Prince Tiān Jùn appeared at the king's passage; he walked in, scanning the closed door. He stooped before his father's chamber. Taking a deep breath, the door cracked, sliding open.
It's been a while, Father.
King Tiān Lóngxuān stood before his throne, his hands behind his back; his face unreadable yet commanding.
"Welcome, son..." His cold voice lit the air as the candle on the wall rekindled.
Prince Tiān Jùn entered, slowing his steps.
He dropped to his knees at once, kowtowing, his forehead touching the floor.
Who tempered his mood? He straightened, noticing the thick air.
"How are you doing? Your Highness." He walked in, releasing his energy.
The thick air is intense with every step to the throne.
"I bring greetings from the western government of Huǒyuán." He stood before his father, bowing slightly.
"That is not why I summoned you," the King backed him, raising his arm in the air.
A section of the wall shifted soundlessly at the King's touch, revealing a narrow passage concealed behind the throne.
"Follow me." His voice resonated as he walked toward the far wall, his footsteps echoing.
"This is our ancestral library; every one of our forefathers left a spell scroll." The king's voice filled the air.
Each step took them deeper beneath the palace; the warmth of the upper halls faded, replaced by a cold, electrifying air.
So this is the library the high priest always talks about. Our forefathers are stronger than I thought.
At last, they stopped.
Before them stood a round carved stone, its surface engraved with symbols of a foreign language that shimmered faintly in the darkness. The symbols pulsed like slow heartbeats in response to their presence.
Ouch. His gaze widened as his fist tightened.
"What sort of magic did those old men hold?" he mumbled to himself.
An immersed heat pressed hard in his chest, stirred by the thumbing of the air.
The air ignited, producing a blue flame. King Tiān Lóngxuān bowed slowly, as a blade appeared in his folded palm.
He straightened, releasing chants; he pierced his palm, bowing low.
Blood welled, dark and vivid, spilling onto the floor. As it touched the runes, they flared to life, glowing brighter, humming with power. The carved stone groaned, ancient mechanisms awakening, and slowly parted.
It faded, revealing the darkness; hot air blew on their faces.
The darkness before them brightened as torches ignited in midair, bursting into flame, continuous to the end of the void.
Their light revealed an underground library.
Sealed scrolls floated in the air, releasing sparks of lightning.
The air bent as they stepped in.
Tiān Jùn's breath caught in his throat. He felt his joint snapping, being drawn from himself, and fierce heat surged through his veins.
He held his chest, coughing out clotted blood; looking up, his gaze caught a hovering glass as he gasped for breath.
Light shimmered beneath his skin, and his vision blurred, then sharpened. His reflection caught in the glass case, showing his irises were longer his, glowing crimson with ancient fire.
Pain and emerging heat intertwined, searing and piercing; his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The air bent.
Lord? Have you awakened?
King Tiān Lóngxuān perceived a higher power; he spun in terror.
His gaze fell on a glowing creature he had dreamt of since his youth.
He lowered his gaze, trembling; he couldn't make eye contact with him. Falling to his knees, he pressed his forehead to the earth, remaining still.
"Forgive me, Your Holiness," his voice broke. He gasped, trying to maintain a steady voice.
The air stilled, and his heavy breath echoed.
"Lóngxuān… you did well." The words reverberated, layering with indefinite sparks, vanishing weak chants as torches flickered.
"Here." His glowing hand lifted into the air, writing in a foreign language.
The air ignited, producing a scroll; it hovered above his palm.
"Keep it to yourself." His voice thundered, fading into itself.
"Guard my vessel."
The torch in the air burned normally, as the pressing energy vanished.
Tiān Jùn collapsed, quivering.
King Tiān Lóngxuān fell flat to the earth, trembling.
The scroll fell at his front, unsealing itself.
He adjusted as the dust blew into his eyes; he sat slowly, holding his chest.
He choked, coughing out thick blood; he waved his head, sitting properly to meditate.
Why can't I connect to my cultivation? He closed his eyes, summoning his magic.
He sat for a long time, but he wasn't getting better.
"This place." He opened his eyes, looking around.
Tiān has taken his piece from this place! He winced, staggered to his feet.
He turned, staring—not at the scroll, but at his son lying unconscious at his feet.
"Tiān? Son…" he whispered, nearing the shaky body.
His thought went wild.
Your Holiness, forgive my weak power.
