On a fresh spring morning, when the birds begin their lively chatter and the leaves bask lazily in the sun's gentle warmth, the air hums with a quiet joy. It's the kind of morning that feels alive with promise. Not far off, there's a school building, its windows catching the light as students start to gather. Through the entrance, a boy steps inside—seventeen years old, dressed neatly in his school uniform. The moment Ru Ming crosses the threshold into the classroom, all eyes turn toward him.
He's tall, confident, and impossible to miss. From the back, a flashy classmate calls out with a grin, "Hey Ru Ming, hold off on the grand entrance this time, will you? Ning Fu's been waiting for you to hand over your book." Ru Ming smiles and nods, "Thanks, Fang Chong." With that, he steps out of the classroom to find Ning Fu, the book exchange already playing out in his mind.
The afternoon drifts lazily after lunch. The classroom buzzes with chatter, some students splashing water at each other, laughter ringing through the air, while others are caught up in games and playful teasing. It's a scene of youthful chaos, the kind that fills school days with energy and life. Then, without warning, everything shifts. A dark, swirling portal materializes in the middle of the room, its edges shimmering like ripples in water. Silence falls instantly as everyone freezes, eyes wide with disbelief. And then, as if drawn by some invisible force, a hand reaches out and touches the portal's surface.
In an instant, the classroom is swallowed whole. Desks, benches, windows—all vanish as if they were nothing but grains of sand caught in a fierce wind. The students cling desperately to whatever they can—tables, chairs, even the windowsills—but it's no use. The portal devours everything, pulling the room and its occupants into its mysterious depths.
The next moment, the chaos gives way to a strange calm. The students find themselves tumbling into the rushing waters at the base of a forest waterfall. The cold spray hits their faces as they struggle to keep afloat. Panic flares for a moment, but it's quickly replaced by determination—many start swimming toward the shore, muscles remembering the lessons from school swimming practice, a lifesaver in this unexpected plunge.
Far away, in a world unlike any they've known, a shadowed figure speaks quietly into a communicator. On the other end, a man of another species listens—a being who looks human but moves and speaks in a way that feels foreign, his face marked by unfamiliar features. The shadowed figure's voice is low, laced with mystery. "The plan is unfolding exactly as we hoped. The Light Bringers have been brought from the place where it all began.
This time, hope will triumph." Slowly, the figure steps from the shadows, revealing a face—Ru Ming's face. But this Ru Ming is not the same as the one who fell into the waterfall moments ago. There's something different here, something deeper and darker that hints at secrets yet to be uncovered.