Mt. Firmament — a secluded island nestled in the southeastern ocean of Jinzhou territory — stands shrouded in perpetual mist, veiling its link to the secular world.
To the people of Jinzhou, it is more than an island; it is their ancestral homeland, steeped in legend and mystery.
According to ancient lore, the Sentinel Jué descended from here, guiding the early inhabitants with wisdom beyond the stars.
At the island's heart lies the Mianlong Chamber, believed to be the very vessel that carried the Sentinel from a distant galaxy.
The capsule that arrived with Jué still rests deep within Loong's Rest, hidden beneath layers of earth and myth.
Some claim it is a hibernation pod—evidence of an interstellar journey from far-off stars.
To the townsfolk of Hongzhen, this place marks both the end of the pilgrimage and the beginning of Jinzhou's true future.
It was a sacred site—a silent sentinel of its own—watching over the island, and the destiny yet to come.
And that destiny... May have finally arrived, as the Loong stirred restlessly within the chamber.
Their serpentine form slithered in slow, deliberate arcs, weaving through the mist like a thought made manifest.
Jué levitated from one end of the chamber to the other, their demeanor unsettled, unlike the ancient stillness it once embodied.
'The Lord Arbiter hath taken her leave,' Jué thought as the chain of Resonance they shared with the Lord Arbiter had turned dormant.
'Is this, mayhap, the dawn of Solaris III's darksome tide?' Jué wondered as lamentable days lay ahead.
As the Loong pondered the implications for the Solaris III, a daring young man ventured into their den.
"—???"
Jué's head tilted slightly, its golden eyes—like twin suns—narrowing in silent observation. A deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber, "Hmm… Visitors?"
At the entrance, Kyorin stepped forward, undeterred despite DEVA's repeated warnings.
"It would be unwise to enter here," DEVA cautioned, her tone laced with unease. "So much has happened with us today… so much that doesn't make sense."
Kyorin, unfazed, shrugged off her concern. "I'm cold," he replied, shivering slightly. "Besides, it's about to rain."
He glanced at her, then back at the dark chamber ahead. "And isn't the Sentinel the guide of humanity? I'm sure the Sentinel is magnanimous enough to offer a one-night stay."
Kyorin's words echoed through the entrance of the dragon's den, the winds carrying their resonance to the Loong within.
Jué's golden eyes gleamed as it studied the young man who had dared to intrude upon its sacred ground.
The dragon's vast form shimmered, scales of crystalline azure and molten gold catching what little light filtered through the chamber.
There was no animosity, only curiosity… and perhaps the faintest trace of amusement at Kyorin's calm demeanor.
Its gaze shifted, noting the faint presence beside him.
The Loong's gaze shifted to DEVA, who hovered quietly beside him. Its eyes narrowed with recognition. 'Ah, 'tis the Resonator of the Esteemèd Mother,' it murmured inwardly.
As the visitors' identities became clearer, Jué's attention was drawn to DEVA's earlier blurt: "So much has happened that does not make sense."
The two of them—Kyorin and DEVA—had spoken aloud, which was unusual for them, as they typically communicated through silent mental channels.
The dragon's ancient mind stirred with an odd resonance, and the word "fate" echoed in its consciousness.
Today had indeed been a day riddled with confusion for Jué. The one they revered as the Lord Arbiter had vanished without a trace—and now, these two visitors also spoke of the strangeness that defined today.
For Jué, an Arbiter of Time and Seer of Fate, such events were never dismissed lightly. This dawning convergence felt far from coincidence. Something was at play—an unseen thread connecting them all.
The Loong's gaze returned to Kyorin, its eyes narrowing further. 'Might he be the key to all this travail?'
Confident in their suspicion, Jué decided to test the visitors. A deep rumble echoed from its throat as it commanded, "Halt!"
The command swept through the cavern like a gust of divine wind. Kyorin's robes billowed violently, but he stopped without resistance.
"None shall find haven here this day," the Loong declared with prideful authority.
Instead of frowning, Kyorin smiled. "O mighty Sentinel, I am just a small child seeking shelter from the storm. Can you not grant me rest in your abode for just one night?"
