"Wei Wuxian also claims to have lived in another world prior to this one," Shen Yuan comments, blissfully unaware of the brewing interpersonal trouble in his newly extended friend-group, "But I've yet to meet anyone else who can say the same. But then again," he adds with a touch of scrupulous honesty, "I can hardly say I've spoken to every single Sleeper in Trench. Perhaps there are others who simply don't care to advertise the fact."

For all his complaining about the challenges and invasions of privacy Trench poses them, Shen Yuan also prefers this to the fate that awaited him in his second life. He hums his agreement, and takes a moment to think over his answer before saying, "The first world I transmigrated into bore a strong resemblance to a novel I'd read shortly before the end of my first life, and my new identity was that of one of the characters in the book. An entity similar to the Pthumerians was interested in making sure events in that world played out in accordance with the plot of the book, so..."

He sighs deeply, and tries to force himself to smile through the discomfort as he says, "I was forced to betray a young man I'd been mentoring, so he could take the first steps on the path to achieving his 'glorious destiny.' Not something I take any pride in remembering, I assure you."