Fated Rivals

Chapter 1: Echoes of Shadows

Liu stood in a field thick with fog, the air heavy with an unnatural chill. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, only watched as the world unraveled around him. Shadows twisted and stretched, forming the shape of a figure—a man standing tall, blood spilling down his chest, staining the earth beneath him in dark, violent blooms. The figure's face was hidden behind a mask, its edges cracked, but something about him felt painfully familiar.

"Stop..." Liu's voice barely came out, as if he were underwater. The figure swayed, his hand reaching toward Liu in silence. Liu tried to move forward, to close the distance, but his body wouldn't respond.

Suddenly, the masked man fell. Blood sprayed in slow motion, painting the sky red. Despair clawed at Liu's heart as he reached forward, desperate to save him. But the figure crumpled lifelessly to the ground, and a wave of anguish crashed over Liu, stealing his breath. "No!"

A piercing sound shattered the scene. Liu jolted awake, his heart racing as his eyes darted around the room. It took him a moment to realize where he was—in his bed, alone in the faint light of early morning.

The shrill beeping of his alarm clock rang out, insistent and loud. Shaking off the last remnants of the nightmare, Liu let out a shaky sigh and reached over to silence it. His hands were trembling.

It was only a dream, he reminded himself, just a dream. But as he got up to start his day, the feeling of loss lingered, like a shadow he couldn't shake.

Liu took a deep breath, pushing down the lingering dread from his nightmare. He grabbed his bag, pulled on his jacket, and headed out into the crisp morning air. The city was already bustling with early commuters, and Liu fell into step with the familiar rhythm of it all, letting the normalcy of the morning clear his mind.

As he walked, the strange feeling persisted, and his thoughts drifted back to the fragments of the dream. The masked figure, the blood, that overwhelming sense of loss—it all felt too real, like he'd lived it before. But that didn't make sense. Liu had no memory of ever meeting someone like that. Just a dream, he reminded himself again, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. It didn't mean anything.

At the school gate, students filed in, laughing and chatting, their voices filling the courtyard. Liu felt himself relax as he entered the familiar grounds, the sounds and sights of school life gradually easing his unsettled mood. But just as he was starting to get back into the routine, a strange sensation washed over him. He glanced around, an odd sense of déjà vu tugging at his mind as he scanned the faces of the students around him.

A few familiar faces nodded his way as he passed, but Liu barely registered them. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was... missing, or maybe misplaced.

"Liu! There you are," a voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned to see his friend, Zhao Pei, jogging up to him with an easy grin.

"You okay, man?" Zhao asked, noticing Liu's expression. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Liu forced a small smile. "Yeah, just... didn't sleep well."

Zhao gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "I hear you. My alarm clock nearly killed me this morning," he joked. "Come on, let's get to class before Ms. Zhang decides we need another 'motivational lecture.'"

The two headed toward their classroom together, Zhao's easy banter grounding Liu back in the present. By the time they reached their seats, Liu managed to shake off the last of his lingering thoughts about the dream.