This wasn't supposed to go like this. It wasn't supposed to end like this! We were supposed to fly into the sunset filthy rich, not die like this.

A cough escaped me as I felt something warm trickle down my chin. It was too much blood, I hadn't even realized what kind of wound I'd just sustained. My eyes fluttered open as the pain of the wound intensified. Everything looked blurry as the edges seemed to waver.

As I lay there bleeding to death, all I could think of was a certain pair of green eyes and the smell of flowers in springtime.

How, I wished we'd just stayed in Shanghai, just stayed together, where there were flowers to take care of each other, and I didn't have to fight so hard for everything. If things hadn't changed so drastically, if they'd just stayed together, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now.

I was pretty sure If I had stayed, I wouldn't have been shot in the back by that woman, I've always prided myself on being a good Thief, I've pulled off some of the most daring heists in the city, and I've never been caught. That's why I knew I could pull off this job, when this job was commissioned.

If you're going to take a big risk, big risk high reward does it right, and I've done that, and I can do it again.

But this time... I couldn't do this alone! I needed a hacker who could circumvent the security system in place, a spy, someone who had a knack for infiltrating places and people without getting noticed by their guards, a Hustler or two who could create a large enough distraction to give me the space and cover I needed to get my job done, a fence who could smuggle the dammed tripod to our client and most importantly an inside man or in this case an inside woman who turned out to be a turncoat, and the death of me,

but still... It should have not happened like this! We'd been partners for six months, for fuck's sake!

But no matter how many times I told myself this was not possible here I was dying,

in every single moment of my life, I had never doubted my ability to come through.

So, in my last moments on this earth, I kept revising my plan the target had been a reclusive asshole who had put on a private exhibition which was held at the at a private remote villa worth millions, who wanted to flex his private collection.

My target the centrepiece was a 9th century A.D tripod, worth millions of dollars, and I had been tasked to steal and deliver it to my employer.

For that I spent months studying the millionaire's private security system, figuring out the best way to get in and out undetected, weeks before I even thought to assemble a team and get into the into that castle of a house.

I was meticulous about planning everything and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I had vetted each one of my partners in crime, and everything went flawlessly until the very end.

My mind was slipping away, but I couldn't let go just yet.

I had to find a way to survive this, to make sure I didn't die in vain.

As I lay there, my thoughts drifted back to the exhibition and the security system.

The security guards had been well-trained, but I was better. I had taken down two of them without breaking a sweat.

I made my way past the security checkpoints, relying on my years of training and experience and the well-versed guidance from my hacker which allowed me to by-pass the cameras and security feed.

Once I reached the exhibit, I used my patterns to create a distraction and to shut off the electricity to the building for forty-five seconds in order to get to the tripod.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I knew that I only had a small window of time to grab the tripod and get out before the security systems rebooted. And that's exactly what I did. I grabbed the tripod, and my team and I made our way out.

But once we reached our switch location, everything went wrong. Men dressed for war in tactical gear and armour ambushed us. I fought back at least I tried to I got off a single shot before that woman who we hired to infiltrate the villa shot me in the back.

I managed to shoot her in the foot and she dropped the gun, before falling to her knees screaming.

Her scream rang in my ears as I collapsed on top of the tripod, trying to reach for my knife, but it was futile.

I heard a gunshot, and everything went dizzy. The pain was intense, and I knew I was dying.

But as I lay there, my mind drifting away, I couldn't help but think of my partners, who were dead or dying. We were supposed to fly into the sunset filthy rich, but instead, we were dying one by one.

I thought of the green-eyed girl, the one I had left behind in Shanghai. The one who had promised to wait for me. I wished I could have stayed with her, taken care of her, instead of risking my life for a job. But that wasn't who I was. I was a thief, and I lived for the thrill of the heist.

Am I about to die?

As I felt a sharp pain, I couldn't help but think that this was what it was like to be shot. With my life force rapidly leaving my body, my heart grew colder, and I wondered if this was the end.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I let out a faint laugh at the bitter shortness of life and my own confusion and hesitation.

It was only now faced with death, that I realized what truly mattered.

