Author's Note
Before anything else, I want to thank you for choosing to read my book. That means a lot to me, and I hope the story manages to touch you in some way. But I need to be honest: you might find some mistakes in the English translation. I sincerely apologize for that, in case something doesn't sound natural or causes any confusion.
Portuguese is my first language, and English... well, let's say it's not my strong suit. I'm not very proficient or fluent in it, and that limited me quite a bit. To bring this story to you, I used artificial intelligence to help with the translation. It was the best resource I had at hand, but I know it's not perfect and some slips might have gotten through.
Writing this book in Portuguese was something I did with a lot of care and dedication. I wanted to share this journey with readers in other languages, and the English translation was my attempt to make that happen. Even if the result has its flaws, my wish is that the spirit of the story still reaches you.
So, I ask for a bit of patience and understanding. If you can look past the possible mistakes, I hope you find something special in the pages I wrote. Thank you for being here and for giving my voice a chance!
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The hall descended into a silence so profound it seemed to cradle secrets in every shadowed nook, where the dim outlines whispered tales yet to be unveiled. Then, without warning, a holographic figure of a woman materialized, bathing the space in a cold, unrelenting light. Her presence felt as delicate as a breeze, yet her eyes—sharp and luminous, like ice caught in the act of melting—hinted at a mind far deeper than anyone could fathom.
—"Imagine this," she said, her voice slicing through the stillness, keen and deliberate, threading its way into every corner with a composure that masked hidden intent. "What if your father surrendered your sister to a faction that holds sway over two-thirds of this world? What would you do?"
—"This isn't merely a question," I mused silently, each word settling over me like a heavy shroud. "It's a trial, weighted with the gravity of fate itself, brushing perilously close to the edge of death."
Wei, the eldest son everyone hailed as brilliant, quivered beneath the force of her words. His eyes, once brimming with a bold, almost arrogant certainty, now betrayed a raw, unfiltered fear—though he fought valiantly to conceal it. For a fleeting span, time seemed to stretch thin; every heartbeat thundered like war drums heralding an inevitable clash, the air thick with mounting tension.
Unmoved, her stance unwavering, the holographic figure spoke once more, her tone now laced with a menace that brooked no doubt:
—"Answer within ten seconds, or I'll reduce everything within a million miles to ash."
The countdown reverberated through the hollow expanse:
—"Ten… nine… eight…"—
What had once been a gallery of confident faces morphed into a vivid tableau of despair. Even the elders, steadfast keepers of countless memories and triumphs, buckled under the crushing weight of dread.
Abruptly, the Duchess's voice pierced the anguish, tremulous yet urgent:
—"Answer, Wei! Do something!"—
The seconds pressed on, merciless:
—"Seven… six…"—
Wei's face, a battlefield of feigned courage and naked vulnerability, finally yielded words:
—"I'd take my sister and run. No one would touch her—not while I breathe. And when I'd gathered enough strength, I'd crush anyone bold enough to come near, then return to claim my vengeance."
For a fleeting heartbeat, a collective exhale seemed to lighten the oppressive air cloaking the hall. Yet the countdown marched on, slow and unyielding:
—"Five… four…"—
Wei stood frozen, adrift in his own thoughts, while the rest of us waited, eyes wide with dread, for an outcome still veiled in shadow.
Then, at the final brink:
—"Three… two… one… zero"—
A voice, icy and unforeseen, shattered the stifling air. I, Nael, ever the outsider—watchful, detached, my emotions locked behind an iron mask—felt a sudden compulsion to speak:
—"I loathe orders and threats. They change nothing, don't you see?"
All eyes swung toward me, heavy with shock and uncertainty. Until that moment, I'd been little more than a faint echo in the room, but now my words rang out, undeniable and bold.
The countdown halted. The projection's features softened, an enigmatic smile curling slowly across her lips.
—"Just as I thought," she said, her voice shedding its distant chill. "You don't bend to commands easily, do you?"
The hall teetered between relief at a narrowly dodged peril and a growing fascination with a power transcending mere machinery. Every glance, every breath bore the imprint of a night where fear, valor, and indifference danced amid a flicker of light and shade.
Her stance shifted, too vital, too alive for a simple hologram. What had been a frigid image now hinted at something tangible—a heartbeat pulsing beneath that glacial facade.
—"Fine, then," she declared, her tone weaving kindness with a thread of wry amusement. "Let's do this your way. Your mother's asking nicely now."
—"I refuse," I shot back, resolute, the wall I'd built between myself and the world standing firm.
—"You wouldn't keep your own mother waiting, would you?" she countered, her words tinged with a playful edge.
—"That…" I reflected inwardly, as an old, aching memory clawed its way to the surface, "is a piece of the past I thought I'd buried forever." It carried the tender echo of her I once knew, distant though it was.
Without a second's pause, I strode forward with purpose, my steps echoing through the hall to where Wei lingered, his grip tight around the ring. I met his gaze, my voice low and brimming with intent as I let slip:
—"Chaos, destruction, and death…"
Wei faltered. The heroic facade he'd clung to crumbled beneath my stare, laying bare the terror he could no longer mask, no matter how fiercely he tried.
The projection sliced through the quiet with a tone both light and faintly mocking:
—"If you'd answered as I demanded, I'd have been surprised."
A riddle lingered in every syllable she uttered. Without missing a beat, she pressed on, speaking directly to Wei—perhaps mistaking him for me, given her holographic nature:
—"The technique I've etched into your mind is eternal. I planted it there before even posing the question, knowing you'd only accept it this way—pride wouldn't let you refuse otherwise. I meant to pave your road to the Divine Realm. And yes, I'm aware you need nothing."
