A/N: All rights to the original content are reserved by the respective copyright owner.
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Jingliu's gaze was fixed on the little girl before her, whose mere presence exuded an overwhelming sense of power. Adabas, with her red robes billowing softly and her blue hair gently cascading, regarded Jingliu with an intense, unyielding stare.
"You seem confused, child," Adabas noted, her voice soft and devoid of any ill intent, yet it did little to soothe the unease within Jingliu.
"Perhaps you are intimidated by me? Do not worry, my presence has always been... suffocating to individuals such as yourself," Adabas continued, a subtle hint of pride lacing her words. The ruby petals that filled the air began to draw nearer to her, blending seamlessly with her robes as if they were an extension of her being.
As the petals swirled closer, Jingliu found herself gasping for breath, her knees buckling under the invisible weight of Adabas's aura. Kneeling down, she struggled against the crushing pressure.
Adabas watched with a smile, her giggle echoing through the air like a chime, innocent yet haunting in its melody.
"Sister, it's a bad habit to greet newcomers with your antics," Holos, the star-studded giant, chided gently, his tone betraying no surprise at his sister's display.
"It is of utmost pleasure, for one such as myself—and for all of you. How long has it been since we've last interacted with the outside world?" Adabas mused, her finger thoughtfully touching her lips.
Pluto, ever the eccentric, chimed in, "Err... around 1121 years?" Her voice carried a note of uncertainty, as though the passage of time held little significance in this realm.
"A millennium, then," Adabas concluded, her eyes still closed in contemplation.
Holos sighed, turning his attention to Jingliu, who was still catching her breath. "Nighthilt Sovereign, here," he offered, extending a hand of glowing constellations towards her.
Gratefully, Jingliu took his immense hand, finding her footing once more. "Thank you, Holos," she managed, her voice raspy but heartfelt.
"Hmm, no problem. Though, if this is your reaction to my sister, you'll be in for a real treat meeting our other siblings," Holos remarked playfully, though his words carried a veiled caution.
Jingliu nodded, her mind racing with thoughts of what other beings she might encounter. "I was just... surprised. I didn't expect such powerful individuals. This realm is full of mysteries," she admitted, reflecting on her experiences since her arrival.
Pluto, eager to lift Jingliu's spirits, interjected, "Our siblings won't be hostile, although some can be... peculiar—hey!" Her reassurance was cut short by a playful rebuke from Holos.
Adabas then hummed, drawing the attention back to her. "I believe it is time we leave to meet with the others. Shall we go?"
With nods of agreement, Holos and Pluto positioned themselves beside their sister. Jingliu, still hesitant, confirmed her earlier understanding, "Yes... you mentioned training me?"
"In one way or another, yes. But there's more to it than just 'training,'" Adabas revealed, her gentle smile reappearing. "Come, get closer to me, everyone."
As they gathered around Adabas, her robes emitted a radiant glow, and the ruby petals began to encase them in a protective cocoon. Jingliu, startled yet filled with a burgeoning curiosity, prepared herself for the journey ahead.
"Let us go, meet them," Adabas announced, and with a flash of light and a flurry of petals, they were whisked away to a destination unknown, leaving the tranquil forest behind.
---
In the heart of a verdant forest, Y/N found himself amidst a vast expanse of ruins. Broken columns lay scattered like the bones of giants, and archways leading to nowhere stood as silent sentinels to a bygone civilization. The stone relics were cloaked in a tapestry of moss and ivy, nature's gentle reclaiming of what once belonged to man. As he traced the fractured lines of ancient masonry, Y/N felt the palpable echo of histories untold, a resonant whisper of the decaying grandeur around him.
"I am lost," he admitted to himself with an air of resignation. The realization was stark against the backdrop of lush greenery and the crumbling remnants of past splendors.
He ruminated on his lack of foresight. "I should've asked mother for a full map," Y/N mused, his thoughts now sharpening into a clearer focus. "I should've planned better before embarking on this journey. My head... it still needs to be set straight." He chastised himself softly, feeling the weight of his unpreparedness.
An idea then struck him—an intuitive leap that seemed almost too practical in its simplicity. "What if I use the book as my map navigator?" He contemplated the potential of the tome he carried, the one object that held guidance, even if only in the broadest sense.
