighed, accepting the "noble mission" of grocery shopping—and dragging away Ouyang Meng, who looked ready to pounce on Cold Night Feather. (*Overexcitement disorder*, Cold Night Feather noted).

Amid Ouyang Meng’s dramatic wails, they entered Bai Xin’s apartment.

"Seriously," Wang Lin sighed, glancing around, "no matter how many times I visit, your place is always spotless!"

Bai Xin puffed up instantly. "Of course! I clean thoroughly every single day!"

Cold Night Feather flicked Bai Xin’s forehead. "Your tail’s about to pierce the sky. Get cooking before they return."

Bai Xin winced, rubbing her head. "Fine! You guys watch TV in the living room!"

They sat on the sofa. No one turned on the TV. Awkward silence hung between Lin Mi and Wang Lin. Sandwiched between them, Cold Night Feather cleared her throat. "Ahem. Maybe… put on the TV?"

(*Truth was: she had no idea how to operate that black rectangle that looked like a computer*.)

Lin Mi grabbed the remote with a nervous chuckle. "Heh… noon dramas should be airing *The Temptation of Returning Home*. Let’s watch!"

Wang Lin agreed. Cold Night Feather just nodded blankly.

The screen flickered to life. Cold Night Feather watched, fascinated, as Lin Mi pressed buttons on a small rectangle—then the images changed. Lin Mi sat back down.

Wang Lin and Lin Mi were hooked. They gasped, cried, raged at the screen. Cold Night Feather sat stiffly, utterly lost. *Why watch humans bicker? One woman got hit by a speeding black metal box… now she’s on a white bed getting strange liquids injected while a man wails beside her. Doctors say she lost her memory…*

*Fighting the Dark Lord for three hundred rounds would be better than this.* She squirmed on the sofa, trapped by their rapt attention. *Bitterness without words*, she thought grimly.

When Li Xiao Xiao opened the door calling "We’re back!", Cold Night Feather nearly wept with relief. *An angel.* She bolted up to "help carry groceries."

Watching TV had melted Lin Mi and Wang Lin’s awkwardness. *Girls are truly mysterious creatures*, Cold Night Feather mused.

Li Xiao Xiao joined Bai Xin in the kitchen. The others stayed out—none could cook without causing disasters.

Ouyang Meng plopped onto the sofa. All three girls glued their eyes to the screen. Cold Night Feather retreated to a corner, grabbed a random book from the shelf, and buried herself in it. (*Better than that bizarre drama.*)

Soon, Bai Xin’s shout echoed: "Food’s ready!"

They rushed to help carry dishes. Five dishes and a soup appeared on the table.

Cold Night Feather raised an eyebrow at Bai Xin. *This girl’s actually amazing at cooking.*

They sat: Cold Night Feather opposite Lin Mi, Wang Lin and Ouyang Meng on one side, Li Xiao Xiao and Bai Xin on the other.

After Bai Xin served rice, Ouyang Meng couldn’t hold back anymore. "Ahem! Cold Night Feather… can you finally tell us what you didn’t say earlier?"

Li Xiao Xiao didn’t stop her this time. They all wanted to know where she came from—even Bai Xin.

Cold Night Feather finished chewing a piece of greens. "Fine. Since you’re curious… I’m not from this world. I’m from Freya Continent." She paused, cutting off their gasps. "Compared to your dimension—which I’d call a half-tech realm based on *The Void Chronicles*—Freya is a high-martial realm. A magic-martial dimension."

Ouyang Meng blinked. "Then… why’d you leave Freya for Earth?"

Cold Night Feather sighed. "I didn’t choose to come here. On Freya, I was the greatest prodigy in centuries—the only one close to ascending to godhood. But an ancient darkness has always existed there: the Dark Lord." Her voice turned grim. "I fought the Dark Lord—the same cursed entity that’s plagued us since time began. I won… but the ‘Dark Lord’ is a twisted curse. The victor becomes the next Dark Lord."

(*She didn’t mention the Dark Lord’s aura felt like the Sin Beasts’. These girls were still children. Some truths were too heavy.*)

The others leaned in, wide-eyed. Bai Xin finally blurted: "So… are *you* the Dark Lord now?"

Cold Night Feather shook her head. "I should’ve become one. But *that* necklace on your chest saved me. It shattered the curse, tore through dimensional barriers… and brought me to you."

All eyes turned to the Mystic Necklace resting on Bai Xin’s chest. Lin Mi murmured, "No wonder it felt… magnetic. Like it was pulling me to take it." The others nodded.

Cold Night Feather continued. "That’s its known effect: luring people to seize it. It belongs to Bai Xin—it unlocked her true potential. That’s why I stay by her side: to observe the necklace, and protect her." A sly smile. "I’m her guardian now."

Bai Xin stuffed the necklace under her shirt and glared. "Guardian? More like my older sister."

Cold Night Feather’s grin turned fox-like. "Then say it. ‘Big sister’."

Amid the girls’ teasing, Bai Xin mumbled the words. Cold Night Feather savored the victory—until a vision flashed before her: a golden-haired girl, uncannily like Bai Xin, sweetly calling an silver-haired girl "big sister." *That silver-haired girl… was me.*

(*This vision… Is this why Bai Xin feels familiar? Did we know each other before?*) Cold Night Feather’s crimson eyes glowed faintly as she studied Bai Xin, seeing the golden-haired girl’s shadow.

"Your story sounds like a legend!" Ouyang Meng gushed. "A beautiful heroine’s epic!" The others agreed.

Cold Night Feather’s smile turned mischievous. "Heh… believe it or not? I used to be a man."

Jaws dropped. Literally.