Changing Fates: The Second Chance [under editing]

Chapter 1: A Shift in Time

A Shift in Time :

Wei Wuxian was standing at the precipice of his death, surrounded by cold winds, blood, and the bitter memories of everything he had lost. His eyes, heavy with pain, slowly closed as his last breath left his body. The battlefield was silent. His once-boisterous laughter, which used to fill the halls of the Jiang sect, was no more. He had given up, choosing death as his way out.

And then, darkness.

But as soon as the cold darkness embraced him, Wei Wuxian's consciousness was pulled into something warm, and with a jolt, he found himself gasping for air, heart racing. His eyes snapped open, and he was met with the familiar sight of the Jiang family's estate.

Confusion struck him like lightning.

"How...?"

He sat up quickly, his body trembling. His eyes darted around, seeing familiar but younger faces. His hands trembled, his heart pounded, and fear gnawed at him. Was this another nightmare? Had he survived his death only to wake up in the past? His body ached from phantom wounds, and his head was filled with the images of the people he had lost-the people he failed to protect.

Jiang Yanli's gentle voice pierced the silence as she entered the courtyard. "A-Xian? What's wrong? You look pale."

Wei Wuxian blinked. She was alive. Alive! His eyes misted over with emotions he couldn't suppress. Her warm presence, her soft gaze-it was all real. It was too much.

"N-nothing, shijie..." His voice cracked, but he forced a smile. She looked at him with concern, her soft hands brushing his forehead, checking for fever.

"You're acting strange," Jiang Cheng added, standing beside their sister. His brow furrowed, his usual stern demeanor masking his underlying worry. "What's gotten into you? You're unusually quiet."

Wei Wuxian couldn't meet their eyes. He had seen their deaths, witnessed the horrors, and lived through the pain of loss. Now, seeing them alive and well shook him to his core. He felt... undeserving of this second chance.

"Just tired," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's nothing."

But it wasn't nothing. It was everything. He didn't understand why he was here, back in the past, but the weight of what was to come, what he had already lived through, suffocated him. He wanted to protect them all. Yet the burden of the future gnawed at him, slowly eroding his once vibrant personality.

Jiang Cheng shared a worried look with Jiang Yanli, but neither pressed further. The sibling bond between them was strong, yet even Jiang Cheng couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Days later, the group was instructed to go to the Cloud Recesses for study. Wei Wuxian's heart clenched as memories from his first visit flooded back-the carefree days, the teasing, the infamous prank where he almost set the library pavilion on mess. But now, walking through the gates of the Lan sect, his steps were hesitant. His chest felt tight, his breath uneven.

Lan Qiren greeted the new disciples with his usual stern expression, his lectures beginning almost immediately. But Wei Wuxian remained silent, his mind plagued by thoughts of Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, and the Wen sect's future destruction. The vivid memories made him feel distant, as though he no longer belonged.

"Grandmaster Lan," Wei Wuxian called out to Lan Qiren during one of the lectures, his voice unnaturally soft. "If a man makes mistakes in his past, does he deserve forgiveness?"

Lan Qiren, taken aback by the unusual question, studied him. Wei Wuxian's words carried a weight that startled him, but he answered as he always did. "Mistakes can be corrected if one is truly repentant. But the path of righteousness must be upheld."

Wei Wuxian didn't reply. Instead, his eyes drifted to Lan Wangji, who sat quietly beside his brother. Lan Wangji's face was expressionless, as it always was-calm, disciplined, unreadable to most. But Wei Wuxian, knowing the future, felt shame coil in his gut.

When their eyes met, Wei Wuxian flinched, the memory of their future tearing at him like sharp claws. The shame of what he had become, of how he hurt Lan Wangji and everyone else in the future, overwhelmed him. His heart constricted painfully, and he immediately looked away, avoiding the intensity of Lan Wangji's gaze.

Lan Wangji's eyes followed him, though his face remained impassive. He didn't say much, just gave a quiet, "Mhm," in response to anything directed at him. But in those quiet moments, he was studying Wei Wuxian closely, his curiosity growing as he noticed the stark change in the once carefree young man. Beside him, Lan Xichen, the only one who could truly understand the subtle nuances of Lan Wangji's behavior, glanced between the two.

It wasn't long before the rumors began. Jiang Cheng, who had been observing Wei Wuxian's unusual behavior, confided in Jiang Yanli during one of their private conversations. "Something's wrong with him, shijie. He's not the same Wei Wuxian who teased me and broke rules for fun. He's... quieter. He avoids everyone, especially Lan Wangji."

Unbeknownst to them, their conversation had been overheard by the Lan brothers. It was against the rules of their sect to listen in on private matters, but the worry in Jiang Cheng's voice had caught Lan Xichen's attention. Lan Wangji remained silent, but his gaze became even more intent on Wei Wuxian.

"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji murmured under his breath, deep in thought.

The days passed, and Wei Wuxian continued to break the Lan sect's strict rules, but not out of mischief-he seemed distracted, haunted. Each time, he was punished by Lan Qiren, but Lan Xichen couldn't help but notice the sadness in Wei Wuxian's eyes.

It was during one of their missions that Wei Wuxian encountered Lan Xichen alone. They passed each other in the forest, Lan Xichen's warm demeanor reaching out to him. But instead of speaking, Wei Wuxian merely nodded in acknowledgment, avoiding Lan Xichen's gaze entirely.

"Be careful," Wei Wuxian muttered, his voice strained.

Lan Xichen stopped, turning back to look at him. "Wei-gongzi... is something troubling you?"

Wei Wuxian didn't answer. He quickened his pace, distancing himself from one of the twin jade of Lan once more. Lan Xichen's smile faded as he watched the young man retreat into the shadows, his worry for Wei Wuxian growing.

-:-