"No," came Jué's immediate and unwavering reply.
But Kyorin did not relent. "You dwell deep within the chambers below, yes?"
"Yes," Jué responded, voice like cracking stone.
Kyorin reasoned, "Then allow me to wait at the mouth of the den, just until the storm passes."
But Jué would not yield. "Leave," it commanded again.
Kyorin tilted his head, undeterred. "O mighty Sentinel, why must you quarrel with one so powerless?" he asked calmly.
"You may be the guardian, but you are not the creator of the land of Huanglong. You do not own the earth on which I stand." He asserted.
Kyorin's respectful yet assertive words echoed with quiet defiance, reminding the dragon that guardianship did not mean dominion.
Being a being of vast intelligence and perception, Jué understood where Kyorin was coming from and agreed with his words.
But they could not simply yield. A test had to be carried out. Their suspicion had yet to be confirmed.
"Thou speak'st with truth, mortal whelp," rumbled Jué's voice through the cavern's depths. "Yet this Sentinel is not in the humour to accept visitors this day. Thus, I say once more—depart."
While the verbal sparring between Kyorin and Jué played out aloud, another exchange unfolded in silence.
"What dost thou, then, do?" rang DEVA's voice clear in Jué's mind, laced with displeasure.
"Prithee, forgive me, revered mother," Jué responded with the utmost reverence. "Verily, I believe a greater fate doth unfold ere us."
"Fate?" DEVA echoed, her tone rife with doubt.
Jué pressed on, their thoughts unfolding with measured grace. "'Lord Arbiter', she hath vanished. Without forewarning."
"That maid hath gone?" DEVA's voice sharpened, her surprise evident.
"Indeed," Jué affirmed. "And e'er so, I did overhear thine exchange with thy Resonator. Thou spokest of strange occurrences, disturbances—things that do not align."
They paused and added, "I wish to know, is thy Resonator entwined within this… grand tapestry of fate?"
A heavy silence hung between them before Jué finished, "I assure thee, my only purpose is to test this theory. No harm doth lie in my heart."
DEVA took a moment to process Jué's words before responding.
"I shall bid mine Resonator deal with this," she said, her tone composed but firm. "But be wary. Bring not harm upon him."
"Understood," Jué replied, their voice laden with grave import.
Then, turning their attention to Kyorin, Jué's voice boomed with a commanding presence. "Depart. I shall count to ten. Make this one not repeat itself."
The countdown began.
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
"Seven."
"Six."
"Five."
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
As the countdown reached zero, Jué's golden eyes scanned the space, searching for any sign of Kyorin's departure. There was none.
The dragon's expression shifted to one of disappointment.
"So he is but a coward," Jué muttered, their voice tinged with mockery.
Suddenly, DEVA's voice pierced through the air with a sharp reprimand. "Mind thy tongue!"
"Forgive me, Esteemèd Mother—!!?" Jué pleaded, but was quickly taken aback as DEVA was not communicating via telepathy, but her actual voice.
Their words faltered as their gaze fell upon Kyorin, and a stunned silence filled the cavern.
To Jué's surprise, Kyorin was already sitting cross-legged before the Loong. His left elbow was propped on his thigh, his cheek resting on his fist as he studied Jué with an innocent smile.
"Please, take care of me." He requested playfully.
Jué stared at him, momentarily taken aback. 'Such daring acts...' they thought, both surprised and intrigued by the audacity of the young man before them.
But deep within, Jué couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. It seemed that the Resonator of Esteemed Mother was not a coward.
Instead, he was... rather cocky. This realization made Jué grin to themselves.
'Let me discipline him a bit,' they decided with a flicker of mischief in their ancient eyes.
"How bold thou art, O mortal-born," rumbled the dragon, voice deep as thunder rolling across the heavens—an utterance both commendation and chiding.
"Though this one couldst sweep thee hence with but a breath, yet for thy valour, this one shall grant thee the grace to depart of thine own will." The Loong offered.
Jué's massive head lowered, bringing their gleaming golden eyes within breath's reach of Kyorin.
The sheer force of their presence pressed against the chamber like a tidal wave meant to crush a lesser spirit.
