08:55 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

The Dark Room

Alcee Salva

A white flash streaked across the void and an orb of aurora materialized, emitting rays of hazy purple lights. It swayed back and forth, seemingly dancing as if doing a ritual. Inside the pitch-black dimension, it frolicked in the air, stopped its movement and moved towards Alcee.

Now what?

He was confused, marveling at the sight as the aurora flickered in the air. Afterwards, it quivered and grew into a height of almost 5 feet, forming a silhouette of a man. It was like an apparition, dwelling between the lines of reality and fantasy. Small, black orbs – 12 in total – revolved around it, like moons on a planet. The orbs collided with each other forming a conglomerate. Shimmering, it dissipated in a flash, and what remained in its place was a black heart, throbbing as if it was alive. The silhouette moved and grabbed the heart, when all of a sudden, the silhouette became Alcee. He was now holding it!

He never expected in his wildest dreams that such a gruesome thing would happen, yet, the reality betrayed his expectation. The black heart was profusely bleeding, and the blackness was now dyed slowly with a red crimson taint. Suddenly, the heart emitted a dazzling light, the world stood still, and rays of light rendered him sightless. Soon the blinding light was gone, and images started to form in front of him.

A 3D film! Is this someone’s memory?

____________________________________________

The room was vacant and small, like an attic, and only a candle illuminated the place. At the center of the room, a table was neatly placed and two chairs were prepared. A girl listlessly walked, as if she was waiting for someone. Her magma-red hair flowed like a moving water, creating a picturesque scene. She pouted her lilac lips, and placed her hands on her slim waist, thumping her feet. Then suddenly, a knock could be heard from the door, breaking the eerie silence of the room.

“Chelia! Chelia! Are you here?”

Chelia swiftly opened the door, and let the man came in. “What took you so long, Derric? I thought you have forgotten our plan.”

Derric put his bag on the table and took off his hat, revealing a mature yet handsome face. “Sorry, I’ve met some problems getting hold of the book, but, he he he, this book is definitely worth the trouble.”

Beaming, she walked towards the table, sat on the chair, and tapped her fingers. “Of course, this is a forbidden key, and it’s a top rank at that.” She rummaged the content of the bag, and took out a glossy book embossed with sapphire and jade. “I don’t know why it is forbidden, but anything that will make us is worth getting.”

As he heard this, Derric scratched his head and smiled sheepishly at her. “So are you ready to do this? We can’t back out now.”

“I know,” she flatly answered. She took out a vial from her pocket and grinned. “Dispelling the protective charm in this book is really tricky. We can’t make even a single mistake. And we should do this as swiftly as possible; we don’t want to invite more trouble, okay. Now prepare the gemstones while I prepare the array.”

Without much talking, Derric and Chelia started to move. Derric took out the red Demon Crystal from the bag and laid it on the table. With a needle, he pricked his finger, letting his blood drop onto the crystal. He also started chanting, ‘Ora mhen zhen ghin’. The Demon Crystal started to glow, shivering slightly, as if getting excited.

Chelia opened the vial and laid it on the floor. She sat on the ground and casually chanted 'Ora mhen zhen gin’ while doing some hand signals, activating some magic. Red vapors rose out of the vial, and Chelia, with the help of some magic, guided the vapors, letting it drift towards the book, absorbing it completely.

“Do it Derric.”

Derric threw the Demon Crystal onto the book, hoping that it would succeed. Upon contact, it produced a soundless puff of black air, disintegrating the Demon Crystal completely. The bluish and greenish hue that glinted on the book’s cover started to fade away, slowly losing its luster. Finally, the insignia was gone: the dispelling process was now complete!

Chelia and Derric looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear. Even without talking, they already knew that they were successful in their attempt. Sitting on the chair, they carefully opened the book, and the words that they first saw were…

Onzhee Lhen Kil Mengzhu!

___________________________________________________

What a weird scene.

