“Where am I?” Ao ‘woke up,’ turning his head around in confusion and uneasiness. His head was hurting, and his face was as sore as can be. He was unable to recall what he was doing or what he had been doing. Ao looked perplexed, trying his hardest to recollect what had happened to him.

Ao looked down, only to see that his magnificent serpentine body that had the size to wrap around the planet twice over was long replaced by his frail humanoid form. He tried to muster up some strength, but his muscles weren’t listening to him. It was as if, something had drained the life out of the man and had left him bare. If Ao was catapulted into a desolate wilderness, he would be eaten by the wild beasts that roamed the land, there was no question about that. Fortunately, he wasn’t anywhere near a ravine or a forest. Ao was… Lying flat on a bed in a secluded room, one that was vaguely familiar to him.

“Ah, I remember this place… This is...” Ao awoke, grinning from ear to ear. He recognised this place… It was a location where the World Serpent had shared some of his most cherished memories and the place where he’d felt most at home. The familiar sight of half-read books on the table, the nightshade which helped him calm his nerves down. The snow that gently fell from the window… It was all so familiar and so warm.

And also…

“Senior Ao! It’s time for breakfast!” A voice called out to the World Serpent from the other side of the door. There was no need for knocking or excessive shoutouts, the youth on the other side simply turned the doorknob and addressed the blue-haired man straight on.

The viridian-haired youth who entered the room, his chest puffed and eyebrows knitted. Noticing that Ao was seated upright on his bed, the youth made a snide remark: “Oh, you’re already awake? That’s rare.”

“Junius…” Ao widened his eyes for a moment. Junius was supposed to be dead. He betrayed the Black Masks and tore his soul apart when he purified the Allfather’s mana. There was no way that any part of the man could still remain. Yet, there he was… standing right by Ao’s side. “How are you...”

“How am I what? This handsome?” Junius snorted. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“No, I...” The World Serpent’s brain started short circuiting. He was going through all the variables that could potentially lead to this outcome and well… It wasn’t long until the knowledgeable World Serpent got his answer.

“Ah… I see… So, I’ve already lost.” Ao looked out the window and pierced his glare at the snowy skies. There was no one outside, but the World Serpent behaved as if a thousand eyes were watching him.

“What’s the matter? I didn’t know that Spirit Beasts could have nightmares!” Junius, oblivious to Ao’s inner thoughts, cracked a cheerful joke.

“Hahaha, I guess we Spirit Beasts do have our odd days.” Ao shook his head, taking three steps towards the youth standing at the door. “You said that breakfast was ready. I hope you made my favourite.”

“Yeah, fried Tuscany Rodents.” Junius rolled his eyes. “Honestly, who the hell eats rats?”

“I’m a snake-type! Of course I would eat rats! You should try it one day! It’s rich in proteins and-...”

“Diseases,” The viridian-haired youth folded his arms and retorted. “You do know that humans were once wiped out by a plague caused by rats right?”

“Hoho, just because you read a few books in my library… Do you think that you’re better than me now?” Ao chuckled as he held the young man close.

“Humans are better learners than snakes...”

“Oh, you’re such a bore.”

Ao followed Junius out the door and into the dining hall where the other Awter Clan remnants were waiting. Shia, the gorgeous wife of Junius, was beaming radiantly at the passionate exchanges between the World Serpent and her beloved husband. The breakfast table turned into a barrel of laughs as Ao teased Junius about his loving relationship and praising the man for finishing the books that he’d assigned to him.

After breakfast, Ao held Junius by the shoulders and brought him out to the training grounds. Ao took out a training sword and handed it over to Junius while he maintained his signature boxing style. As per usual, the World Serpent trained the young man in physical combat. Though, since Ao’s physical body was so much more defined and powerful, it was more of a beatdown than a normal practice duel.

Once training was over, Ao brought Junius over to the study, where they started to discuss the books that they’d read over the past week. Sometimes, Ao would just sip on his precious tea while listening to Junius’ arguments and reasonings.

