A clear sky stretched above, dotted only with wisps of white clouds drifting lazily.

A boy lay on a bench atop the school roof, staring blankly at the blue-and-white expanse. But his fiery red eyes reflected none of it. Instead, they held an empty void, as if his soul had vanished.

His fiery red hair was messy. Bandages wrapped both arms, and band-aids dotted his face. Not a single spot on his body looked intact.

Slowly, the boy raised his hand toward the sky, as if grasping for something. Suddenly, a foot kicked him off the bench. His forehead slammed into the ground. A rough voice followed.

"You're here! Run an errand for me!"

A young man with a pompadour sneered, flanked by two lackeys.

The boy stood, wiping the "blood" dripping from his head with his bandaged arm. He extended his right hand toward the pompadour and said flatly, "Money."

His tone held no emotion, irritating the pompadour. But he knew the boy would never use his own cash for errands. He'd beaten him many times—useless. Besides, the boy was still "bleeding."

Knowing lunch would vanish if he dragged this out, the pompadour clicked his tongue and signaled his lackeys.

They tossed money at the boy. He glanced at the amount, then headed for the stairwell.

After closing the rooftop door, he wiped the "blood" from his forehead with his bandage. From his pocket, he pulled a band-aid and stuck it on his unblemished skin.

.........

The afternoon bell rang. The boy grabbed his backpack to leave. His phone buzzed.

"Little Yi, stop by the supermarket on your way back. Your master got drunk and ate all the raw meat from the fridge as a drinking snack."

Reading the message from his master's wife, his lips twitched. He sighed, realizing his master's idiocy again. "Whatever," he muttered. "The blood-red paint’s almost gone. Time to buy more materials."

He left the classroom and quickly exited the school.

Eight years had passed. Yan Yi was sixteen now, a first-year high school student.

His physique defied human norms. He never tried befriending classmates. Keeping his distance, he faded from their view. But he miscalculated: solitude made him a target for bullies. Yan Yi didn’t care—they couldn’t hurt his detached heart. Let them be.

Leaving the supermarket, Yan Yi planned his evening. Help his master’s wife cook dinner. Finish homework fast. Then reread yesterday’s book.

Boredom had driven him to master many skills over the years. His natural gifts brought success—even surpassing his master in martial arts. But now, he had nothing left to desire. Yan Yi felt his life was over. Whatever came next, he’d endure. Little did he know, this was only the beginning—

At the crosswalk, the pedestrian light glowed red. Yan Yi stopped, watching cars stream past.

"Just as expected. Every day’s the same. No change."

He felt the crowd around him, the endless traffic. Glancing at his hand, he muttered with a hint of self-mockery.

He should have vanished silently long ago. Hadn’t fate checkmated him since that day?

As he lamented, a luxury sports car sped past him—way over the limit.

That car’s speeding like crazy. Not even a red light. Why rush?

"Come back!" A scream cut through the air. Yan Yi turned. A mother shouted at her daughter, who’d chased a balloon onto the road.

Simultaneously, the speeding car charged toward the girl. Unaware, she kept running.

Onlookers’ eyes widened. The mother sprinted faster, but Yan Yi knew it was too late. The car was too fast.

Always like this. People unlock their potential in crises. But if it’s a step too late—what then?

"Sigh." Yan Yi let out a soft sigh, releasing his grocery bags. In a blur, he appeared before the girl. One hand grabbed the balloon and tied it to her wrist. The other scooped her up and gently tossed her toward her mother. The whole move took under a second. He controlled the force perfectly—no harm done.

The mother’s eyes widened. Instinctively, she caught her daughter just as the girl cleared the car’s path. The vehicle screeched to a halt.

No fiery-haired boy remained. No one was hit. It seemed the girl had bounced back on her own.

Only two grocery bags lay on the distant sidewalk, hinting a boy had stood there moments ago.

.........

If one word described Yan Yi’s feeling now, it was utter confusion. What the hell was happening?

He blinked rapidly, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again.

An illusion? What were these red-furred, wolf-like creatures before him?

Yan Yi stood in a small clearing. Endless dense forest surrounded him. Red monsters, wolf-shaped, encircled him. Dozens of red eyes glowed from the trees too.

Was I hit and flew to a zoo? No zoo nearby. Did I bump my head? Impossible. I can’t be hit. Even if a car smashed my skull, the car would break—not me. Absolutely certain!

Yan Yi rested his right hand on his forehead, deep in thought. Truly pondering.

As he desperately wondered, "Who am I? Why here? Where to go?", the wolves grew restless. The front one lunged—a pack’s probing attack.

The wolf was puzzled. Humans usually fled or froze. This boy? He ignored them completely.

Enraged, it aimed to snap his throat, adding to the pack’s meal.

But to its shock, the human’s left hand shot out. It clamped the wolf’s jaws shut, lifted the beast effortlessly, and held it motionless in the air.