The sea never truly sleeps.
Beneath an ocean that bears no name on human maps, darkness is not an absence—it is a living world. In that place, the currents do not move naturally.
They swirl.
They pulse.
It is as if the entire depth of the ocean is breathing in sync with something far older than Earth's history. At the center of that darkness stands a colossal structure.
A Palace.
Not a common palace, but a fortress that seems to have grown from the seabed itself. Its walls are crafted from shimmering black stone, like obsidian, adorned with cracks of golden light that move like veins of life. Around it, massive creatures glide in silence.
Dragon shadows.
Not legends.
Not myths.
They are real.
And they all bow to this single place.
In the deepest hall of the palace, the seawater no longer feels like water. It transforms into a stable, hollow void, as if the laws of nature have been forced to bend to the will of a single entity. At the center of the room stands a massive throne. It is carved from the bones of an unknown ancient beast, fused with blue crystals that emit a faint glow, like drowning stars.
Upon it sits a man. Or more accurately… something that has taken human form.
His eyes open slowly.
At that exact moment—the entire ocean trembles.
Outside the palace, the guardians immediately fall to their knees, their bodies shaking for no apparent reason. They know...
Their King has awakened.
"It has begun..."
The voice is low, heavy, carrying a pressure capable of crushing the souls of the weak. In front of him, the seawater begins to form a pattern.
A vision.
The human world.
Towering skyscrapers.
Electric lights.
A bustling crowd devoid of spiritual energy.
Yet, among it all… there is one point glowing dimly. Faint… but impossible to ignore.
The King narrows his eyes.
"That lineage... it has finally reappeared."
Behind him, a Dragon Elder steps forward cautiously.
"Your Majesty… does that mean… the lost heir—"
"Silence."
A single word. Yet, it was enough to make the entire room freeze. The Dragon King stands slowly. Every step he takes makes the space vibrate, as if the world itself is terrified of losing its balance.
"He was not lost." His voice grows deeper. "He was hidden by fate."
Silence.
Then, the Dragon King raises his hand. The image of the human world shifts, focusing on a single figure.
A young man.
His face is ordinary.
His clothes are simple.
He is walking through the heart of the city, unaware that he is being watched by something far beyond human comprehension. The Dragon King stares at him for a long time.
Then—for the first time in thousands of years—he cracks a small smile.
It isn't a kind smile. It isn't a happy one. It is the smile of someone who finally sees the beginning of a great storm.
"Lin Xuan…"
The name is whispered softly, yet it echoes throughout the entire ocean. The Elders exchange glances. They know one thing for certain: if the Dragon King speaks that name… the world is about to change.
On the other side of the world… in a human city full of light and noise…
Lin Xuan knows nothing.
He is just an ordinary university student. A young man whose life has never been considered important by anyone. But that night… for the first time in his life… he feels something strange.
A faint pulse in his left chest.
Not pain.
Not fear.
But as if something inside him… is waking up.
He stops walking and looks up at the city sky, obscured by artificial light.
"Strange…" he mutters softly.
The night wind suddenly stops, as if the world is holding its breath.
And deep within his body…
Something that has slept since the dawn of the world…
Opens its eyes.
🔥 END PROLOGUE