Kael floated.
There was no sky above him, no ground below him, and no air in his lungs. He opened his eyes, but there was no light—only an infinite expanse of void, a canvas where neither creation nor destruction existed.
It was… nothing.
A realm without stars, without energy, without time.
The Non-Existence Realm.
Kael's body felt weightless as he drifted through the emptiness. His qi, his aura, even his heartbeat—none of it responded to his will. It was as if his very self had been unmade.
"Where… am I?" His voice echoed, though there should have been nothing for sound to bounce from.
And then, amidst the silence, a voice came.
---
The Voice of Eternity
> "You are not worthy."
The words reverberated through Kael's bones, shaking him to the core. It was not a voice that entered his ears—it spoke directly into his soul, piercing through the layers of his existence.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded, though his voice trembled.
> "You stand in a place where neither creation nor non-creation exists. This is not a realm for mortals… nor even for gods. This is the fracture beyond existence itself. And you, child of the Veynar clan… are not ready."
Kael's chest tightened. "Why am I here, then? Did the Immortal Book bring me?"
The silence stretched, suffocating. Then the voice returned, heavier, deeper, as though the void itself spoke:
> "The Immortal Book chose you. But choice does not mean readiness. It has given you a glimpse… nothing more. You may not walk this path yet. To linger here is to erase yourself."
Kael's hands shook. He could feel it—the edges of his body dissolving, his very presence thinning into the nothingness. Fear clawed at him.
"Wait! If I'm not ready, then tell me—what must I do? How do I become worthy?"
The voice rumbled like thunder across an empty sky:
> "Survive. Struggle. Ascend. When the time comes, you will return here… or you will perish. For now—go back."
A sudden force wrapped around Kael, cold and absolute. He tried to resist, but it was like fighting the tide of the universe itself.
"Wait! Tell me more! What is this realm really?!"
But the voice only whispered one final line:
> "The end and the beginning are the same."
And then Kael was gone.
---
Awakening
He gasped. His lungs burned as air rushed in. His body jolted upright, drenched in sweat.
"Easy."
The calm, steady voice of Sylara reached his ears. She was seated at his bedside, her hands still faintly glowing with lingering qi. Relief flickered across her sharp eyes as she saw him stir.
"Master…?" Kael croaked. His throat was dry.
"You're awake." She exhaled, leaning back slightly. "Finally."
"How long…?"
"Two days," Sylara answered. "You've been unconscious for two whole days, Kael. Your body was boiling and freezing in cycles, your meridians in chaos. I thought—" She stopped, her tone softening. "I thought you wouldn't return."
Kael's mind spun. Two days? He remembered the endless void, the voice, the rejection. His fists clenched at the memory.
"Master… I was in a place… not like any realm I know. A void where nothing existed. It spoke to me."
Sylara froze for a heartbeat, then shook her head firmly. "Do not speak of it again. Whatever you saw, keep it buried. Some truths will kill you before they guide you."
"But—"
Her gaze sharpened. "Kael. Not now. Focus on your recovery. You pushed yourself beyond your limits."
Kael swallowed his questions, though unease gnawed at him. The Non-Existence Realm… he would not forget it, no matter what she said.
---
The Gods Take Notice
While Kael fought to steady himself, far above the mortal plane, the realms of divinity trembled.
The shockwave from his awakening—the surge of power when the Immortal Book fused with him—had crossed barriers no mortal force should reach. It tore through the heavens, echoing into the domains where gods slumbered.
On the Throne of Flames, the God of Fire opened his blazing eyes, molten rivers shifting across his divine palace.
> "What is this…? A ripple not born of the heavens?"
In the Sea of Infinity, where endless stars floated above the ocean's surface, the Goddess of Fate stirred, her silver threads twitching violently.
> "Something… beyond the weave has entered the mortal plane. A forbidden spark…"
And in the Abyss of Shadows, a pair of eyes opened—cold, cruel, unblinking. The God of Destruction, who once sought the Immortal Book himself, grinned.
> "Finally. After all these eons… the book has chosen."
The divine realms buzzed with unease. The Immortal Book—long believed to be a legend older than gods themselves—had acted. The gods knew what it meant: somewhere in the mortal world, a figure had been chosen.
A seed that could one day rival divinity.
---
The Return to Reality
Back in his chamber, Kael wiped the sweat from his brow. His body still ached, but it was stable now. He looked at Sylara, whose expression was calm but unreadable.
"Master," he said quietly. "Something has changed. I can feel it in me. Like… a part of me isn't the same anymore."
Sylara met his eyes. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then she leaned closer.
"Listen to me carefully, Kael. Whatever changes you feel, you must hide them. Do not flaunt your strength. Do not speak of strange realms or voices. If the wrong ears hear of this…"
Her hand pressed against his shoulder, her grip firm.
"…the gods themselves will come for you."
Kael's breath caught. He didn't fully understand—but he knew enough. If even Sylara, always unshaken, spoke with such gravity, then his situation was dire.
"Understood," he whispered.
She released him, finally relaxing. "Good. For now, rest. You've survived what should have killed you. That is victory enough."
Kael leaned back against the bedding, his eyes heavy. The memory of the void lingered still, the voice repeating in his mind: "Survive. Struggle. Ascend."
His journey was only beginning.
---
Beyond the Horizon
Far beyond the academy's walls, across continents and seas, tremors of Kael's awakening spread like whispers in the wind. Cultivation sects, hidden clans, and forgotten ruins all stirred. Unknown eyes turned toward the Arathor Academy, sensing a shift in destiny.
And in the heavens, the gods watched. Some with interest. Some with fear. Some with hunger.
The world would soon change.
And at the heart of it all stood Kael—unaware that his struggle had already shaken the pillars of creation.