The sky fractured like a shattered mirror, cracks of light splitting the heavens apart. For some reason, the world was falling apart. People were disappearing, their bodies flickering and dissolving in flashes of blinding light.

  Leah ran from the park, her shoes slapping against the pavement as the ground beneath her began to crumble. Trees were shattering then falling apart like glass, their leaves disintegrating into glittering dust. She didn’t know where to go. There was no safe place, no explanation. Just chaos.

  Just right in front of her, hovered a transparent, white, board that seemed completely out of place amidst the destruction. It floated in the air, perfectly following along in front of her.

  The glowing letters on its surface pulsed faintly, displaying a single line of text:

  **Loading into the new world.**

  She didn’t know what that meant, but the words made her gasp. The ground trembled beneath her, and she glanced around, seeing more and more people vanish. Leah’s breath quickened, her heart pounding as her legs threatened to give out.

  The words on the board shifted, displaying a new line of text:

  **Please stand by.**

  Before she could react, the earth beneath her feet cracked open. Panic surged through her, but before she could take another step, a blinding light engulfed her. It wasn’t warm. It didn’t comfort her. It just… took her.

  Her last thoughts, before the world swallowed her whole, was a fleeting worry.

  "Dad, please stay safe."

  ***

  Leah blinked, disoriented. She was no longer on the crumbling streets, But instead she was inside of a blue bubble. She looked around and found that she was surrounded on all sides by an endless expanse of similar bubbles.

  They were all moving in the same direction, floating through an eerie, white void. There was no sound, no sense of wind or warmth. Just the soft movement of that came from the bubble. She reached out, her fingers brushing the smooth surface of the bubble, and flinched as it felt cool and solid beneath her touch.

  She blinked again, trying to make sense of her surroundings. It didn’t feel real. Leah swallowed hard, her breath shallow. The air around her was unnaturally still, like time itself had been frozen. She couldn’t even hear her own heartbeat.

  For a moment, she closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them, everything would return to normal. But when she looked again, the bubbles hadn’t disappeared. She wasn’t back on Earth. She wasn’t anywhere.

  Something far underneath her had caught her eye. Leah's gaze dropped down, and she watched as a bulge shifted within the endless void beneath her. A strange movement, like the inside of a balloon being pushed from the outside, made the void ripple. Leah's mind raced. What was that?

  Without warning, a sudden tremor shot through the bubble, and Leah's body jolted as if the very fabric of this place had been disturbed. The tremor passed, and Leah found herself pressing against the sides of the bubble for stability.

  She stared down with wide eyes. That thing that was beneath her… it was about to burst through. Leah’s heart pounded as she watched the strange bulge grow larger. Then, a crack in the void appeared.

  The crack widened, its edges jagged and bright. And out from it came a massive hand. Leah’s eyes widened in horror as the enormous hand pushed through the crack, its fingers stretching outward.

  Its grey, static-like texture rippled as it moved upwards. The impossibly large hand covered most of Leah's view, each finger as thick as a skyscraper. It cut across the stream of millions of bubbles, and eclipsed the sky in front of her.

  It moved back down, cupping its hand, and scooping down a cluster of bubbles. Leah felt her bubble jolt violently, tumbling among the others in the massive grip. Her stomach lurched, and she clung to the bubble’s surface, desperate for something to hold onto.

  The giant hand carried the bubbles away, and Leah along with them. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening, was this some kind of nightmare? A hallucination?

  They moved back down into the glowing crack, disappearing into its brightness. Leah shielded her eyes as the light swallowed everything. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the light was gone.

  She was falling.

  The hand that had scooped her up was gone, as was the white void she had been in. All that remained was the vast expanse of space behind her, and a new world stretching out below.

  She tried to scream but no sound escaped her lips. Her body tumbled through the sky, spinning uncontrollably as gravity took hold. She would have been sick, if her stomach hadn't been twisted in knots already.

  But something more worrying was happening to her. Her body was becoming transparent, with her skin fading into a soft blue hue. Her consciousness was slipping away, and her thoughts were becoming fragmented.

  The world below grew closer, the ground a blur of colours. She let out one last shaky breath before everything went dark.

  ***

  Leah awoke with a sudden jolt, her body feeling heavy yet strange. She was swimming inside of some sort of red liquid, her body sluggish and disoriented. The liquid surrounded her like a thick, viscous gel, and she could barely move her arms and legs. Panic set in as she realized she couldn’t breathe.

