A sudden silence filled the room. Only the ticking of the clock could be heard.
"Seeing mom in that condition… weren't you scared?"
"No… but I was shocked. The woman who had spent her entire life as a vegetarian—because she couldn't bear harming animals—killed that man in a single strike… erased his very existence."
"I started feeling betrayed," Li Jun said, his voice low and strained. "I had spent my entire life with her."
He paused, his gaze distant, as if lost in those memories.
"She is my friend… my wife… my soulmate—the one I share everything with."
His fingers tightened slightly.
"And yet…" he exhaled softly, "I don't even know who she truly is."
"Am I so untrustworthy that she hid something this big from me?"
"Then I realized…" Li Jun said quietly, his voice soft but heavy with thought, "maybe there are things she herself doesn't want to face. Maybe there are memories she's trying to run away from."
He paused, glancing at his daughter.
"But I wanted to understand Anran," he continued. "Not just the woman I knew… but all of her. I wanted to understand her past… to share her pain."
A faint sigh escaped his lips.
"It's not like I wasn't afraid," he admitted. "But more than fear… I was worried about her."
Li Yanshu understood her father. Because if she were in his place, she would have done the same.
"So… what happened next? Did you ask mom about her past?"
"Hmm… the next day, after she regained consciousness, I asked her."
"What did she say?"
"Her real name is Lin Anran… and her father's name is Lin Xuankong," Li Jun said slowly, as if each word carried weight.
He paused for a moment, then continued more quietly,
"She doesn't even know her mother's name… only that she's alive. Somewhere."
His gaze lowered, his voice growing heavier.
"Where she is… in what condition… whether she's safe or suffering—no one knows."
A brief silence followed.
Then he looked at Li Yanshu, his eyes softening.
"Imagine growing up with that kind of emptiness… waiting for someone who might never come," he said gently. "Holding onto a hope that has no shape… no direction…"
His voice faded slightly.
"And yet… she never complained. Not once."
His voice softened.
"And yet… she never complained. Not once
"I… don't understand."
"Before you understand her past, you need to understand her world," Li Jun said. "Your mother is not from this world. In our language, you could call her… an alien. The place—no, the world—she came from is completely different from ours."
"That world is called Tianxia. It is divided into five continents: the East Continent, filled with dense forests; the West Continent, a vast desert; the North Continent, covered in eternal snow; the South Continent, full of rivers; and the Central Continent, which combines the strengths of all four—small, but the strongest."
"Around the Central Continent lie beast regions, each corresponding to the surrounding lands. Jungle beasts in the east, desert beasts in the west, ice beasts in the north, and water beasts in the south. Together, these five continents form the Tianxia world, surrounded endlessly by the ocean."
"The East Continent itself is divided into four kingdoms: Yue Kingdom, Ri Kingdom, Xing Kingdom, and Tian Kingdom. The Yue Kingdom lies close to the beast region of the Central Continent. In Yue, there is a small town called Yuelin Town… your mother is from there."
"That world has no electricity, no planes, and no skyscrapers. Instead… It has magic. It has mana."
"Mana? What is that?"
"You can think of it as internal energy," Li Jun explained. "When children turn six, their mana awakens. About 90% awaken—they are called Awakeners. The remaining 10% are called Ashborn."
"Awakeners are further divided based on their affinity: low, integrated, and high affinity—and then by element. There are seven elements—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, and dark."
"When they use their power, their eyes reflect their element: red for fire, blue for water, silver for wind, green for earth, purple for lightning, golden for light, and deep grey for dark."
"That world follows the law of the jungle. The strong are respected. Awakeners have ten levels, and progressing even one level is extremely difficult. The strong can sense the aura of the weak and determine their level."
"There are also professions: warriors, who channel mana into weapons; mages, who control mana with their hands; healers, usually aligned with the light element; and binders, who can form a blood seal with magical beasts for lifetime. Even able to tame them according to their element."
Li Yanshu didn't know what to say. It felt like her father was narrating the preview of a fantasy novel.
"Dad… magic beasts? Really?"
"Yes. Creatures with elemental powers, just like Awakeners. A binder can only form a contract if their element and affinity match."
"Dad, you're not writing a fantasy novel, right? You're telling me about mom's past."