Materializing the book in his hand, Y/N flipped through the pages only to find a lack of detailed navigation. "This is very disappointing," he remarked, a note of frustration tingeing his voice. With a flick of his wrist, he cast the book aside, watching as the encroaching shadows seemed to consume it.
Observing the shadows that now seemed an extension of his own being, Y/N sensed their sentient nature—or rather, their resonance with his own essence. It was a power he didn't fully comprehend, yet one he felt compelled to explore. "Oh... that's it. Let's try this out," he decided, a plan forming in his mind.
Y/N centered himself, closing his eyes to better connect with the void aspect of his powers. He reached into the paradoxical space that was at once accessible and elusive, his consciousness extending into the dark expanse.
As his shadow proliferated, enveloping the surroundings in darkness, only speckles of sunlight piercing through, he felt his presence magnify. The forest became his canvas, the shadows his brush strokes, each tree, each leaf, a detail within his grasp.
The sensory overload was immense, overwhelming—too many sights, too many perceptions all at once. "I need to know more. There's nothing but woods here," Y/N focused, trying to filter through the cacophony of visual input.
Expanding his shadow even further, he sought clarity amidst the quietude that his power brought. Then, amidst the deluge of visions, a singular image caught his attention—a cave.
The strain of the exertion finally took its toll, and Y/N collapsed, panting from the effort. His eyes, a stormy mix of black and purple, trembled with the burden of omniscience he had briefly held.
"I... need to train more on that," he conceded, standing once more. His powers, though taxing, had given him a pinpoint location—an exact coordinate etched in his mind.
With renewed determination, Y/N headed towards the cave he had glimpsed through his shadowed eyes. It was a new lead, a new direction to follow in the ever-unfolding mystery of his existence in this realm.
---
Y/N, armed with the coordinates and a clear vision of his destination, called forth the Abyssal Gate once more. Stepping through the portal with a practiced ease, he emerged in front of the cave that he had discerned from the embrace of his shadowy reconnaissance.
The entrance of the cave was deceptively mundane, its oval maw silent and still, betraying nothing of the secrets that lay within. "No doubt, there is something inside here," Y/N murmured to himself, his intuition flaring up with the certainty of a seasoned explorer.
His hand grazed the edge of the entrance, seeking the subtle kiss of a breeze or the whisper of movement from within. Yet, the cave remained eerily still, an absence of wind or sound that sharpened his senses to a keen edge. "Strange..." he commented, his curiosity piqued against the backdrop of silence.
Dismissing logical reservations as mere distractions, Y/N conceded to the compelling draw of the unknown that lay ahead. "Logical reasoning aside, this is the best course of action," he declared, stepping into the cave's embrace.
Darkness held no sway over him now; his newfound affinity with the absence of light unveiled the hidden contours of the cave's interior. The passage expanded as he ventured deeper, its vastness growing with every step, guiding him on a singular path toward a distant, flickering light.
As he approached the source of light, Y/N discerned that it marked a terminus to the cave. Beyond the illumination, there seemed to be nothing but the rock face—a dead end. "It must be a dead end; I can't see anything beyond the light," he noted, his eyes narrowing as he drew closer.
Upon reaching the light's origin, Y/N was greeted by a sight that commanded stillness and reverence. A girl knelt amidst a halo of golden light, her form bathed in the gentle glow of countless particles that swirled around her like ethereal fireflies. Her pose was one of deep prayer, an embodiment of solemnity and grace.
The scene was captivating: the girl, surrounded by a constellation of soft luminescence, her features serene and statuesque in the quietude of the cave. Y/N felt the palpable vitality of her presence, a silent testament to the life that animated her seemingly petrified form.
He approached cautiously, not wishing to shatter the sanctity of the moment with a physical touch. Instead, he announced his presence with a gentle, "Hello."
At his voice, the girl's eyes fluttered open, revealing irises that swirled with the warmth of golden autumn leaves. She turned to face him, her hands still devoutly clasped, and her gaze met his with a wonder that transformed into an incandescent blaze, her eyes reflecting the splendor of miniature suns.
"My liege!" she exclaimed, her voice a melody tinged with awe and reverence.
