When the trial ended, the valley fell silent, as if the world itself had stopped to breathe with me. The frozen lilies shimmered faintly, and the air carried a quiet rhythm—the steady pulse of creation. Energy swirled around me, not wild now, but calm and alive, like a river that had remembered its path.
Arina's voice broke the stillness. "Host, the ancient trials are complete. The Equinox Core has been fully awakened. You now possess access to the divine vision—Eyes of Balance—and the first true Equinox technique: Heavenlight Resonance."
Her tone carried pride but also caution.
"The Eyes of Balance allow you to perceive truth—lies, energy flows, and even hidden intentions. Few beings in any world have held them. But remember, Mukul: seeing truth can be more dangerous than not seeing at all."
I opened my eyes. The world looked different—brighter, layered, alive. The frost on the ground shimmered like starlight, and even Lian Xueyin's spirit flame glowed softly around her, blue and silver like her soul itself. I could sense her heartbeat, her strength, and even the quiet ache hiding behind her calm expression.
Arina continued, "Your Heavenlight Resonance is a divine harmony skill. It can amplify any ally's power when used in sync—but it also lets you draw upon another's energy if both hearts align."
Lian must have noticed the faint glow in my eyes. "You're seeing something, aren't you?"
"Yes," I said quietly. "Everything."
I told her what Arina had said. Instead of fear, she smiled faintly. "Then use it to survive what's coming. You'll need it."
The world might have felt peaceful in that valley, but the horizon already carried smoke. Destiny rarely leaves space for rest.
Far away, in the Imperial Capital, Zhao Tian sat in the Emperor's council hall, bathed in the golden light of noon. The hall's marble floor reflected the empire's crest—the dragon and phoenix — a symbol of balance he no longer believed in.
His father, Emperor Zhao Long, sat silent on the throne. The courtiers grew restless, their voices like the rustle of serpents in tall grass. Reports of my success in the north had reached them all.
"The third son returns a hero," said one of the elders, his tone cautious. "Perhaps the heavens have chosen him again."
Zhao Tian's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Heavens choose no one, Minister. Men create their own stories—and destroy them when needed."
The Emperor's gaze shifted toward his son. "You speak boldly," he said.
"Because I speak truth," Zhao Tian replied smoothly. "Mukul's return may seem divine, but the gods do not favour two sons equally. I will protect the empire's peace. If he comes with chaos, I will end it with order."
In the shadowed corner of the hall, a cloaked figure bowed. "As you command, Prince Zhao Tian. The preparation begins."
When the figure left, Zhao Tian's expression darkened. "Let him come home," he murmured. "I'll make the entire empire watch as a god is broken again."
Three days later, Lian Xueyin and I set out from the fortress. The path to the capital was harsh—the forests quiet, the mountains heavy with fog. Even the animals avoided the road, as if they knew something dark lingered ahead.
Arina had been quiet since the trial, but as we neared the imperial borders, her voice returned, softer yet sharper.
"Host," she said, "I can sense a presence—faint, cloaked in demonic qi. It follows you but not from this world. Be cautious. This is no mere assassin."
"From another world?" I whispered under my breath.
"Yes," Arina confirmed. "Possibly drawn by your awakening. The fusion of the relic's power might have disrupted the balance between realms."
Lian glanced over at me. "You're hearing something?"
I nodded slowly. "Arina says we're being watched."
She didn't panic. Instead, she reached for her sword. "Then let them watch. We won't hide."
Her confidence steadied me. For the first time, I felt the link between us more deeply—the same current of energy Arina called Heavenlight Resonance. Even without focusing, our energies flowed together like twin streams merging.
When we stopped for camp near a cliff, I practised the new technique. Arina guided me. "Breathe through the mark. Let your soul guide the elements."
I raised the Snowfire Blade. Flames burst along its edge, white-blue, pure, and radiant. The air shimmered. When Lian activated her Frost Art beside me, her icy energy twined naturally with mine, forming a glowing column of frostfire that pierced the night sky.
We both stood there, eyes wide. The technique had worked perfectly—two powers made one.
Lian looked at me, half-smiling, half-awed. "Do you know what this means, Mukul Zhao? Together, we could change the fate of worlds."
I laughed softly. "Then let's start with just one—mine."
By the time we reached the imperial city, the skies had turned crimson with the setting sun. Towers of jade and gold stretched high, and banners bearing the dragon crest fluttered above silent streets. The gates opened with ceremony, but the eyes watching us from the shadows were far from welcoming.
As we dismounted, I whispered to Arina, "Are you sure he knows?"
Zhao Tian—the brother who once stole my future.
Arina's reply came calmly, edged with warning. "He knows everything. His spies fill the palace like blood through veins. But, host… it is not only him. There is another player now—someone unseen. I feel divine interference, faint but real. Perhaps even the goddess's counterpart from another realm."
"The Dark System?" I asked quietly.
"Yes," she said with certainty. "A counterforce to mine. And it moves closer."
Before I could respond, the palace gates opened before us. Drums rolled deep and solemn. Inside, hundreds of ministers knelt, the air thick with judgment. At the far end stood Zhao Tian—elegant, smiling, and hateful—and beside him, the Emperor himself, older, colder, and unreadable.
Lian's hand brushed mine gently as we walked forward. "No matter what happens," she whispered, "remember—the balance you carry is not just power. It's hope."
I nodded once. My heart was steady. The mark on my chest pulsed—frost and flame intertwining like destiny itself.
For maybe the first time since my birth, I didn't feel afraid of the court, the empire, or even the gods that cursed me once.
As I bowed before the throne, Arina's final whisper burned through my mind.
"The storm begins now… but you are no longer its prey, Mukul. You are its fire."