"This is your mother's past."
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. When the building collapsed, your mom was in Shanghai—watering the balcony plants and singing. When you were little, she left a mark on you, so if your life was ever in danger, she would know instantly. That's how she teleported to you."
"When she first told me all this… I reacted just like you. The sooner you accept it, the better it will be for everyone."
Again, silence filled the room.
"Is mom a healer? I saw the golden light in her hands."
"No… your mom is not a healer."
"Then what is she?"
"She is… a balance—a balance between life and death, between light and void."
"Void?"
"Yes. Void is the eighth element—and an extremely rare one. Most who have it are low-affinity users. Intermediate-level users are so rare you could count them on one hand. And among high-affinity users… there is only one."
"Is it mom?"
"No. Your mom has integrated void and high light affinity. I'm talking about your grandfather—Lin Xuankong. He is a high-affinity void awakener."
"What about grandma?"
"Your mother doesn't know anything about her. Her father raised her alone. Whenever she asked about her mother, he would just say, 'She will come to see you one day.' She didn't even know her name."
"When the day of her awakening came, something strange happened. The sky turned dark with clouds. Strong winds began to blow. Magical beasts grew restless. Lightning filled the sky."
"Instead of joy," Li Jun said slowly, his voice turning heavy, "your grandfather's eyes were filled with unease… a deep, lingering worry that refused to hide itself."
He paused briefly, as if picturing the scene in his mind.
"The dark clouds above seemed to reflect his thoughts."
Without explaining anything, he turned to her and said quietly,
"Pack your things. We're leaving."
"His voice was calm—but too calm," Li Jun continued. "It lacked the warmth she was used to. It felt… distant."
"Anran froze."
"'Leaving? But… where are we going?' she asked, confusion flickering in her eyes."
He shook his head slightly.
"He didn't answer."
"No matter how many times she asked, no matter how desperately she tried to understand, he remained silent. His gaze would drift away every time, as if the answer itself was too dangerous to speak."
Li Jun's voice lowered.
"That silence… was more frightening than any truth."
"The next morning, before the sun had even risen, they left," he continued.
"The world was still asleep. A faint mist lingered in the air as father and daughter rode away on a single horse, leaving behind everything they had ever known."
"Anran held onto him tightly, her small hands clutching his robes."
"She didn't know where they were going.
She didn't know why they had to leave."
He looked at Li Yanshu.
"All she knew… was that something was wrong."
"Very wrong."
"After a long stretch of silence, her father finally spoke."
"'Some dangerous people… want to take you away from me.'"
"His voice was low, heavy—carrying a fear she had never heard before."
"'I won't let you become their puppet,' he continued, his grip tightening on the reins. 'Even if I have to run to the ends of this world… I will protect you.'"
Li Jun paused, his expression softening.
"For a moment, his voice faltered," he said quietly. "Then, more softly… almost like a plea—"
"'Will you trust me… Ran'er?'"
"Anran looked up at him," he continued, "her innocent eyes reflecting nothing but faith."
"There was no hesitation. No doubt."
"A faint smile appeared on her lips."
"'Yes. Whatever you do… it will be for my happiness.'"
Li Jun exhaled slowly.
"Her answer was simple. Pure."
"And that… only made the weight in his heart heavier."
"Suddenly—"
"The horse let out a sharp, panicked neigh."
"It reared up violently, its front legs kicking into the air as it came to an abrupt halt."
"Anran gasped, clutching tighter as her father steadied them."
"The wind shifted."
"The air grew heavy… oppressive."
"Slowly…" Li Jun's voice dropped to almost a whisper, "her father's expression darkened."
"He lifted his gaze toward the sky."
"And then—"
"They saw them."
"Figures descending from above."
"Clad in pure white robes that fluttered like clouds, their presence felt both sacred… and terrifying."
"On their foreheads shone a radiant symbol of the sun—burning, almost blinding against the dim sky."
"They didn't rush.
They didn't speak."
"They simply descended… as if the heavens themselves had sent judgment."
Li Jun's fingers tightened slightly.
"For the first time…" he said quietly,
"Anran felt it clearly."
He looked at Li Yanshu.
"Fear."