Reborn as an AI: Helping My Past Self Become a Writer

The world shifted around Shen Yuchen as the brilliant light enveloped him, making it impossible to discern where reality ended and the unknown began. He felt weightless, suspended in a place beyond time and space, where even his thoughts seemed to echo into infinity.

Suddenly, the brightness dimmed, replaced by a serene twilight. Shen Yuchen found himself standing in a vast, open field beneath a sky streaked with shimmering auroras. A soft breeze swept through the grass, carrying a faint scent of something familiar—warm, comforting, and yet heartbreakingly distant.

His fingers curled into fists as he scanned the horizon. The emptiness stretched endlessly, broken only by a solitary tree in the distance, its branches twisted yet majestic. Drawn by an unexplainable pull, he began walking toward it.

Meanwhile, in Reality

Su Wanning paced frantically in the cavern where Shen Yuchen had vanished. Her hands trembled as she reached out, touching the cold, stone altar now devoid of its radiant energy. No trace of him remained—only fading runes etched into the surface.

"He's gone... Just like that..." she whispered, voice cracking.

Footsteps echoed behind her. Su Wanning spun around, dagger in hand, only to see Lin Xinyi stepping out from the shadows, her expression unreadable.

"Where is he? What did you do to him?" Su Wanning demanded, her blade glinting threateningly.

Lin Xinyi met her gaze, calm yet firm. "He's where he needs to be."

"That's not an answer!" Su Wanning snapped, lunging forward. "Bring him back! Now!"

With a swift, almost graceful motion, Lin Xinyi sidestepped the attack and caught Su Wanning's wrist, her grip strong but not hostile.

"You think I don't care?" Lin Xinyi hissed, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I have done everything in my power to protect him. But his fate is beyond both of us."

Su Wanning's breath hitched at the raw intensity in Lin Xinyi's voice. She yanked her wrist free but lowered her dagger, uncertainty clouding her fierce resolve.

"What... what is he facing?" she asked quietly.

Lin Xinyi looked away, her gaze distant. "The truth. The part of himself he was never meant to forget."

Back in the Unknown Realm

Shen Yuchen reached the ancient tree, its branches stretching toward the star-speckled sky like pleading hands. Beneath its twisted roots lay a stone bench carved with intricate symbols—similar to the ones on the altar. He hesitated but finally sat down, exhaustion pressing heavily on his shoulders.

As he traced one of the carved runes, a soft voice drifted through the air.

"Still searching for answers?"

He bolted upright, heart pounding. The voice was achingly familiar—warm, soothing... and deeply melancholic.

A figure emerged from the shadows beneath the tree—a woman clad in flowing white, her hair cascading like moonlight. Her face was gentle yet solemn, her gaze piercing yet tender.

"Lin Xinyi?" he breathed, stunned.

But the woman shook her head slowly. "I am not her... but I carry her memory."

Shen Yuchen took a step back, confusion swirling within him. "Who are you? What is this place?"

"This place is where memories converge, where forgotten promises linger," she explained, her voice like a distant melody. "I am... an echo of what was, and what could have been."

"Stop speaking in riddles!" he snapped, frustration boiling over. "What do you want from me?"

The woman regarded him with quiet sadness. "Not what I want... but what you must remember."

Before Shen Yuchen could respond, the sky darkened, and the earth trembled beneath their feet. Ghostly figures emerged from the shadows, their hollow eyes glowing with an eerie light. They moved with an unnatural grace, their twisted forms radiating malice.

"Shadows of the Forgotten," the woman warned, her expression sharpening. "They devour memories... and those who wander too long."

Without hesitation, Shen Yuchen drew his blade, energy crackling along its edge. Despite the surreal circumstances, his combat instincts surged to the forefront.

The first creature lunged, claws gleaming like obsidian. Shen Yuchen parried the strike and countered with a swift slash, dispersing the monster into a cloud of ash-like particles. Yet more emerged, their numbers multiplying with every breath.

"Run!" the woman urged, extending her hand toward him.

For a split second, Shen Yuchen hesitated—but then he grasped her hand, allowing her to pull him into the depths of the twisting roots beneath the ancient tree. As they plunged into the shadows, a strange sensation enveloped him—not fear, but familiarity.

Moments Later

The two stumbled into a hidden cavern illuminated by the soft glow of luminescent crystals. Shen Yuchen released her hand, panting heavily.

"What... were those things?" he gasped, still clutching his blade.

"Manifestations of forgotten memories," she explained. "They thrive in this place... feeding on the past."

Shen Yuchen narrowed his eyes. "You knew they would come. Why lead me here?"

Her gaze softened. "Because only by confronting them... can you reclaim what you've lost."

Before he could respond, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. Fragments of memories—familiar yet distant—flashed before his eyes: a soft laugh, a warm touch, a whispered promise beneath a sky lit by falling stars.

"You remember... don't you?" she whispered, stepping closer.

Shen Yuchen staggered back, overwhelmed. "What... what is this feeling?"

"A forgotten promise," she said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. "One you're not ready to face... but one you can never escape."

As Shen Yuchen struggled to steady himself, the crystals around them pulsed with an eerie rhythm, resonating with the echoes of emotions long buried. His fate was spiraling further into the unknown... and the memories he feared might be the only key to understanding who he truly was.