Her words hung there, dense and conclusive, as the hall sank into a silence so thick it felt alive. Then, with a voice that fused promise and taunt, she sealed her message:
—"With this technique and the ring's gifts, you could rise to the pinnacle of the Superior Realm—or crash spectacularly, a fall you'd never stomach. I'll be waiting in the Divine Realm, alongside your sister. I know you won't let me down."
The air grew dense, almost suffocating, as her revelation sank in. In that instant, the truth unfurled: my mother, an immortal enigma beyond mortal grasp, had just bared her essence and my origins—the outcast son of the Yang Duchy.
As the weight of her words settled, every gaze in the hall shimmered with a blend of torment, pride, and the certainty of what lay ahead. I stood apart, as ever, cool and reasoned, my soul unshaken by the storms I felt brewing, despite the theatrics gripping those around me.
The faces encircling me painted a vivid scene—shock, fear, and ambition warring within. Some were lost, captivated by her singular beauty; others began to sense the enormity of the moment. Even the Duchess, who'd once spat "prostitute" with venom, now stood rooted, humbled by the realization she'd crossed swords with a force far beyond her.
Yet amid the grandeur, I remained unmoved. Treasures and techniques? Mere trifles, fleeting as dust. What held me were her words, the keys to answers I'd long chased.
Then her eyes found mine. Her voice, steady and exact, carried the intimacy of one who'd unraveled the threads of my past:
—"Before you cast blame for my time in the mortal realm, hear me out."
She paused, each word chosen with care, deliberate as a sculptor's chisel.
—"Where I hail from, men don't exist. Only women greet the dawn. I yearned for children and poured everything into that dream—a sacrifice you can't begin to fathom. I forged a technique that birthed you and your sister, but the risks were colossal."
Her gaze glimmered, tinged with what might have been regret or wistful yearning.
—"When I conceived, I wielded that technique. Your sister arrived first, but you lingered with me longer—a ruse to outwit our pursuers. Yet when you were born, your skin was dark… and in our realm, the heavens spurn those of such hue, barring them from the path of cultivation."
My face stayed a blank slate, but inside, her words struck like hammer blows.
—"This truth echoes deep within me," I thought, "though I'll never let it show." My calm held steady, unyielding.
—"Even so," she continued, "your soul's strength defies those curses. But that power is a double-edged blade. It was so vast your newborn body couldn't bear it, unraveling the moment you drew breath."
The hall fell into a stillness so complete it swallowed sound itself. All were ensnared by her tale, their eyes locked on her shimmering form.
—"You entered this world with over eight natural constitutions, yet none could withstand your soul. They fractured, and unbeknownst to you, that soul forged a new one—a mark that blazes in your eyes."
She paused again, her words measured and precise, then pressed on:
—"Those eyes reveal your core. Their power is so immense that even the Celestial Eye deems them a threat. No stare should eclipse its own, yet yours dares to transcend. That's when it turned hunter, seeking to shatter you and claim those eyes for itself."
Tension swelled with every passing second; even the elders, their visages etched with decades of wisdom, betrayed unease at her revelations.
—"Fleeing the Divine Realm, the Celestial Eye cornered us. We teetered on the brink when your eyes flared open. With them, you tore a rift—an assault that wounded it. But the cost was steep: your body dissolved entirely, and your soul sealed shut. I… I still wonder if it was worth it, but there was no other path."
She faltered, the weight of her words pressing down like stone.
—"I always knew you'd awaken someday, that you'd rise in a world that'd dismiss you as frail until your true might shone through."
Her voice softened, wrapping me in a mother's tender care.
—"And there's more: a friend of mine lost her daughter, a girl who dwells in your world. Her father, blind to her worth, abandoned her to the Inferior Realm. Yet she bears the Celestial Destiny Soul of the Primordials."
At the mere mention of that title—"Celestial Destiny Soul of the Primordials"—some elders caught their breath, as if grappling with a concept too vast to hold.
—"Her knack for cultivation may be modest," she went on, "but she carries a rare gift that draws peril like a beacon. Without meaning to, she's adept at unearthing monsters—and guess who's the most fearsome of all. You, Nael, though your fate's unclear, share a bond with her, unique and unspoken. What you make of it rests in your hands alone."
She stopped, her voice warming with a familiarity that tugged at my core:
—"Hold this close, my son: this isn't farewell, but a 'see you soon.' Your sister and I await you in the Eternal Palace of the Seraphim. Don't let me down, my little Elyon… my Nael Supremium. This time, I swear I won't fail you."
She smiled, and for a brief, fragile moment, the fortress around my heart quaked.
—"Treasure this counsel as you do all else: you were never a monster—except, perhaps, to me. Offer others the chance to mend their ways, but bow to no one. Remember who you are. You're not merely human. You're more."
When her image faded, I stood rooted, staring into the void she'd left behind. The hall held its breath, but my mind churned with a torrent of emotions.
Outwardly, I wore my usual mask of icy detachment; inwardly, something primal stirred awake. It wasn't just nostalgia or sorrow—it was deeper, a pull toward the one place I still named home.
Showing nothing, I let a thought slip free:
—"Mother, you've always known how to crack even the hardest hearts, haven't you?"
And in the silence that lingered, her voice's echo remained—a persistent note, daring to pierce my steadfast calm.