In a forgotten corner of the cosmos, where light seldom reached and even the boldest celestials refused to tread, the silence of eternity was broken.
Two eyes snapped open in the abyss.
They were not mortal eyes—no blood or bone sustained them. They burned with ancient chaos, flickering with stars and void, each gaze capable of unraveling worlds. For a million years they had slumbered, suppressed beneath countless seals.
Now, something had stirred them awake.
"How curious…" The being's voice echoed, rippling through the empty realm like the toll of a funeral bell. "How could someone like him be born in the mortal realm?"
A faint smile crept into his tone. His awareness extended outward, brushing threads of fate that tied themselves to his existence. Somewhere, across countless layers of reality, a soul had awakened—a soul tethered to him.
The being leaned deeper into the currents of fate, and for the first time in eons, excitement glimmered in his gaze.
"It has begun."
---
Long before his imprisonment, the being had been the first disciple of the Primordial of Chaos, inheriting not only his mantle but also his Dao. In that era, the nine Primordial gods(celestials) reigned supreme, each embodying one of the eternal elements—water, fire, metal, earth, wind, lightning, time, space… and chaos.
Among them, chaos was the most dreaded, for it was not bound by order or law. It was unpredictable, limitless, unrestrained. And he, the disciple, had embodied it more perfectly than anyone before. His affinity with the Chaos Dao was so vast that even the other Primordials had feared what he might become.
Fear had led to betrayal. Betrayal had led to his sealing.
Now, fate itself whispered of his return.
---
Meanwhile, far above in the Celestial Realm, the Wheel of Fate began to tremble.
The Wheel was older than even the Primordials, forged from the first sparks of creation. It hung suspended within the Hall of Eternity, its vast golden spokes turning only when destiny itself shifted. It was said to foretell both beginnings and endings. Most of the time, it remained still, a silent guardian of balance.
But now—
Whummm…
The Wheel shuddered violently, light cascading across its frame. Its golden radiance twisted, streaks of deep black bleeding into its glow.
The guards stationed around it froze in terror.
"The Wheel… it moves?" one stammered, his spear trembling in his grasp.
"Summon the celestials! Quickly!" another shouted, his voice cracking. "The prophecy—it is awakening!"
A third guard whispered, pale-faced, "If this is about him… then we are already too late."
---
In the Council Hall of Celestials, vast and radiant, the atmosphere was already heavy. Hundreds of seats, carved from divine stone, floated around a central dais. Each was occupied by an immortal being whose very presence warped space.
They were discussing matters of realms, of wars between lesser gods, of balance and order.
Suddenly, a guard burst through the gates. The oppressive weight of countless divine auras slammed down upon him, forcing him to his knees.
"Who dares intrude?" a voice thundered. Its tone alone could crush mountains.
"Forgive me, my lords!" the guard gasped, struggling to breathe. "The Wheel of Fate—it has begun to turn! The head guard believes… it concerns the prophecy."
The room fell silent.
Several celestials exchanged sharp glances.
"Impossible!" one spat. His body blazed with crimson fire, the Celestial of Flame, quick-tempered and fierce.
"If he had awakened, the Primordials would have sensed it!" another argued, his voice calm yet laced with unease. That was the Celestial of Metal, cold and calculating.
"Or perhaps the Primordials have chosen silence," a third muttered darkly, his aura shifting like storm clouds.
The air thickened with tension.
At last, the council leader rose. His eyes were like endless oceans, calm yet fathomless. "Enough. We must see for ourselves."
---
In a burst of light, the celestials vanished from the hall and reappeared before the Wheel of Fate.
Its radiance had changed. No longer purely golden, its spokes shimmered with black, the two colors entwined like life and death.
"What does this mean?" one celestial whispered, unease creeping into his tone. "Does this omen signify his awakening?"
"No."
The answer came from everywhere and nowhere. A timeless voice, neither male nor female, reverberated through the chamber.
An ancient figure stepped forward. His form shimmered, shifting endlessly—a child, then a youth, then an adult, then an elder, cycling without pause. His very existence was a river flowing across ages.
The celestials instantly bowed low.
"We greet the Primordial of Time."
The ageless being regarded the Wheel with solemn eyes.
"It means everything," he murmured, "and at the same time… nothing."
Confusion rippled through the gathered celestials.
"The Wheel only shines with gold and black," the Primordial continued, "when one with extraordinary fate is born. Once before, this omen appeared—the day the First Disciple of Chaos drew breath. And when he was sealed, the Witch of Fates declared the colors would return upon his awakening."
The celestials grew restless, exchanging troubled glances.
"But the seal," one objected, "the Dragon Ancestors forged it. Their power still lingers. We cannot sense his return in the mortal, the heavenly, or even the abyssal realms."
"And yet," the Primordial of Time whispered, "the Wheel spins. A new fate has emerged. Whether it belongs to him, or to another… only time will tell."
His gaze deepened, as though peering across worlds. "But mark this—fate does not turn without reason. Prepare yourselves."
The celestials bowed once more, but unease gnawed at their hearts.
---
Far below, in the mortal realm, a storm raged.
In a quiet village on the edge of a vast empire, lightning tore the skies as a child drew his first breath. The heavens wept rain, the earth trembled, and the air grew heavy with the scent of chaos.
The midwife gasped, clutching the infant to her chest. For an instant, she swore she saw stars flicker in his eyes.
"Strange…" she whispered, shuddering. "What kind of child is this?"
Far away, unseen threads of destiny tightened.
The Wheel continued to spin.
And in the forgotten abyss, the sealed being smiled.