The sacred grove glowed under a crescent moon, bathed in the soft shimmer of starlight reflecting off crystal leaves. Trees whispered in a language only spirit wolves and very dramatic toddlers could understand.
Yueli crouched near the glowing pond,
her fingers brushing the surface. " This place feels like it's holding its breath."
Di Yan knelt beside her, his silver hair loose, a rare sight. " It's a memory made of magic. These waters… they only appear when the veil between timelines thins."
" That sounds suspiciously like something we shouldn't be walking through with a baby," she replied, glancing over her shoulder.
Said baby was currently levitating upside down, humming a tune she may or may not have invented, while the spirit wolves circled beneath her like anxious babysitters.
" She's… thriving," Di Yan offered.
" Thriving upside down," Yueli deadpanned.
Suddenly, the waters pulsed, and the air vibrated with energy. A golden symbol flared to life in the pond— a crown split in half, one side wrapped in flame, the other in starlight.
Yueli's heart thudded.
" She's nearing one year," Di Yan said softly. " It's starting."
" Yeah, but what is it exactly?" Yueli asked, standing slowly. " The Oracle spoke in riddles, and I don't like riddles that could explode."
As if on cue, the baby hiccupped— and a tiny shockwave blew the pond's surface into floating droplets.
One of the droplets hovered before Yueli's face, then spun rapidly and projected an image— a vision.
A throne room crumbling into ruin.
Flames dancing along the walls. Di Yan,
on one knee, bleeding from a wound in his side. Yueli standing tall, her baby in her arms, as figures in celestial robes bowed to her.
Then came a voice— not the Oracle, but something older.
" When the flame- star turns one, the crown shall be reborn. But choose wisely… for not all kingdoms desire a queen who cannot be controlled."
The image shattered like glass.
Yueli stumbled back, breath caught.
" Did you see—"
" I saw," Di Yan said, eyes darker than the night around them. " It's a warning."
The baby floated down into Yueli's arms, curling close with a yawn. She reached up and patted her mother's cheek like you've got this, then promptly sneezed and accidentally grew a tree behind them.
A tree that laughed.
" Did that tree just—? Yueli blinked.
" Yes," Di Yan answered grimly. " We're dealing with laughing trees now."
Before they could decide whether to chop it down or invite it to the birthday party, a ripple of energy surged through the ground.
The sky above shifted. A tear of light opened, and a figure stepped through.
Tall. Clad in robes stitched from constellations. Crownless, but carrying a scepter carved from the spine of a fallen star.
" Shen Yueli. Di Yan. Flame- star child,"
the figure intoned. " You are summoned."
Yueli raised a brow. " By who? Because unless you're bringing cake or answers—"
" By the Astral Council," the figure said.
" The trial of lineage begins. Your child's right to the celestial throne must be proven."
" Throne?" Di Yan asked. " She's barely learned to say ' boom' in three different tones."
" She doesn't even use forks yet," Yueli added.
The figure merely bowed. " Refusal is not an option. The child turns one soon.
The old bloodlines stir."
Behind them, the spirit wolves growled in sync.
" Fine," Yueli said, stepping forward.
" We'll come. But make no mistake— if this is another trap disguised as a prophecy, we'll burn our way out again."
Di Yan nodded. " And this time, we'll bring glitter."
The celestial messenger looked deeply unimpressed, but gestured toward the rift. " Three days. Prepare."
As the rift vanished, Yueli stood in the glowing grove, heart pounding.
The countdown had begun.
And this time, there would be no mirrors. No echoes.
Only truth. And fire. And maybe cake.
She looked down at her daughter, who blinked once, then whispered— yes,
whispered— a word neither Yueli nor Di Yan recognized. It echoed like an ancient spell, soft yet commanding, and for a heartbeat, even the wind stilled.
Di Yan's grip on his sword tightened.
" Did she just—?"
Above them, the stars flickered— no,
realigned— just slightly.
And somewhere, far beyond the veil of realms, something that had been sleeping… smiled.