The address halted Y/N's thoughts, a cog in the vast machinery of his mind grinding to a sudden pause. The title was unexpected, a term of fealty that he had not anticipated, and it left him momentarily adrift in the stream of comprehension.
"Ay?" was all he could manage, his voice a mix of bewilderment and an unwitting delight at the peculiar charm of the situation. The girl before him, a vision of veneration in this secluded shrine of nature, had recognized him as a sovereign, and Y/N found himself eager to understand why.
---
Y/N regarded the girl with a level gaze, his eyes like voids in the starry night, endless and deep. Her awe of him, unshaken by his silent darkness, shone through her gaze, reflecting a reverence that felt both ancient and deserved.
"'My liege'?" He echoed the title she had bestowed upon him, tasting the words, finding a curious comfort in their familiarity. It seemed right, almost preordained.
"Ummm... do you want me to call you my king?" The girl's question was tinted with hesitation, her embarrassment like a shadow upon her youthful face.
Y/N observed her downcast look, a pang of empathy stirring within him. He remembered moments of comfort shared with Jingliu and Baiheng, how a simple gesture could lift spirits. The girl before him radiated a need for such kindness.
With a gentle resolve, he knelt down, extending his hand to offer the same comforting touch he had given to his companions. His hand rested lightly upon her head, his patting rhythmic and soothing.
The effect was immediate. Memories of brighter days seemed to flood back to the girl, her spirits lifting, her posture relaxing. When Y/N ceased the comforting gesture, the girl's pout, playful and petulant, coaxed a small smile from him.
Her pout persisted, eyes glancing up at him with a playful glare. "Hahaha~ I must apologize... but who are you?" Y/N asked, steering the encounter back to the matter at hand.
"I forgot to introduce myself!" The girl's exclamation was followed by a light that seemed to fill the cave, a glow emanating from her as if she were a beacon. "My name is Sandra, the daughter of Beauty! I have long awaited for your presence," she proclaimed with a flourish that was both regal and innocent.
Y/N stood, playing along with her ceremonious introduction, though the gravity of his own power was not lost on Sandra. She seemed momentarily awed by his presence, the undercurrent of his strength undeniable.
"I am Y/N, He Who is Lost," he declared, his title spoken with a self-deprecating humor that Sandra found amusing, her giggles echoing off the cave walls.
Her laughter faltered when Y/N continued, his question earnest. "Sandra, you addressed me with a title, yet I am unaware of my role here. Can you enlighten me?"
"It's better if I show you," Sandra suggested, her voice now lacking its earlier mirth. She reached for his hands, and Y/N did not resist.
Their joined hands ignited with a luminescent rose light, and in an instant, Y/N felt his essence being pulled, transported to a realm unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable.
"This feels familiar," Y/N remarked, his form now ethereal, a shadow adorned with the night.
"My liege! I am here!" Sandra's voice reached him, her form a golden orb of light that floated in the void with him.
"Sandra!" Y/N called out, peering through the darkness. "Where are we? This place feels like a corridor of memories."
"Yes... look down," Sandra's voice, now devoid of its earlier joviality, urged him to look down. Below them unfolded a scene of a realm where the fabric of reality wove its most complex designs.
In the realm where the fabric of reality wove its most intricate patterns, stood the Knights, guardians sworn to protect the enigmatic and elusive Aeon. Surrounded by the vast anomalies of the world, a chaos that threatened to engulf all that was harmonious and pure, they stood resolute.
"Our Blessed Queen!" called out a Knight, his voice ringing with devotion, as he gazed upon the Aeon. She was an entity of unfathomable grace, her form shifting and shimmering, a reflection of the beholder's innermost ideals of beauty. To each knight, she appeared differently, embodying their personal epitome of aesthetic perfection.
The woman, in her mutable essence, was more than a mere spectacle of beauty. She was a testament to the subjectivity of aesthetic appreciation, challenging the notion of a universal standard of beauty. Her ever-changing appearance was a mirror, not just of physical ideals but of the deeper desires, values, and dreams of those who looked upon her. In her presence, one could not help but confront the truths of their own soul.
Yet, there was a poignant reminder in her existence — the transience of beauty. The mystery of her sudden disappearance from the cosmos lingered in the minds of her knights, a symbol of the fleeting nature of beauty, a reminder that even the most sublime forms were transient in the grand tapestry of time.