  She moved her hand and felt the soft, yielding membrane around her. Leah’s heart pounded in her chest. She pressed harder, desperate to break free. Her hand found a weak spot in the membrane, and with one last, frantic push, she broke through.

  Leah emerged from the red liquid with a gasp, her chest heaving as she pulled herself free. She fell for a few moments before landing on the cold, uneven ground. She lay there, breathless, disoriented, and blinking as she tried to make sense of the world around her.

  The first thing she noticed was her own body. Her limbs were thin. Her skin was a vivid crimson shade. And black hair, drenched in the strange liquid, clung to her face and shoulders.

  Her hands trembled as she pushed herself up, her fingers sinking slightly into the damp surface beneath her. Leah stood shakily. This place that she was in produced no light, but she could see perfectly fine.

  Looking up, she could see a bunch of pulsating red cocoons hanging from the ceiling like grotesque fruit. Leah's heart raced, confusion swirling in her mind as she surveyed her surroundings. Why the hell was she here?

  She was still struggling to understand what was happening to her, but she understood that standing around wouldn’t help her get the answers she wanted.

  She put one wary footstep in front of her, but that’s when she noticed something coming from her back. Leah instinctively reached behind her and felt two smooth, flexible objects. She pulled one in front of her and saw what appeared to be a translucent red wing.

  The wing was thin, like the membrane of an insect, but with strange glowing red veins running through it, pulsing faintly with light. Leah froze, staring at it in disbelief. She had wings. What had she turned into? She would have to figure that out later. For now, she had to find her bearings.

  The room, or whatever this place was, had an opening ahead of her that led to a corridor that split to the right and left. She moved forward, but still wobbling from side to side as she was still getting used to her foreign body.

  Once she reached the opening, her gaze shifted between the two paths ahead. The right path seemed to lead deeper and down into a narrow tunnel, while the left led to a wider space where a faint light was pulsing from.

  Leah hesitated for a moment, then decided to move left, instinctively feeling like that was the better direction to go. As she moved through the passage, she noticed a puddle of water on the ground. Her eyes narrowed as she knelt down to get a better look, the surface of the water reflecting an unfamiliar, distorted image of her own face.

  Leah stared at her reflection in the water. The face staring back at her wasn’t the one she remembered. Her eyes were sharp, a glowing crimson, and her ears were pointed, poking out through her hair. But if all that wasn’t shocking enough, she looked like a twelve year old girl, her body unnaturally small for someone who had been an adult just a few moments ago.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  She got back up on her feet. She would figure all this out later. As she continued down the passage, a cold wind blew through the corridor, brushing against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. She grabbed onto her wings and wrapped them around herself, making a makeshift cloak out of them.

  Leah continued to move down the passage, with each step feeling increasingly uncertain. The dim light ahead grew brighter as she moved forward and eventually she soon found herself at the entrance.

  She shielded her eyes as she looked out into a white snow covered forest that stretched out endlessly before her.

  It was snowing heavily with frost and ice swirling through the air. The chill of the snow hit her exposed skin, but it was somehow not as bad as she was expecting.

  She wondered if leaving this underground place was the right decision, but staying here wouldn’t help her find any help.

  She was about to take a step forward when a rectangular red window suddenly flashed in front of her eyes.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  'Initializing status…'

  Leah flinched, her breath catching as she took a step back. The glowing red text hovered in the air, solid yet intangible. It didn’t disappear when she blinked, and when she waved her hand through it, nothing happened.

  Then the message flickered and changed.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  'Initialization complete. 18th Generation ERROR. Welcome to Terra.'

  Leah’s breath came out in short, visible puffs as she stared at the floating message. Terra. Is that where she was now?

  The system message faded, only to be replaced by another larger box. Two tabs appeared at the top of the new window: [Status] and [Skills]. Leah hesitated, then focused on the first tab.

  The moment she thought about selecting it, the window shifted. It expanded, revealing two lists that were displayed side by side.

  **Overview**

  Name: Leah

  Race: Lesser Blood Fairy

  Level: 1

  Health: 92/100

  Blood Mana: 30/30

  **Attributes**

  Strength: 5

  Agility: 10

  Intelligence: 8

  Attribute Points: 10

  Her eyes next flickered to the skills tab. This window was also divided into two sections: Active Skills and Passive Skills. However, most of the list was empty, aside from the three entries under active skills and one entry under passive skills.

