Endless darkness.
Long Chen stood alone in a place where nothing existed—no sky, no ground, no sound.
It was as if the world itself had disappeared, leaving only him behind.
He walked.
Step after step.
There was no direction, no destination. Time felt meaningless. Minutes, hours… or maybe years passed, yet nothing changed.
Still, he kept walking.
Suddenly—
A faint light appeared in the distance.
It was small, like a flickering flame in a storm, but in this endless darkness, it felt like hope.
Long Chen's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he moved toward it.
The closer he got, the brighter it became. The faint light turned into a radiant glow, illuminating the darkness around him.
Then he saw it.
A huge golden gate.
It stood tall like a divine object, ancient and majestic. Mysterious patterns covered its surface—a huge beast with a golden horn and huge wings, stars, and strange runes that seemed alive.
A powerful aura radiated from it, making Long Chen's heart tremble.
"This…" he muttered softly, unable to understand what he was seeing.
He slowly stepped closer.
The moment he reached the gate—
BOOM!
A blinding golden light burst out from the gate!
Before Long Chen could react, a beam of light shot straight toward him—
It struck his brow!
"AHHH!"
A sharp pain exploded inside his head.
Memories… fragments… unknown voices… all rushed into his mind at once.
His vision shattered—
Long Chen suddenly woke up!
"AHHH!"
He sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. Sweat covered his entire body, and his heart pounded like a drum.
His head hurt badly.
It felt like something was trying to force its way into his mind.
"Chen'er!"
A worried voice called out.
Long Chen looked up.
Beside his bed stood his aunt, her face filled with concern. She looked almost the same age as him, but her eyes carried deep care and warmth.
Next to her was his maid, equally anxious.
"You finally woke up!" the maid said, her voice trembling. "Young Master, you were unconscious for a week. "
His aunt stepped closer and gently held his shoulder.
"Chen'er, what happened? Are you alright?"
Long Chen didn't answer immediately.