After fifteen years.
Northland.
The sound of footsteps hitting stone, quick, uneven and desperate, across the clamor of carts and the early talk of sellers, they reverberated across the congested streets. Before anybody could even turn, a lad with narrow shoulders, piercing eyes, and clothes scuffed with perspiration and dust scurried by. Armoured boots thudded in pursuit behind him. The youngster did not slow.
Mu Chen was that person. It's seventeen now. Though taller and thinner, he is still a shadow in this town.
Like dogs on scent, the guards pursued him. With a raspy voice, one yelled after him, "Hey! Just stop there! This time, you're not going anywhere!
Mu Chen, however, paid no attention. He didn't. His legs simply sped up. He made his way between baskets and stalls, slipped between barrels, leaped a fence, and finally rolled beneath a fruit-stacked table. Even when one of the guards sped up a sputtering motorcycle and chased after him through the market, he didn't stop.
The tires made a shriek.
Mu Chen didn't turn around. Leaping onto a wall, he propelled himself over the stunned guard, using the wall as a springboard. On the way down, his heel caught the man's shoulder, causing the rider to lose his equilibrium. There was a sharp snap of metal when the motorcycle crashed backward.
Mu Chen had already left. Curling behind him was smoke.
As he brushed dirt from his face, one guard moaned. "Stubborn brat."
---
At home,Mu Chen threw a pouch onto the table after bursting through the wooden door. He spoke in a trembling but proud voice. "Xinyin, sister! I understand. You need the medicine, don't you?
Footsteps from the distant room. Then she showed up.
Xinyin. Hair resembles ink, her eyes were too exhausted for her age. She had a subtle attractiveness that was a little weathered. Twenty-five, perhaps. Perhaps younger. It was difficult to tell due to the illness.
She was shocked and said, "You went there?" "No, Mu Chen. It's not allowed there. They might have taken your life.
He brushed her outstretched hand aside and muttered, "I don't care.You're not improving. What else should I have done?
To catch his breath, he sank into a chair. Xinyin looked at him with a mixture of concern and admiration. "This is what you usually do. Even though you're soft, you act like you're built of stone."
He turned his face to the mountains outside and whispered, "Just drink it." He tightened his jaw. Light capturing in his golden eyesthrough the window that is open.
He remained that way for a while, still and
Silent.
Then he lowered his voice. "I can't stop thinking... I might leave this place one day, visit the city and do more.
He didn't hold off till she responded.
---
The sun was rising when Mu Chen went outside once more. He had black hair that clung to his brow. The stench of stale rice and smoke filled the air.
Then—voices and engines coming in his way.
It was the guards, again.
He let out a silent sigh. "Seriously?"
This time, they arrived more quickly. In his rear, motors roared. Dust was kicked up in his face by the bikes. After turning down an alley, he skidded to a halt. There, more soldiers stood guard, obstructing the way.
He looked to his left, No escape.
Mu Chen scowled, but only momentarily. Then he grinned. Not the amiable kind, but the kind that unnerved folks.
One of the sentries came forward. "Boy, what did you take? from the stronghold.
Mu Chen remained silent. He looked around at the group of people gathered around them. Shopkeepers and elderly people predominate. They were all observing.
He stepped forward.
"What gives you the authority to stop me if I did go there?" he answered slowly.
The bazaar echoed with gasps.
One of the younger soldiers sneered. "He desires to pass away."
Mu Chen merely arched one eyebrow. "Then give me a try."
The bikes came alive with a roar. Tires roaring, three guards charged forward. They believed that he would be broken by speed.
Mu Chen remained still, not initially.
Then he jumped just before the front tire got to him, clean and high.
The world seems to stop.
Their features were shadowed by him, above them. Too slow to respond, their jaws fell. He smirked as he looked down.
"Goodbye, suckers."
Then he descended behind them and flew toward the trees, near the edge of town.
Ahead, the twisted branches of the Forbidden Forest swayed as if they were waiting for him.
He was not followed by the guards. Not right away.
An older one of them grumbled to himself. "Give him up. Well, if he happens to run into that place. Perhaps death will look after him for us."
"Huh... are they still after me?" As he slowed to a halt, Mu Chen mumbled, his breathing irregular. "What exactly is this place?"
He turned slowly in a round and stood motionless for a minute. Around him, the forest was dense, with untamed branches jutting out like claws and golden rays peeking through the openings in the overhead canopy. Faintly, strange blooms pulsed with color. There was silence.
He squinted his eyes.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered, "Looks fine, but something's off."
His feet continued to advance. He didn't stop, though he wasn't sure if his curiosity or instinct were pulling him more into the trees.
Here, the air felt heavy and thicker. The jungle seemed to be holding its breath.
With his brow furrowed, he muttered, "Mmm... the energy's different." "Strong, I must remain alert.
Boots crunching softly on moss and broken twigs, he walked forward. The earth in front of them eventually fell precipitously. Without hesitation, he leaped down from a rocky ledge that overlooked a lower section of the woodland. As he landed, dirt kicked up around him.
At that moment, he noticed it.
On a flat rock close by, a white wolf stood quietly. Its fur was as smooth and pristine as untouchable snow. Its green eyes stared at him, yet it remained still.
It didn't make Mu Chen cringe. "Just one," he whispered, taking a quick breath.
The trees behind it then moved.
Another, Next five. Next, Dozens more within seconds, the woodland floor was teeming with wolves—quiet, fast, and green-eyed monsters flowing from the shadows like water. Mu Chen turned slowly, his stomach twisting.
Everyone was looking at him.
"What the…?"
His feet moved before his mind could complete the thought. He ran, faster. Branches slapped his cheeks. Leaves caught in his hair. He wasn't sure where he was going—just away.
"Why in the hell are they after me?" he exclaimed, looking over his shoulder. "I have to lose them, fast."
The ground shaked and his foot snagged a stone. The next thing he knew, is he was falling. His body struck the slope hard and tumbled down. Leaves and mud flooded his mouth. He paused near the bottom with a sigh, every bone in his body screams.
He looked up at the trees, disoriented.
The wolves continued to approach, slower and quieter, with their bodies low, watching. They're getting close.
Mu Chen gritted his teeth and pushed himself up slightly, his arms trembling. He wasn't terrified, honestly, but his hands were freezing. His heart thudded in his chest, like if it were attempting to escape.
"Get back," he snarled, pulling himself backward into the dirt. "Do not worry about it—"
One of the wolves lunged.
Then the mark on his forehead blazed square between his eyes, blazing blue and burning as fire. The air divided, and a rush of raw energy emitted from him, and a giant beast appeared in front of him, rising from the blue light.
A Phoenix.
Feathers Like a sapphire flame. The wings spread wide, making a thunderous roar. It let out a piercing howl, and the energy that flowed from it knocked the wolf straight back, sending it flying.
The remaining wolves froze.
Mu Chen did not move, he stared at the thing in front of him, eyes wide, chest rising and falling.
"What is that?" he murmured.
The phoenix hovered briefly, wings outstretched and eyes gleaming. Then it gently turned its head toward him, silent and even serious.
Meanwhile, within the city—
Far away, in a dim room with stone walls and dust-covered shelves, a guy shot up in bed. His face was paler. His chest heaved as though he had just surfaced from drowning.
Sweat dripped from his brow and his mouth opened, but it took a second before any sound came out.
Then he screamed.
"The Fenghuang…" he choked out, voice shaking. "It's awakening."