"We will protect you! If things do collapse, your grave will be our graves!" the Knights declared, their voices a chorus of unwavering loyalty. "Our honor and courage will protect your spirits! None shall desecrate the tombs of Beauty!" They stood, a bastion against the encroaching chaos, a vow to safeguard the very essence of beauty that she represented.
Their shouts, a declaration of their undying commitment, echoed into the abyss, destined to be lost in the annals of present history, erased by the enemies who sought to undo the balance of beauty in the world.
In the midst of this turmoil, the woman only smiled, a gentle, enigmatic expression that transcended the chaos around her. Her smile was a sniffle in the overwhelming silence, a serene acceptance of the ephemerality of her existence and the impermanent nature of all beauty. It was a smile that held the wisdom of the ages, the understanding that beauty, in all its forms, was both eternal and fleeting, forever cherished in the moment yet always slipping away like grains of sand through the fingers of time.
Yet, as the memory played out, Y/N felt the weight of impending loss. The scene before him was not just a memory but a monument to the fleeting nature of beauty and the valor of those who defend it.
The vision dissolved, and they were back in the cave, the echo of the knights' oaths still resonating within him.
"That was... What happened to her and the knights?" Y/N questioned, piecing together the fragments of the story revealed to him.
Sandra knelt before him, tears streaming down her face. "Please..." Her plea was a whisper against the silence of the cave.
"Please, save my mother!" Her cry was a beacon of desperation, seeking the aid of the one she believed to be her liege, her king.
---
Jingliu's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the ethereal beauty of the realm she had been whisked away to by Adabas. She found herself in an otherworldly garden where the very air seemed to shimmer with a kaleidoscope of colors. The place was alight with an incandescent glow, and butterflies with wings like stained glass fluttered in a lazy dance, their reflections painting the ground in a mosaic of light.
The trees hung heavy with luminous fruits that pulsed softly in the air, casting a warm, inviting light over the landscape. Among the foliage, lanterns glowed like fireflies, suspended by invisible threads. The ground was a canvas of flowers that opened and closed as if breathing to the rhythm of an unseen melody. It was a place untouched by time, a sanctuary that seemed to exist in the space between breaths.
Her gaze settled on another figure, whose presence commanded the air with the same gravity as Adabas. The girl turned to face Jingliu, her eyes dark crystals of fathomless depth, reflecting a wisdom that belied her youthful appearance.
"I'm not going to judge anyone based on their appearances any longer," Jingliu vowed silently, her past encounters in this realm teaching her the depth beyond the surface.
"Oh! Oh my, you are here way too early," the girl exclaimed, her voice resonating with a rich melody that was both striking and familiar.
"Sister," Adabas greeted her, an endearing warmth in her tone. Jingliu remembered the mention of siblings, a family of powerful entities that this realm concealed.
"Hello, Adabas. I see you were the one who brought her here," the girl said, her crystalline gaze resting on Jingliu, who felt a sensation of being both lost and precisely where she was meant to be.
"Mmhm. I don't see anyone else here," Adabas playfully scanned the surroundings, her hands shielding her eyes in mock search.
"I did say that she arrived too early, everyone else is on their way," the girl replied, her huff revealing a playful frustration at her sister's antics.
"Sigh... anyway," she turned back to Jingliu, her gaze piercing yet not unkind. "Again... this feeling. It's like Adabas," Jingliu thought, steadying herself under the intensity of the new girl's gaze.
"I will introduce myself. I am Mono, Adabas' twin," Mono said, her presence as commanding as her sister's. With a flourish, she conjured a gigantic sword, its crystalline blade catching the light and scattering it in a dazzling display. The sword, though massive, with it being twice the size of the girl's figure, seemed to be an extension of her will, as natural to her as breathing.
"While we wait for everyone, why don't we spar?" Mono proposed, her posture shifting to one of readiness, yet there was a playful glint in her dark crystal eyes.
Jingliu, intrigued by the challenge and the opportunity to hone her skills, nodded in agreement. "It would be an honor," she replied, her voice steady and her heart racing with anticipation for the friendly contest that awaited.
End of Chapter