As tears streaked down my cheeks, I couldn't help but think of her.

Even though NOW! she was engaged to someone else, her elegant and refined complexion remained engraved in my mind, becoming even more unforgettable with passaging time.

I wondered how she would react when she heard of my death and what I did for living will she even hear about me. Would she sigh, or would she shed tears in grief?

The memories of the past flooded my mind, and I regretted not understanding the truth sooner.

I reached out to grasp onto something, but everything was out of my reach, and my life had reached its limit.

The pain in my chest was unbearable, and I couldn't help but wonder what wrongs I had committed in my past life to be tormented like this in this life.

As my mind calmed down, Now, as I felt my life slipping away, I couldn't help but think of the tripod.

It was worth millions of dollars, lying under me, its preciousness now useless.

As the darkness crept in, I knew I had to accept my fate.

There was no way out of this. I had failed, and now I was paying the price. But I couldn't help but think of the green-eyed woman and the smell of flowers in springtime. I hoped that wherever I was going, I would be able to see her again.

In the end, I closed my eyes, and let the darkness take over. But then, something strange happened.

I felt like I was being pulled into a vortex, like I was being sucked into something.

I cried out as I felt unbearable pain erupt throughout my body, as if someone was cutting into my flesh with a knife. I felt like a part of my soul was ripped from me, as if my body was slowly disintegrating, losing every bit of its self.

I felt cold and hot at the same time as raging pain tore through me.

I felt like dying as my body involuntarily contracted and released itself. The feeling was agonizing, but then, suddenly everything stopped.

Then the pain disappeared, and I opened my eyes. After an eternity in which I waited with bated breath, waiting for my heartbeat to finally slow down, I took a deep breath.

My body felt weak and shaky, like something weighed my limbs down.

I wondered what had happened.

Everything was dark and hazy; I struggled to see anything around me as blinding light flashed all around me.

I felt like I was suffocating, and I wanted air desperately but my lungs didn't seem capable of working.

I began to panic.

I tried to move my arms and legs, but I couldn't feel them. I tried to call out for help, but my voice was gone.

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and scratchy. I tried to move my head, but I couldn't.

I tried to breathe, but I couldn't.

I felt hopeless, alone, scared and confused. All I could do was lie there helplessly watching the world pass by in front of me.

Suddenly, the blinding lights dimmed and I felt like I had gotten a bit of clarity. The next thing I knew I was lying in a field, covered in flowers.

The sun shone brightly above me, making me close my eyes against its brightness. Then a breeze blew through the air, and I saw I was sitting up against a tree, in a clearing surrounded by tall, slender trees that formed a beautiful canopy over my head.

With a burning sensation around my neck.

The sky was blue and clear as far as the eye could see.

I looked up towards the treetops and noticed that all around were butterflies dancing freely. I looked down below me, the grass beneath me soft and warm.

It was paradise.

Was I Dead?

Where was I?

What had happened?

I didn't know what to believe anymore.

I tried to move my hands and legs again but they were stiff, like sticks of wood. I tried to stand, but after struggling to even move my body I simply gave up and laid back down on the grass with no strength left to move a muscle.

Tears streamed down my face, as I stared upwards, wondering if perhaps I was finally in heaven.

That's how much my life had meant to me; I felt so empty without it, but I was thankful. It was over. I never even got to say goodbye.

Suddenly a sharp desalting migraine rang through, all too soon images began to play in my mind like a movie,

Lin Yun was born into a world of immortal cultivation, where ancient traditions and powerful cultivators ruled the land. His earliest memories were of living in an enormous estate belonging to the prestigious Lin family, one of the most powerful clans in the realm. Despite his privileged surroundings, Lin Yun's childhood was far from idyllic. He never met his father, and his mother mistreated him, leaving him to feel isolated and unloved. Tutors had taught him many disciplines, but they were all meaningless. To his frustration and dismay, he discovered that there was no innate power within him that would allow him to cultivate, In the end, Lin Yun was sent away to a sect to be a handy man disciple at twelve years of age.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

A feral scream escaped me as more and more memories poured into me until no conscious thought was left.