  **Active Skills**

  Blood Generation (Proficiency 0%) – The ability to generate and manipulate your own blood. Allows the creation of weapons, barriers, and other constructs from blood.

  Blood Tendrils (Proficiency 0%) – The ability to extend and manipulate tendrils of blood, useful for attacking, grappling, or interacting with the environment.

  Flight (Proficiency 0%) – The ability to take flight. Costs blood mana to use.

  **Passive Skills**

  Enhanced Senses (Proficiency 0%) – Heightened awareness of your surroundings, allowing you to detect changes in the environment, sense hidden threats, and even detect faint traces of blood in the air.

  Leah’s fingers twitched at her sides. The information was laid out so clearly, like something out of a video game. She felt a dull ache in her skull as she tried to process it all. She wasn’t human anymore, her race was listed as 'Blood Fairy'. The red skin, the wings. It all lined up.

  She took a deep breath. No matter how strange this was, she needed to focus. She dismissed the screen with a thought, and looked back out into the snow covered landscape.

  With a deep breath, she took her first step into the snow. It crunched underfoot as she slowly adjusted to the cold. Leah wrapped her wings more tightly around herself, an instinctual comfort as she trudged forward.

  As she walked, the trees around her grew more and more imposing, their dark silhouettes cut against the pale snow. She pressed on forward, until, something in the air made her pause.

  A faint metallic scent tickled her nose. She turned her head left. It was coming from that direction of the woods, faint but unmistakable. The smell of blood. Instinctively, she moved towards the smell.

  Leah's steps quickened as she followed the scent of blood, her senses sharpening with every stride. The metallic odor grew stronger, and soon, her sharp eyes caught sight of a shadow moving in the distance between the trees.

  She stopped, breath catching in her throat as she saw the beast. It was a white wolf, limping through the snow, its fur matted and stained red. Leah could see the shallow rise and fall of its chest, struggling to move as its legs buckled beneath it. A trail of blood smeared the snow, leading back to a darkened thicket.

  Now that it was on the ground, Leah could see a few arrows jotting out from its side, blood dripping steadily from the wounds. It seemed to be struggling, barely clinging to life as it limped through the snow, leaving a trail of crimson behind.

  Something deep stirred within Leah. Her mouth hang open as she stared at the wounded wolf, the scent of its blood filling her senses. It was strange, but she didn’t feel disgust or fear—just a deep, involuntary pull. Her blood seemed to thrum in her veins, her wings vibrating slightly as her body reacted to the sight of a wounded creature.

  She didn’t think, she just acted.

  With a surge of energy, Leah darted forward, her movements awkward but swift for her small, unfamiliar body. She reached the wolf in a matter of moments, kneeling beside it. The creature’s pained eyes met hers, but it didn’t resist as she lowered her mouth to the wolf’s neck. Her lips peeled back, revealing sharp fangs as she sank them into the wolf’s flesh.

  The warm blood filled her, sending a surge of energy through her. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The taste was both soothing and intoxicating, her body drinking in the essence of life itself.

  The wolf shuddered beneath her. Leah, with her new strength, pressed down the head of the wolf, stopping it from moving. With each gulp, she felt her strength growing.

  When she finally pulled away, the wolf’s body was limp, its life drained. Leah wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand, feeling a strange satisfaction.

  As her eyes fell back down on the wolf’s corpse, her eyes went wide realizing what she had done. Leah’s chest heaved as she stood over the wolf, her body still thrumming with the energy it had given her.

  Leah’s hands trembled as she stepped back, her wide crimson eyes never leaving the animal. A flash of doubt crossed her mind. She had fed on it. A creature’s life had ended because of her. She hadn’t even thought twice before doing it.

  A moment later, a window popped up in front of her.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  'You have consumed a foe.'

  'You have gained 5 Strength.'

  'You have gained 2 Agility.'

  'You have gained experience.'

  Leah's mind raced as she stood there, still feeling the aftermath of what she had just done.

  The cold wind howled through the trees, snapping Leah out of her thoughts. She blinked and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She again noticed the arrows embed into the wolf’s body. Then, a thought went through Leah’s mind. Who was chasing this wolf?

  And as almost on cue, a rustling sound came from the trees ahead. Leah’s body tensed, her enhanced senses catching the faint crunch of snow beneath careful, deliberate steps.

  Then, an arrow was loosed from the shadows.

  Leah barely had time to react before the projectile whistled through the air toward her. Instinct took over, her wings flared, and she twisted to the side. The arrow grazed past her shoulder, embedding itself into the snow with a dull thunk.

