The waves crashed softly against the shore, carrying the silence of a grey sky. The cold sand clung to the small, dirty body of an unconscious boy. His disheveled hair and pale face were partially buried under wet grains, as if the earth itself wanted to hide him from the world.
Ye Wu awoke with a ragged gasp, coughing up saltwater. His body trembled, muscles ached, and a mild fever burned under his skin. He felt like he had died… but he was alive. Again. And once more, alone.
He looked around with difficulty. He was on a rocky, deserted coast, surrounded by low cliffs and thick morning mist. The smell of the sea invaded his nostrils, mixed with the bitter taste of salt in his mouth.
"Where am I?" he thought, propping himself up with effort. But the answer didn't matter — what mattered most was that the Crimson Lotus was still there. Silent, dormant, buried deep in his mind. He could feel it, faint, but present.
That was when he heard voices in the distance. Footsteps on the sand. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out. His vision swam.
— "Someone's there!" — a rough male voice called. — "Quick, Ying! There's a child on the beach!"
Moments later, a couple of fishermen reached him. The man, strong and hollow-eyed, knelt beside him, turning him over carefully. The woman, short and weathered, gasped and brought a hand to her mouth.
— "He... he looks just like Ah Wu…"
— "Ying, that's not possible… Ah Wu died months ago. This boy…"
— "But look at him, Tao. The eyes, the face… it's like he came back…"
Ye Wu barely registered the words, his mind too foggy to react. He was slipping into unconsciousness again. The last thing he saw was the kind face of the woman, her eyes full of tears, before being lifted into strong arms.
---
A Few Days Later
Ye Wu slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on a straw bed, covered in stitched-together furs. The ceiling was made of poorly treated wood, and the sound of waves still echoed faintly nearby. A light scent of dried fish and herbs hung in the air.
He was in a cabin.
— "He's awake!" — Ying's joyful voice rang out as she entered with a bowl of soup. — "Thank the heavens… I thought we were going to lose him like we lost our Ah Wu."
Ye Wu frowned. "Ah Wu?"
— "Don't be scared, dear," she said gently. — "We found you on the beach, alone, barely breathing. My name is Ying, and this is Tao, my husband. We're fishermen. Do you remember your name?"
Ye Wu hesitated. It was a simple question. But when he tried to answer, he felt nothing. He remembered his past life, his death… but he didn't know this body's name. If it even had one.
So, he just shook his head.
— "It's alright," Tao said, stepping into the room. — "If you want, you can stay with us for now. We lost our son… and you appeared as if the heavens returned him to us. You can use his name, if you don't mind. Ah Wu."
Ye Wu nodded slowly. Ah Wu… It sounded strange, but useful. A name was just a shell. What mattered was what he did with it.
---
Night – Silent Reflections
Alone in bed, Ye Wu assessed his situation. His body was weak, around nine years old — far too young. But his mind was that of a seasoned manipulator. He knew he needed time, patience… and information.
First, regain strength. Then, understand the world around him.
He could still feel the Crimson Lotus, but it was weak. The emotional essence that fueled it was nearly depleted. He knew how to feed it: strong emotions. Especially negative ones.
But he wasn't foolish. For now, he would act like a normal child. He would observe. Learn. And only stir chaos when he was sure he could survive the consequences.
For now, he was just little Ah Wu, an orphan without memory adopted by a kind couple.
Inside, however… he was still Ye Wu. And that was the seed of the future — one that would bloom in blood and silence.
---
English is not my first language, and I'm still learning. This fanfic is something I'm writing just for fun and personal satisfaction. I appreciate your understanding and patience with any mistakes al
ong the way!
Let me know if you want to tweak or expand anything else!