A Universe Whispering Secrets
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The cosmic forest resembled an unfinished dream. Trees of violet light grew roots in black void, bearing fruit shaped like tiny moons that emitted melodies akin to the cries of lost children. The air was heavy with the scent of musk and burnt iron, and the sky—painted in shades of grimy gray—hung like a curtain above the throne of the goddess Nirvana, who had slumbered since the dawn of creation. Here, in a place defying every physical law, Jio sat beneath the Tree of Hope, its massive trunk engraved with golden etchings depicting the history of forgotten universes.
The boy—now a sixteen-year-old with a dangerously growing power—held in his hands the Sword of Golden Shadows, a weapon forged from Lang Xian's final tears. The sword pulsed like a living heart, whispering memories of his father with every touch.
"You're a fool…" he murmured to himself, staring at the black butterflies gathering around the tree. "You think you're hiding something."
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First Encounter: The One-Eyed Stranger
At the horizon, where rays of a black sun met crimson mist, a tall man appeared, cloaked in the leather of an extinct dragon. His face was hidden beneath a silver mask adorned with symbols resembling weeping eyes, yet his left eye—the only one visible—was golden and pupil-less, like a portal into another realm. He stepped toward the tree with heavy strides, each step rippling the stagnant pool of time at his feet.
The Stranger: (in a voice that echoed two tones—silken and gravelly)
"The heir... at last. Do you know how close I came to finding you?"
Jio rose to his feet, the sword glowing faintly with a threatening hue. He didn't need to ask who the man was... the symbol on his forehead matched the one Jio had seen in the Mirror of Time.
Jio: (coldly, masking a tremble of fear)
"You're part of the old game… but the game is over."
The stranger laughed, a sound that turned the black butterflies to ash.
"The game never ends… it only changes."
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The First Memory: The Tribe of Golden Eyes
Before Jio could respond, the stranger tossed a colored cloth to the ground. It exploded into a luminous screen displaying buried memories:
A nomadic tribe in a desert of black crystal, each person with one golden eye and one of a different color.
A woman resembling Lian Hua holding a newborn, the same symbol etched on his forehead.
A massacre, executed by creatures of black light, devouring the tribe and stealing their golden eyes.
The Stranger: (with venom in his voice)
"You're no child of fate… you're the last chosen one of the Time Gate Keepers. Lang Xian didn't save you… he stole you."
Jio felt as though the ground was swallowing him whole. The sword slipped from his hand as the black butterflies swarmed around him like a choking cloud.
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Scene Two: The Village of False Hope
Hours later, Jio returned to the newly built Village of Hope, created by survivors of cosmic wars. The homes were built from the bones of mythical beasts wrapped in glowing butterfly wings, and the streets were paved with singing stones. But today, everything had changed:
Golden crops, once enormous and thriving, now wilted, their stems bleeding black liquid.
Children, who once played with light butterflies, now sat silently, their eyes covered with bandages marked by the golden symbol.
The River of Time flowing through the village began to run backward, carrying corpses from an unspoken past.
At the center of the square, the villagers gathered around the Sacred Well, its waters now thick and black like tar. The ancient priestess Melia, who had led the village rituals for centuries, stood on a platform of bones and cried out:
Melia: (in a heart-wrenching voice)
"The symbol… it has returned! It's devouring hope!"
From a distance, Jio watched. A vibration pulsed in his forehead. The symbol was burning into his skin… it was growing.
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The Poisoned Dialogue: The Executioner Turned Ally
That night, as Jio tried to repair the golden sword in his hut, the stranger entered without knocking. The silver mask was lifted now, revealing a face disfigured with golden scars—just like the ones on Jio's own brow.
Stranger: (sitting on a chair made of fog)
"My name is Kassian… I was like you—a guardian of the Gate. Until Lang Xian destroyed everything."
He began to tell his tale:
Of belonging to a tribe guarding the border between universes.
Of Lang Xian's betrayal to steal the power of the golden symbol.
Of surviving alone, turned into a being that drifted across worlds seeking vengeance.
Kassian: (gripping Jio's hand with bone-crushing strength)
"The symbol on your brow isn't destiny… it's a theft. Lang Xian planted it in you to hide from his crimes."
Jio wanted to deny it, but fake memories started to surface: Lang Xian snatching him from his true mother's arms, a child screaming in the dark...
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Third Revelation: The Tree That Devours Its Children
Jio, desperate for the truth, asked Kassian to help him read the memory of the Tree of Hope.
Kassian placed his hands on the trunk, and his golden eye ignited. The golden carvings transformed into a horrifying vision:
Lang Xian slaughtering the Time Gate Keepers one by one.
A small boy (Jio), bound in a ritual circle, the symbol carved onto his forehead with the blood of the fallen.
The tree itself, planted from the heart of the last guardian, evolving into a cosmic weapon.
Jio collapsed to his knees, vomiting. The golden sword melted, turning into black liquid that bled into the roots of the tree.
Kassian: (smiling with a cruel mix of triumph and sorrow)
"Now… will you still defend your father's lie?"
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Scene Three: The First Ritual of Regret
By morning, Jio gathered the villagers in the square. He told them everything: about the tribe, the lie, the symbol. But instead of shock, he saw in their eyes… relief.
Melia: (approaching the tree, hands trembling)
"We know… but the lie was worth the hope."
It was revealed that the village was built atop the corpses of the Gate Keepers. The villagers were survivors from dead worlds, choosing a beautiful lie over a painful truth.
Jio: (staring at his hands, stained with golden ash)
"So… we're all just puppets in a sick play."
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Collapse: Butterflies Turned Monsters
That night, as Jio tried to destroy the tree with his new black sword, the black butterflies transformed into monstrous creatures. They were:
Wings of black light, melting into darkness.
Transparent bodies, revealing golden skeletal structures within.
Compound eyes, emitting beams that sliced through time.
The battle was chaos—blood of gold and black spilled across the soil. Jio fought fiercely, but every creature he killed reshaped a lost part of his past.
Kassian: (fighting beside him, wielding a sword of the same black light)
"Kill them all…"
The Cliffhanger Ending: The Seed That Bloomed in the Heart
At dawn, Jio stood amidst a field of golden corpses. Kassian had vanished, leaving behind a black seed pulsing like a heart. The tree was burning, and the fire made sounds like ancient prayers.
Jio picked up the seed and planted it in his chest, where the mark once was. The pain was unbearable, but he felt something growing... a new hope, filthy and different.
Jio: (looking up at the sky as golden ash begins to fall)
"The game isn't over... it's been reborn."
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At the farthest edge of the burning universe, where galaxies are hidden like secrets in the pockets of darkness, a woman who looked like Lian Hua heard the laughter of a child…
It came from a golden seed planted in the void.