CHAPTER 1: FALLEN PRODIGY
The sun blazed down hard over Night-less City, throwing long shadows across the Long family grounds.
It was the yearly Divine Imprint Assessment, the day when all the young prodigies showed off their power in front of the whole clan.
But nobody in the crowd gave a damn about the real prodigies. Their eyes were locked on one guy. A nineteen-year-old boy lingered at the edge of the square, his silver-white hair hanging loose down his back, dressed in simple robes that made him blend right in.
He used to be the Long family's golden boy. But these days? He is just a nobody. A total waste who couldn't even muster a Divine Imprint.
"Look at that guy... he really showed his face."
"Thick-skinned, huh? I'd have hidden away for good if I were him."
Snickers and sneers rippled through the crowd, cutting and carefree. The young boy didn't budge, his face steady like it was all background noise.
Get a real close look, though, and his eyes told a different tale, still as a pond, but bottomless. Something simmered way down there. He walked up to the podium and laid his hand lightly on the stone monument.
"First stage Imprint Bearer!"
The words glowed bright, so sharp they made eyes water. The kid didn't flinch. He just balled his hands tight, nails biting into skin until blood trickled out.
A middle-aged guy next to the stone announced it all in a deadpan voice.
"Long Haochen. Imprint Bearer, first stage. Low rank."
Right then, the crowd lost it.
"First stage! Ha! Knew he couldn't scrape second. Cough up the bets!"
"What a joke! I threw cash away on that idiot!"
"Long family full of prodigies? This one's a prodigy at sucking,hilarious!"
"His old man disowned him ages ago. Long Muchen and Long Yize? Now those are the family's real stars."
How does the pride of Night-less City turn into trash overnight?"
"Who knows? Maybe he pissed off his ancestors in a past life. Hahaha."
The mix of fake pity and outright mockery stabbed at Long Haochen like a knight's lance right through his chest. He couldn't wrap his head around how the family that used to hold him up as their shining hope had turned on him like this. Even his father, Long Yuxuan, beaming over his other two sons, had disowned him. And now his mother's spot in the family had dropped to just another concubine. His breaths became quick and fast.
Long Haochen lifted his head, revealing his fine-featured, still-boyish face. His brown eyes stared blankly at the peers sneering at him. A bitter, self-mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"Were these people always this cruel? Or maybe it's because they fawned over me with all those fake smiles for the last two years, and now they just want to claw it back."
Long Haochen turned quietly and shuffled to the back row of the group. His solitary figure looked out of place, like it didn't belong anywhere around him.
"Next, Long Xiaotong!"
At the announcer's call, a pretty girl about fourteen stepped forward from the crowd. Long Xiaotong was the family head, Long Yuxuan's only daughter, born to his second wife. She was his favorite, the sole girl among the kids. While everyone else seemed to despise Haochen, Xiaotong adored him, and he'd sworn to always look out for her like a big brother.
The moment she appeared, the chatter died down, and eager eyes locked on her. She was one of the Long family's true standouts. By fourteen, she'd already outpaced most of her brothers.
The girl approached the podium and placed her small hand on the Talent Testing Monument, closing her eyes gently. A glow of divine fire Imprint spread from her body and hand, and a fire symbol tattoo bloomed on her forehead.
The monument responded right away, lighting up bright.
Imprint Bearer: seventh stage.
Long Xiaotong, Imprint Bearer: seventh stage, high rank.
Hearing her score announced, the girl broke into a wide, lovely smile.
"Seventh stage? She's a freak. With that personality of hers, she'll hit the Imprint manifestation realm before she's eighteen for sure, one of the youngest ever."
Long Haochen watched the happy grin on his little sister's face and let out a quiet breath of relief. He turned and slipped away into the crowd.
"Back then, I was the Long family's golden boy. At sixteen, I'd already reached the ninth stage of Imprint Bearer. My lightning Imprint let me take down Imprint manifestation experts. But suddenly, my power just faded, down to nothing, not even a scrap of divine power. Guess it's the heavens' way."
Haochen mulled this over as he made his way back to his mother's courtyard.
The place was peaceful and refined, dotted with peach blossom gardens. A crystal-clear, man-made stream wound under a little garden bridge, lined with flowers.
A young woman, strikingly beautiful and graceful, was out there watering her blooms with real care. Her elegant dress swayed in the breeze. Even though her skin had that pale, sickly look and she kept coughing all the time, it didn't hide her natural beauty.
She caught the sound of footsteps and turned to see her son approaching. "Xiao Bao!" she said, using his childhood name, coughing slightly
Haochen stepped into her arms, soaking up the warmth that no one else gave him anymore. "Xiao Bao, don't beat yourself up," she murmured, holding him close before pulling back. "Give it time. I know you'll rise to be one of the strongest demigods in all of Night-less City."
"Mom, what'd you make?" he asked after a moment.
"Your favorite, rice and roasted chicken." She smiled, ruffling his hair softly. "I'll go eat," he said, starting off.
"You sure you won't wait for your sister? You know how she gets if she's late for lunch." She glanced back at her flowers, inspecting the peaches.
Haochen climbed to the top of the garden bridge and sat, listening to the water trickle below where golden fish swam. One leaped out, splashing him before diving back in. "Can't believe things have come to this, even the fish are laughing at me. Haochen, oh Haochen, what a total waste," he thought, chuckling bitterly to himself.
The courtyard gate creaked open soon after, and Long Xiaotong bounded in, all smiles. "Mom! What's for lunch?" She rushed straight into her arms. Xiaotong never called her stepmom; it was always "Mom," and their connection ran deep.
Before she could answer, Xiaotong grabbed her hand. "The sun's brutal out there, is not good for your health. Let's go eat. Brother Haochen's probably waiting." They headed inside, buzzing with energy, and Haochen trailed after.
Out of the blue, Long Xiaotong remembered Haochen from two years ago. He could've been the youngest Imprint manifestation expert Night-less City had seen in ages.
Haochen had all this endless promise, turning heads and winning over girls left and right. Even the high-and-mighty Yang and Bai family from the capital had jumped to offer their daughters in marriage. But fate had other plans, twisting the knife hard.
They settled around the big round table as their mother dished out the rice and roasted chicken. "Mom, you're the best," Xiaotong said, digging into the chicken with a big bite.
"Brother Haochen, I don't get what happened to you, but I know you'll get back up there, regain all that glory and respect." She paused, tearing off another chunk of meat.
"Brother Haochen back then was so cool," she added with a grin, her eyes sparkling innocently. It made Haochen laugh, nearly choking on his bite.
"Eat slower," his mother said, patting his back. He swallowed hard, then pushed back from the table and left the two of them there.
"Be careful out there," Xiaotong shouted at his disappearing figure.