  Her heart pounded. She spun toward the direction it had come from, her glowing red eyes narrowing. The rustling in the trees grew louder, and soon, figures emerged from the dense underbrush.

  Three of them.

  They were like humanoid children—being the same size as Leah, clad in thick furs and leather armour, their faces partially obscured by scarves and hoods. Their gear looked rugged, worn by the elements, and each carried a bow.

  Leah got a good look at the face of the one in front. The creature had white skin, a long nose, and sharp, beady eyes that locked onto her with wary intensity. Its mouth twisted into a snarl, revealing jagged, yellowed teeth. The two behind it nocked arrows, their small but steady hands holding their bows at the ready.

  She would have wondered what these creatures were, if not for the name 'snow goblin' hanging in the air above them in yellow letters.

  The one in front opened its mouth to speak.

  The snow goblin in the lead glared at Leah, its voice rough and guttural as it spoke. "You’ll regret taking what’s ours, blood fairy."

  "This one is a youngling," another said. "Their flesh is tasty. Let’s take her back and offer her to the chief."

  Leah's blood ran cold at the snow goblins' words. She felt the weight of their gaze, each one sizing her up as a potential prey. The fear and uncertainty of her situation flared again, but a spark of defiance ignited within her.

  She thought back on the skills panel she had seen. The blood tendril was the first thing that came to her mind. She didn’t have much time to think, so she reacted on instinct.

  Both her hands shot out, palms facing the snow goblins, and she focused on drawing the blood from her body.

  Then the tendrils shot out like two striking snakes, wrapping around the bows and yanking them from the goblins' hands. The snow goblins let out startled yelps as their weapons were torn away from them.

  Leah’s heart pounded as she retracted her tendrils, then shot them back toward to the two goblins. This time, the blood tendrils wrapped around their limbs, pulling them off balance. The goblin at the centre snarled and charged at her.

  Leah barely had time to react as the charging snow goblin rushed toward her with surprising speed for its small size. Its jagged teeth bared in a furious grimace, and Leah used her wings to propel herself backward, narrowly avoiding the goblin’s swipe.

  As she landed, she flicked her hand, sending another blood tendril out to strike at the goblin’s legs. It tangled around its ankles, yanking its feet out from under it. The goblin tumbled to the snow-covered ground with a grunt.

  Leah noticed the other two goblins scrambling to their feet. She hurriedly disconnected the blood tendrils from her hands and turned around. She looked for, then spotted the arrow that was fired at her. She grabbed it and, with a swift motion, turned back around and drove the arrow into the forehead of the goblin that had lunged at her. A sickening squelch sounded out as the arrow sank deep into the goblin’s skull, and it slumped to the ground, lifeless.

  But Leah didn’t stop. She yanked the arrow free, and turned her attention to the next nearest goblin. She had to be quick.

  Without hesitation she lunged forward, her wings flaring out as she leapt. The goblin caught sight of her before she closed the distance, its beady eyes widening in alarm. It fumbled for a dagger at its waist, but Leah was faster. She drove the arrow into its eye, feeling the sharp tip pierce and sink deep into its head.

  The goblin let out a strangled cry, its body spasming before it crumpled into the snow. Leah barely had time to process the kill before she turned her attention to the last remaining goblin.

  This one had managed to retrieve its bow, but its hands were trembling. Leah took a step towards it, but then, the goblin turned tail and bolted into the trees, its short legs kicking up snow as it fled.

  Leah hesitated for a moment, her breath coming fast. Her instincts screamed at her to chase it down—eliminate the last threat before it could warn others.

  But her body ached from the sudden exertion. She let out a slow breath and straightened, flicking the blood off her hands. The fight had been fast, brutal. She had killed without hesitation. And yet, she didn’t feel sick this time.

  A moment later, Leah noticed a feeling that the system was stirring again. A faint chime echoed in her ears, and glowing red text appeared in the air before her.

  [System Message]

  'You have defeated Snow Goblins (2).' 'Experience gained.'

  'Level Up! You are now Level 2.'

  'One attribute point gained.'

  A rush of warmth spread through Leah’s body, followed by a momentary lightness, as if something inside her had expanded. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was noticeable. She felt, stronger. More powerful.

  Leah exhaled, her breath visible in the frigid air. She looked down at the lifeless corpses of the goblins. If she was going to survive in this world, then she needed to adapt. Fast.