But Kyorin, unmoved, merely looked up with wide, fascinated eyes—like a child staring at a marvel of the world.
The Loong narrowed their gaze. 'Intimidation… is useless.' The Loong realized.
Still, they issued one final warning. "Begone. Thou art unfit to stand 'pon the same stone as the Sentinel."
"Unworthy, you say?" Kyorin repeated softly, and in that moment, Jué's inner voice hissed with triumph: 'Caught you.'
The dragon believed they had baited him perfectly. Having pegged Kyorin as prideful, cocky—too self-assured—they were certain he would now rise to the provocation.
From the sidelines, DEVA—who had sworn to remain a silent observer—glanced toward Jué.
Hums of distant chimes or the whir of gears escaped from her. Her frame slightly shaking—a quiet gesture of weary pity.
'Oh, you poor, stupid Loong,' she thought, exasperated. 'Kyorin is the one toying with you like a child here.'
After some years with Kyorin, DEVA had come to understand him well. Though his soul was ancient, his seven-year-old body often led him to act with the instincts and moods of a child.
Yet he never treated this life as a continuation of his past; he embraced it as something new.
If DEVA had to describe his thoughts now, it would be like a toddler marveling at a giant creature for the first time—curious, fascinated, utterly unbothered by reverence.
To Kyorin, Jué wasn't a sentinel to be feared, but a wondrous spectacle—this felt less like a sacred audience and more like a zoo visit.
'Haaah… perhaps I should've been clearer about Kyorin's personality back then,' DEVA thought.
When she had first approached Jué for help during the ascension material hunt, she should have explained Kyorin more fully.
Jué knew of Kyorin—knew he was a reincarnator—but nothing beyond that. Now, mistaking childlike curiosity for arrogance, Jué had constructed a false image of him.
"Misunderstanding" felt like an understatement. Today, that single word has become the most consequential—perhaps it always had been.
"How am I unworthy?" Kyorin asked.
"You are but a mutt crawling in the dirt," Jué declared, "and I, a sovereign of time."
Kyorin frowned slightly. "Isn't that just our status?" he replied. "And how am I different from you?"
He stepped forward. "We breathe the same air. We share the same Resonance stream that billows through this world.
He pointed at Jué, and then at himself. "Our flesh is woven from Resonance, our thoughts attuned to the melody of our souls."
He met Jué's gaze and said calmly: "You speak of difference, but we exist within the same realm. If of the same essence, how do we differ?"
"Amusing." Jué laughed subtly, thinking, 'Indeed—wisdom befitting a reincarnator.'
But they could not simply agree. Their suspicions had yet to be confirmed, so Jué countered: "Thy words bear truth, yet they spring from the sight of existence, not from the seat of veneration."
The Loong continued, "Yes, kindred dwellers of a realm may be equal in nature; but as thou hast rightly said, reverence is wrought of rank and occasion."
"The unworthiness whereof I speak doth arise from that very root—respect." Jué clarified.
"This one was ill-disposed to receive guests from the first." The Loong roared with arrogance. "And as the Sentinel of Huanglong, this one holdeth the loftier station."
Kyorin, however, smiled and asked with composed insight: "Do you truly wish to make this a matter of respect?"
Jué blinked in brief confusion.
Kyorin, with his lips curled into the faintest of smiles, declared: "If so, I believe the one who should be held in higher regard... is me."
"Presumptuous knave!" roared Jué, their voice shaking the very bones of the cavern. "How darest thou-a mere mortal—lay claim to supremacy?"
Kyorin replied with an air of composure. "Because I possess something that surpasses status or circumstance."
"And what, pray, might that be?" Jué demanded, their tone sharp with disdain.
"Power," Kyorin quoted, his voice steady as a river.
"HA—HAHAHAHA!"
Jué laughed boomed—a thunderous, echoing laugh, as if it were the most absurd thing they had heard in their long existence. "Power, sayest thou…?"
The Loong leaned closer, their vast head drawing nigh, breath misting the air with ancient chill. With a voice like stone grinding beneath the earth, they spoke: "So be it—prove thy claim."
To be continued...