My name is Li Ren. In this era, names are chosen for their phonetic balance and sleek, corporate appeal. My father, Li Wei, is a Senior Architect of Material Stability; my mother, Xiao Mei, is a High-Level Analyst of Societal Harmony. Together, they represent the perfect "Dual-Node" household of the modern age.
We reside in the Kunlun Heights, a soaring arcology in Sector 4. Our apartment is a masterclass in "Silent Luxury"—surfaces of synthetic white jade and windows that filter the sunset into a calming lavender hue. It is a home built on the premise that the world is finally at peace.
But I know better. My childhood was not one of playground games, but of Internal Anchoring.
To my parents, I was the "Perfect Son." I never broke a vase, never shouted, and always maintained a pulse rate that delighted their health-monitoring apps. They attributed this to my "Natural Equilibrium."
In truth, it was a desperate struggle. If I allowed my emotions to spike, the System—the crystallized remnant of my former Dao—would attempt to "compensate" by altering the local reality. When I was six, a momentary burst of frustration caused the kitchen floor to turn into liquid mercury for three seconds. I spent the next four hours using my tiny, developing "System" to re-solidify the atoms before my mother returned from work.
I learned early on that my role in this new world is that of a Custodian. I am the only one who can see the "Stress Fractures" in reality—the places where the "Great Anchoring" didn't quite take.
Now eighteen, I am a student at the Tian-Gong Institute of Structural Harmony. I carry a sleek, jade-glass tablet and wear the charcoal-grey uniform of the academic elite. My parents believe I am studying to follow in my father's footsteps—designing buildings that can withstand thousand-year storms.
Instead, I use my classes as a cover for Geomantic Maintenance.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: DAILY CALIBRATION ACTIVE]
[CURRENT LOCATION: SECTOR 1 - THE FORMER IMPERIAL DISTRICT]
[OBJECTIVE: IDENTIFY AND SMOOTH THE 'RESONANCE LEAK' BENEATH THE PUBLIC LIBRARY]
I walked through the library, a massive structure of floating bookshelves and silent drones. To the other students, I was just Li Ren, the quiet boy who spent too much time in the "Ancient History" stacks. But as I walked, I blinked twice, activating the Heaven-Eye Overlay.
The floor beneath me wasn't just marble; it was a vibrating lattice of tension. A "Ghost-Echo" of the old world's energy was trapped in the foundation, trying to pulse. If left unchecked, it would eventually cause a "Sub-Reality Sinkhole."
I sat at a study carrel, placed my hand flat on the desk, and channeled a sliver of my internal "System" energy—a thread of Pure Neutrality.
[CALIBRATION IN PROGRESS... 40%... 80%... SUCCESS]
[STABILITY RESTORED. DAO HARMONY INCREASED BY 0.02%]
I returned home to find my mother, Xiao Mei, staring at a holographic news feed. Her face, usually a mask of professional calm, was tight with worry.
"Ren-er," she said, using my childhood name.
"The Network is reporting a 'Systemic Jitter' in the Old Archive District. They say it's just a tectonic shift, but... the energy readings are irregular. Your father is being called in to inspect the bedrock."
My heart, the center of my Internal Dantian, gave a sharp, cold thud. The Old Archive. That was where the memories of the Great Ebb were buried.
[WARNING: CRITICAL EVENT TRIGGERED]
[NEW QUEST: THE UNBURIED SECRET]
[OBJECTIVE: INTERCEPT THE ANOMALY BEFORE THE 'STABILITY BUREAU' DETECTS THE SOURCE]
[REWARD: MEMORY FRAGMENT - 'THE ARCHITECT'S REGRET']
I looked at my mother and forced a smile. "I'm sure it's nothing, Mother. Probably just the old subway lines settling. I'll go to the library and see if I can find some geological maps to help Father."
I didn't wait for her to answer. I grabbed my coat and stepped out onto the balcony, looking toward the dark silhouette of the Old Archive.
The world thought it was normal. It thought it was safe. But as I descended the lift, I felt a familiar vibration in the air—the scent of jasmine and the cold sting of ancient silver.
Yue Qin. Or someone very like her.