It was a dull day. No, it was a typical day for the World Serpent and his precious protege. Black Masks, Allfather, Shin Iofiel, the Frie Clan and Awter Clan… All of that was forgotten as they passed the time with each other.

Ao would train Junius, while Junius would listen to his master’s ramblings and answer any curiosities that the World Serpent might have about human society. It was bliss.

Alas, happiness wasn’t a constant in the world…

The sun quickly set beyond the horizons, plunging the world from the brightest of day to the darkest of nights. Ao and Junius never once left the mansion as their bodies were almost glued to one another. They talked until their mouths were void of saliva and laughed until their cheeks were unable to bear the strain. The day that they’d spent together… It was a day that Ao would treasure for all eternity.

“Junius… I’ve really missed you.”

“What are you talking about? Aren’t we spending time together?”

“Yes… Yes we are.” Ao smiled and stared deep into Junius’ eyes. He leaned in on the young man and brought him into his warm, loving arms. “I’d always thought that I’d never had a son… Or I would never want one. My species is one that loves to rely on themselves after all… But I guess I was wrong. What we have is probably that of a father-son relationship.”

“...”

“So thank you, Junius… Thank you for appearing in my life. Thank you for teaching me the things that I would never have experienced. Thank you… For being my disciple.”

“...”

Ao held Junius in his embrace for a solid five minutes. The World Serpent didn’t move, and neither did Junius. Ao tried to get his final fill of the young man before he reluctantly whispered the words into Junius’ ear: “It’s enough now. It really is.”

“...” Junius remained silent. Or rather, the viridian-haired man that Ao was hugging never intended to respond. He knew that the illusion had broken.

The world… The mansion that Ao and the Awter Clan lived in… It crumbled away like broken glass. The relaxed, snowy atmosphere… The warmth of a family… The laughter and smiles that came with Junius… It was all fading away. The dream had been lifted, and the World Serpent’s mind had been sent back to the material realm.

When Ao opened his eyes next, he saw the broken Paradise Heart, the one thing that he was supposed to protect for the Allfather and the artefact that would elevate the Black Masks into the next dimension… That Paradise Heart… It was shattered into a million pieces.

Longyu Tian stood right next to Zishen, ensuring that none of the elemental energies floated out of the Payirci and into the spiralling vortex outside. They also had one eye on the World Serpent, ready to pounce should things go south. However, Ao didn’t care about the two of them.

The Paradise Heart was destroyed… He had expected that the moment he saw Junius in his dreams. Of all the Noble Beasts, Ao was the most learned. Ao knew that he was caught in an illusion too strong for him to break once he stared into Shin’s left eye. The fact that Ao was still alive with his body intact when he was vulnerable this entire time… That itself was a miracle.

“Ah, so I failed huh?”

“Ao, you...” Shin’s shaking voice entered the World Serpent’s ears, prompting the titanic snake to turn towards him. “You… you actually...”

“Shin Iofiel… I must admit you are the strongest human I’ve ever met.” Ao ignored the trembling black-haired man and began to monologue. “More so than Junius… More so than the Akumu. Give it a few more years, and you’ll unquestionably reach the heights that Spirit Immortal Dream once did.”

“...”

“As Junius’ mentor, I’m inclined to let you live. So that I can see his dream fulfilled in your form. Unfortunately, as Akumu’s friend, I can’t let you hinder his dream anymore.” The World Serpent sighed, curling away from the broken Paradise Heart.

Plip plop… Plip plop…

Drops of water fell down from the top of the Payirci while the Water-Elements returned back to the Blue Payirci. Ao thought that the best way to defeat Shin was to strip away his favoured element from the environment. Who would have thought that the Prince of Water had long turned himself into the Elemental King and was able to use the other elements to such a high level? If that was the case… Why should Ao cripple himself anymore?

Forcing the rain to fall, the World Serpent hissed and created a tempest of endless winds and waves. The desert turned into a mudslide as kilometres of water overflowed in the Payirci. The rain had returned to the world, and the World Serpent was going to make full use of it.