The surface of the East Sea shimmered like polished glass, tranquil beneath the gaze of the heavens. But deep in its heart, storms churned unseen.
In the Dragon Palace, beneath layers of coral halls and jade towers, Long Taiyi stood alone, staring into the shifting currents beyond his window. Ten years had passed since his rebirth, years that had molded him into a calm, unreadable figure.
The courtiers saw him as patient, humble, almost pliant. Yet beneath that mask of serenity lay an unyielding core and a mind sharp enough to pierce through any veil. He had grown accustomed to being underestimated—and he wielded that underestimation like a blade.
But the world beyond called to him. Though the East Sea was vast, to Taiyi it was a cage, its tides pressing against his restless spirit.
"One day," he murmured, his silver hair glinting under the pale light of the ocean, "I will see what lies beyond these waters."
His fingers brushed the hilt of his dormant sword. For now, he kept it sheathed. But a storm was coming, and he could already feel its breath against his skin.
While Taiyi dreamed of the world, his brother plotted to control it.
Ao Shen, son of the Dragon King by blood, had always been proud and fiery. Yet his true weapon was not his strength—it was his cunning. Behind the mask of a dutiful prince, he wove threads of treachery, feeding rebellion in the shadows.
In a cavern swallowed by darkness, far from the palace's watchful eyes, Ao Shen met the leaders of the deep-sea clans.
"You want the throne," the rebel chief growled, his trident striking sparks against the coral floor.
Ao Shen's lips curled into a smile. "No. I deserve it. And when the tide turns, I will take it. With your blades at my side, the palace will fall before dawn."
The rebels eyed him with suspicion. "And the silver-haired one? The adopted son your father dotes on?"
A flicker of hatred crossed Ao Shen's eyes, though his tone remained cool. "He thrives only because he hides behind humility. Strip him of his mask, and he will crumble. Leave him to me."
"How can we trust you?" The rebel leader asked.
"The question should be why should you believe me and I can only offer you one answer; none. There is no reason why you should trust me," Ao Shen said.
"We are all getting what we want so you think about it after all I have all the time in the world but as for you, I highly doubt it."
"We have a deal," the rebel leader said and Ao Shen smiled at his words.
The deal was struck. Ao Shen would betray his own blood to deliver the palace into rebel hands. In return, the clans would gain the northern trenches.
Yet Ao Shen knew better than to trust them. He smiled as they swore allegiance, but in his heart he whispered, When the crown rests on my head, I will drown you .
By day, Ao Shen played his role flawlessly. He laughed in the training halls, spoke warmly in council, and even bowed low before his father.
When the Dragon King questioned him about the unrest in the trenches, Ao Shen answered with honeyed words.
"Father, give me leave, and I shall lead the vanguard. With brother Taiyi at my side, the rebellion will collapse."
The King's stern gaze softened. But beside him, Taiyi's expression barely shifted—only his eyes gleamed with a quiet sharpness.
Ao Shen turned, his smile radiant as he clasped Taiyi's shoulder. "Together, brother. Who else but us can guard the East Sea?"
The courtiers nodded approvingly, blind to the venom laced beneath his words.
That night, Taiyi sat before a jade map in his chambers. Stones marked the paths of rebel movements, but the pattern was too deliberate, too perfectly aligned to strike.
"No rebellion moves with such precision," he thought, his calm voice echoing faintly. "Unless someone guides them from within."
His mind returned to Ao Shen's recent courtesy—too flawless, too sudden.
"The serpent does not strike until the prey is lulled," Taiyi whispered, eyes narrowing. "And this serpent waits within our own walls."
On the night of the tide's turning, the coral gates that guarded the palace fell eerily silent. By Ao Shen's command, the wardens slipped away, abandoning their posts.
Through that silence surged the rebels—armies clad in blackened scales, weapons burning with stolen dragonfire. The ocean itself seemed to tremble as they poured into the heart of the East Sea.
Palace corridors shook with chaos. Sirens wailed, guards clashed steel against steel, and jade pillars splintered beneath the weight of treachery.
And at the head of it all strode Ao Shen, his blade gleaming. Not against the rebels, but alongside them.
"Strike swift," he ordered coldly. "Let the old dragon kneel before dawn."
---
Taiyi stood waiting in the great hall, his figure still as stone amidst the storm. The rebels faltered when they saw him—calm, unyielding, silver hair shimmering like moonlight beneath the sea's glow.
Ao Shen entered, striding like a king already crowned. His eyes burned with triumph.
"Brother," he sneered, "will you still play the loyal son? Tonight, masks will shatter."
Taiyi's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. His calm gaze cut sharper than any blade.
"If masks must shatter," he said softly, his voice carrying through the din of battle, "then let us see whose face endures the breaking."
The air itself seemed to still, as if the East Sea held its breath.
---
The Fire Realm
Far above, sealed in the outer space realm, the Fire Realm shuddered. Cracks spiderwebbed across the sky, flames seeping through the fractures.
Feng Jiu stood at the heart of the burning halls, her crimson robes blazing like a second sun. Power surged within her as she forced her will against the cracks, each breath a battle against collapse.
She had grown beyond recognition, her strength soaring like a phoenix reborn in fire. And as the flames surged higher, the sealed realm trembled beneath her command.
Yet even as she forced back the fracture, her eyes turned outward, longing.
"Beyond this sky lies the world," she whispered. "I will see it—even if I must break the seal myself."
---
Thus, as the Fire Realm strained and the East Sea bled, the stage of destiny was set: a scheming prince, a calm serpent in human form, and a queen of flames waiting to rise.
The tides were turning, and neither mask nor seal could hold them back.