Onzhee Lhen Kil Mengzhu?! What’s that supposed to mean?

As he pondered, a black wisp appeared before him. It hovered in the air and suddenly spoke with a cold voice.

“Since you are seeing this, I assume that you are now 12 years of age.”

“I am just but a spell cast by my master when you were just a baby.”

“My job is to relay the truth when you reached the proper age.”

“You are the Key.”

“Treachery will follow you like a faithful dog. Do not give your trust easily.”

“Be wary of anyone and all those that relates to the Gods. They would kill you if they find out your real identity.”

“Do not ever tell anyone what you saw today.”

“Do not reveal to anyone who you are.”

“Look for your sister, Elena.”

“She will come, not in the way you expect”

After talking, the black wisp dissipated in a flash, leaving without a trace as if it never existed in the first place.

I have a sister? Elena?

I am the key?

Who was the black orb’s master?

_________________________________________________________________

10:00 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

The Torture Chamber

Ken Chiaozu

...a big tree...hacked down in half...

...a serpent eating a lion...

...a black heart on an altar...

...ten arrows intertwined...

...a book held by five golden hands...

...words disappearing...rewritten...burned...

...explosion...a gigantic purging...

...crying...wailing...despairing...

An inaudible sound reverberated across the white world. Moans haunted the desolate place. Amidst the serene universe lies a lump of stone, glowing eerily with a hazy purple mirage. It was terrifying.

It was growing.

It was alive.

SLAP!

Ken was awakened by a strong slap on his face. He opened his eyes slowly, and a young android pacing back and forth across the room greeted him. He heard the pipe dripped, water droplets rhythmically sliding their way down a sheet of metal somewhere. The room was small, and only the flickering bulb illuminated the place.

“Where am I?”

He remembered the final words before he passed out.

God, am I in a torture chamber?

“Well, thank God you’re wide awake,” a grumpy voice haughtily remarked. Ken felt his hair being tugged by someone and saw a young male android with an eye-patch. “Now, confess, what are you doing here, Otherworldler?”

He was still in a daze, yet he knew he had no time to idle and not answer. He feared for his life. This was the last place he wanted to be, and he knew that he was in here with a purpose.

“So you don’t wanna confess, huh? Well, I’d love to get to know you more, you know, he he he.”

Suddenly, the android took out a large needle from a medical kit, and injected it on Ken’s shoulder. He was edgy, wondering what medicine they had administered to him. After a few minutes, he felt waves of energy surging inside his body. His body began to convulse. Feeling as if he was struck by a thousand needles, he screamed. His body spasmed violently, and he couldn’t control his body just like reining a mad bull. The pain lasted for an hour, and wails echoed inside the room.

He was groggy, and his mind and body was exhausted from the intense torture. He felt his hair being tugged again, and heard the same voice, asking “Now, now tell me who you are.”

“I…I...I’m Ken Chia…”

“I’m not asking for your name, Otherworldler! What are you doing in this dimension?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about? I'm no Otherworldler. I’m supposed to be taking my test today…”

“Hmmm, so you still don’t wanna confess, huh? Let’s take it to the next level.”

“Stop that, Kerry. That’s not how you should treat our prisoner.”

“Yes, General Lowry.” Kerry approached him and bowed down while giving a low ‘hmph’ sound. “You’re lucky the general’s here.”

An imposing young lad approached them, wearing a scabbard in his waist. He was clothed in a military black garb, and his face revealed an innocence which betrayed his cold voice. “Now tell me lad, what is your name.”

“My name…is…Ken Chiaozu.”

“Chiaozu?!” The young lad was surprised with his answer. He knitted his brows in a furrow and scowled at Ken. “Do you know Jiang Chiaozu?”

It was now Ken’s turn to be surprised. “Yes, sir. Do you know where he is?”

“What is your relationship with him?”

“He’s my brother.”

