Reaching the chief's manor, Martin paused at the threshold, about to call out, when a voice carried from behind the house. "Come to the backyard, Martin."
Curious, he rounded the manor, stepping into the backyard—and into another world. The vibrant light from the house and street halted at the yard's edge, as if barred by an invisible decree. Darkness enveloped the space, broken only by the faint, silvery glow of a star-strewn sky. Martin tilted his head upward, awestruck. The stars appeared magnified, their brilliance almost divine, as if a celestial hand had drawn them closer to the earth.
Beneath a towering oak tree, two figures sat, their silhouettes serene yet commanding, like sages from a mythic tale. The village chief and Elder Lembert, both in their seventies, played chess on a stone table, their movements deliberate under the starlight. Martin's chest tightened. He had witnessed such phenomena before—moments when the world bent to the will of those who wielded power. Each encounter stoked his ambition, fueling his desire to ascend the path of cultivation and command such forces himself.
"Martin," the chief's voice cut through his reverie, sharp but calm. "What did you find about the boy?"
Snapped back to the present, Martin approached, bowing slightly. "Greetings, Chief. Greetings, Elder Lembert." He hesitated, grappling with how to articulate his findings.
"Spit it out, boy," Elder Lembert growled, his red pupils glinting in the dark, pinning Martin with an unyielding stare.
Martin swallowed hard, steadying himself. "The boy's father is listed as Victor Vorys, but we have no record of his mother's name or any other details. Victor's name appears only in port exit registrations, recorded when Calen went fishing four times over the past two years. We have no other records on Victor. I suspect Victor used an alias when leaving through the port. Since port registrations are merely for headcounts to track missing persons, we don't verify names against resident records."
He took a breath, organizing his thoughts. "So, I cross-checked the names of those reported missing in the last three years against our village registry. Every missing person matched a known resident. There is no trace of him; we don't have any unaccounted-for missing person names. Then I reviewed the records of approximately 10,000 registered residents from the past 15 years. There's no Victor Vorys, nor any Calen Vorys. Neither the father nor the boy is registered in our village. There's no record of when or how they arrived."
Martin's voice grew quieter, the weight of his final discovery pressing on him. "I sent Daniel to inquire in the neighborhood. This is where it becomes even stranger. No one knew Calen or his father lived among them. Their house sits in a small forest patch, intended to shield the neighborhood from erosion, and is accessible only by a narrow footpath branching off the main road. The neighbors didn't even know the path existed until Daniel showed it to them."
Martin concluded his report on the investigation, his voice steady but heavy with implication. The village chief and Elder Lembert exchanged a glance, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. Elder Lembert reacted first. He rose abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor, and with a swift motion, took flight toward the boy's residence. The village chief followed suit, standing just as quickly and soaring in the same direction, his silhouette cutting through the night sky.
Martin remained rooted to the spot, bewildered by their sudden departure. "I suppose I'll wait for their return," he muttered to himself, uncertainty creeping into his tone.
As the elders' figures dwindled into the distance, the backyard settled back into its familiar rhythm. The soft, white glow spilling from the house mingled with the warm yellow of the street lamps, casting a serene ambiance. The air hummed with the nocturnal chorus of insects and the rhythmic whisper of the sea breeze, restoring the night's tranquil pulse.
Within moments, the village chief caught up with Elder Lembert, who hovered motionless in midair, his gaze fixed on a small house nestled within a dense forest. The dwelling's backyard opened to the vast ocean, its waves shimmering under the moonlight. As the chief drew closer, he sensed a disturbance in the ambient Aether—an unnatural anomaly. The energy was being siphoned downward, drawn into the earth beneath the house.
"An array formation?" the chief asked, his voice laced with bewilderment.
"Yes," Elder Lembert replied, his tone unsteady, betraying awe and unease. His mind churned with fear of the unknown and reverence for the intricate formation below.
"What level is this formation? Grand Master?" the chief pressed, his heart sinking. Elder Lembert, the village's only formation master, maintained the island's primary floating array formations and other secondary formations. But as a Master-level formation master, just a step shy of Grand Mastery, he couldn't unravel a Grand Master-level array. The chief dreaded the consequences of an unresolved formation.
"No," Lembert said, prompting a fleeting sigh of relief. Then he continued, "It's beyond Grand Master."
"What? Beyond Grand Master?" The chief's voice cracked, fear and disbelief warring within him.
"There's a theoretical realm beyond Grand Mastery, Old Yang," Lembert explained, his eyes locked on the house. "It's only been a concept, researched by Grand Masters to refine their craft. I've never met or heard of anyone achieving it."
"What concept?" the chief asked, peering down, struggling to grasp the formation's structure.
Lembert's voice grew animated. "Using a living being as a formation core. A formation's strength depends on its core material, and complex formations require advanced materials. Even at Grand Master level, formations are immutable and immovable—once set, they can't be altered, moved, or upgraded without dismantling. In theory, a living core with supplementary materials could make a formation mobile and adaptable. But it's impractical: the living being must withstand immense Aether flow, or the formation needs a secondary core to divert energy—a dual-core system, another theoretical concept never realized."
He gestured toward the house. "This is proof of both theories. If I study the Aether's behavior here, I'll break through to Grand Mastery." Excitement eclipsed Lembert's earlier fear, his eyes gleaming.
"You're saying the boy is a living formation core?" the chief asked, doubt clouding his voice.
"Not quite," Lembert clarified. "A pseudo-living core. And yes, there's a secondary core beneath the house."
"Why pseudo?" the chief asked, brow furrowing.
"From what I sense, the boy isn't in control or aware of the formation. He's unconscious, yet subconsciously resisting it. The formation's purpose is to seal his mind and Aether core, preventing awakening or intellectual growth. Today's events triggered an awakening, forcing the formation into overdrive to reseal him. That surge disrupted its concealment and befuddlement arrays, which is why we can perceive this place. Otherwise, we'd never have known someone was living here, hidden in our village."
The chief's expression softened with concern. "Should we help the boy?"
Lembert's gaze sharpened, his tone sarcastic. "Do you have a death wish? This formation likely includes a Grand Master-level killing array. If you're confident you can withstand it, be my guest."
The chief paled, a cold sweat breaking out as he realized his near-mistake. "Why would someone seal a child's mind and cultivation with such an elaborate formation? Simpler sealing formations could suffice."
"Don't pry into matters far beyond our pay grade, Old Yang," Lembert warned. "Some truths are too dangerous to chase."
"So, what do we do?" the chief asked, subdued.
"We wait," Lembert said coolly. "We observe the battle below. Whether the boy succeeds or fails, we act as if we saw nothing. If he overcomes the formation, I'll guide him to begin his cultivation path."
"You want to be his master?" the chief asked, surprised.
"No," Lembert replied, a rare humility in his voice. "I'm not worthy. I'll merely initiate him, forging a karmic bond. It's because of him I have this chance to reach Grand Mastery."
Silence fell as they watched the house, the weight of their discovery settling in. Far behind, Martin waited, forgotten in their fixation on the unfolding mystery below.