He kowtowed, remaining on the floor until his uneven breaths returned to normal.
He straightened up, taking a deep breath.
Power left his grip the more he waited.
He bowed, dissolving in the air; he teleported Tiān Jùn to his chamber. Summoning the royal physician.
The ancient library returned to silence.
The sun returned to the west as the message reached Queen Yù Yuè. She appeared in her son's quarters.
She raised her gaze, holding her gown.
The Crown Prince shone brighter than usual; her heart ached as she felt the energy emitting from the room.
Her grip on her gown tightened as she dissolved in the air, appearing in the chamber; it was scanty of human steps, heavy with incense and intoxicating energy. She stood, breathless, releasing her magic.
Her gaze fell on a glowing, motionless body on the crown prince's bed.
"Jùn? Tiān Jùn!" Her heart skipped as she crossed the path.
She bumped into an invisible wall, staggering backward.
Jùn! Her instinct screamed as tears slipped from her worried eyes.
"Wait for me; mother is here." Queen Yù Yuè stood, summoning her power, mumbling chants.
The surging energy thickened, becoming poisonous; her magic faded.
"What has happened now?" she whispered, stepping back.
No, my son. Wake up! She cried out, hitting the invisible door as the air thickened.
"Your Highness, please come out." Physicians from outside shouted.
"His Majesty's condition can affect your life. The king orders You should come out!" She heard none of it.
She kept hitting; her eyes fixed on the body.
He vibrated slightly. The imbalance in the air increased.
"Jùn." Her hope flared.
She froze, coughing blood; the invisible door emitted dark flame as she slumped, clutching her chest.
The marbled floor turned blazing, and its heat seared her skin.
The chamber door fell open, and she was flung out, hitting the firm wall opposite the door.
She fell flat, quivering.
The door was shut by an unseen hand.
The physicians ran to her and helped her up.
They dissolved into thin air, appearing where they had been meditating.
She sat with the physicians, watching them until nightfall.
"Your Highness, you will fall sick." The priest straightened, bowing to her.
"My queen, the crown prince situation is dangerous."
She turns, her gaze piercing.
He darted his gaze swiftly. "His Majesty is emitting unusual energy; it can weaken your cultivation."
"Leave!" Her voice thundered.
The priest bowed, dissolving into the darkness.
Hours passed unnoticed. Candles burned low and were replaced. The dark sky beyond the windows slowly brightened; exhaustion crept into her bones until at last her body betrayed her.
Her head came to rest against the edge of the door, fingers entwined.
'I'm you. You are me.'
'Take care of my vessel.'
The air slowly intensified, becoming fully lit as it electrified; Tiān Jùn stirred awake.
Lightning flashed in the room, and his eyes fluttered slightly open.
He tried moving, but his limbs felt heavy, as though they no longer fully belonged to him.
"Why does my head hurt…?" he murmured.
The sound of his own voice startled him.
He looked around, scratching his ear as he sat up.
'Jùn'
"Mum…?" He tilted his head, hearing her mother's voice from a distance.
I was with my father. He nodded, looking out the window.
He tried remembering how he got here, but all he could recall was Lián.
He sighed, tapping his forehead.
His gaze trapped the faint warmth gathered beneath his skin.
The sensation was unbearable and exhilarating all at once.
What's all this? He dissolved into thin air.
The orbiting energy exploded, spreading in all directions.
Queen Yù Yuè felt a sharp pain, and her eyes flared open.
Her heart skipped violently, eyes darting to the door.
"Jùn? Jùn!"
I stood in a green field watching the woman before me; she looked almost exactly like me. But she was in a skirt and blouse, and her stomach was bare; she held a hand fan, looking at me.
The woman began dancing around me, and she flew into the air, spinning.
I stood watching her every move, and a scarf materialized around her arm as she landed at my front.
I adjusted. But she stretched out her hands, nodding at me.
She smiled widely, pinching my chin. I smiled, taking her hand, and she pulled me into an embrace; I hugged her back.
'I've always missed you.' She pulled from the embrace as we hovered in the air; she held my chin.
'Do you miss me?' She mumbled, looking into my eyes.
I felt hot on my chin, looking at our entwined fingers.
'You have really grown; you were tiny before, now."
Her eyes were filled with admiration; her gaze never left my presence.
'Dance with me, child.'
I spun, copying her earlier move.
Turning back, she was gone.