General Lowry rubbed his chin, and an evil grin broke upon his face. Turning around, he called Kerry and whispered something in his ear. Kerry smiled and looked at Ken with a sharp and malicious gaze. He took out a white chip and threw it against Ken’s body. A white radiance enveloped him, and he disappeared.

When the white illumination dissipated, he saw the setting was changed: he was not in the room anymore. The vicinity seemed to be a graveyard!

The graveyard was filled with a macabre scenario. Rotten bodies slowly crawled out of the tombs. Ghastly wails resounded while the wind blew in a rage. The creaking sound from the rusty ancient cast iron gate resonated. The full moon was covered by the drifting clouds, casting the old graveyard into darkness. Grayish headstones dotted the landscape, and tombstones filled the desolate yard. At the middle of it all, a figure was standing.

Why does it seem so familiar?

Ken forced himself to move to take a good look. He was groggy and his body was in agony, yet, he stared at the familiar figure. The shirt, the hair, the shoes, the pants, they all reminded him of someone close to his heart. He stood still, his eyes were reddened, tears streaming his eyes. His heart beat faster, and he tried closing his eyes as if he was trying to wake himself from the nightmare, wishing that it wasn’t real. Yet, the truth loomed in his mind, this was the reality.

Is this real? Am I dreaming?

“Brother?!” he called anxiously, not believing what he was seeing right now. His body was shaking, as if his strength was sapped away from him, and he frantically called upon his captors. “Hey, is this some kind of a joke? This is not funny!”

Brother? Is that you, bro? What have they done to you?

__________________________________________

11:00 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

Black Forest

Alcee Salva

Alcee was still in a daze when he woke up. The room was quite small, and the walls were made of wood, adorned with animal pictures. Five chairs were neatly arranged at the center of the shack. He was familiar with the place.

Is this the treehouse?!

How did I arrive at this place?

Just earlier, he was sitting inside Troy's car when suddenly his surrounding became a pitch-black void. Remembering all the things he saw at the strange dimension, he was now resolved to discover more of his true identity. He found out he had a sister, and that he was a key to something that grants great power, of which in particular, he didn't know. And now, to add more to his confusion, he was literally teleported at the treehouse.

What's with all these changes in the setting? Where to next?

As Alcee contemplated on his situation, a figure appeared on the doorway: it was Matron Minerva!

"What are you doing here, mom?”

"Thank God you're okay. No time to explain, we must - "

Swooosh!

The air became chilly, and the coldness made the both of them shiver. Suddenly, a man with a mask appeared at the treehouse's front door, saying: "Hello there. Are you Alcee?"

__________________________________________________

11:15 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

Black Forest

Matron Minerva

"I repeat, are you Alcee?"

Minerva knew that this guy meant trouble. He was just floating freely, yet she could already feel the killing instinct emanating from him. It was suffocating, and his bearing gave her an impression that he was a professional assassin. She knitted her brows in a furrow; she knew that a battle was going to happen inevitably. "Who are you?"

"Me? My name's not important. I am just a lost nomad."

“Well, what do you want?”

“Nothing. Just being curious and friendly.”

Nothing?! Friendly?! Yeah right. Minerva let out a cold snort, knowing that no sane person would appear out of nowhere and suddenly asked someone’s name without a reason. She motioned her hands towards Alcee, signaling him to be cautious. "Here, take this chip. If he attacks, crush it." Red rays of mana gathered around her body as she started floating in the air.

Alcee nodded his head, posturing his body into a fighting stance. “Be careful, Mom. Don’t worry about me.”

The masked assassin started to emanate green wisps of lights as he drifted towards the treehouse. "Hmmm, I guess I would take that as a yes. Sorry, I mean no trouble, but you...lady...need to die."

The assassin glided in the air, like a hawk catching its prey. Swiftly, he slashed his katana against Minerva, creating a white streak in the air. This happened in mere seconds!

"Crush it, NOW!"