Echoes of the Old World
1. The Gathering Clouds
Li Na had never been one to believe in fate. She had built her life on hard work and pragmatism, not whispers of destiny. But as she stood on the ridge overlooking the valley, watching the sunrise paint the land in shades of gold and crimson, she couldn't shake the feeling that the world itself was calling.
The return of qi had changed everything. Rivers ran clearer, forests grew wilder, and even the sky seemed larger, as if it had been suffocated for too long and was finally stretching.
But it wasn't just nature that was changing. People were changing too.
Some more than others.
Behind her, the village council had gathered once again, murmuring anxiously over the latest news. Sightings of strange figures near old ruins. Animals behaving unnaturally, as if sensing something humans could not. And most disturbing of all—people disappearing without a trace.
"The ley lines are shifting," Jiang Hu muttered, pacing in slow circles. "We don't even know where they all are anymore. Places that were once dormant are stirring."
Mira folded her arms. "And we have no idea what's waking up with them."
Li Na exhaled. She didn't need them to say it. Something was coming. And they weren't ready.
2. A World That Remembers
The first real sign came three days later.
Li Na was walking along the river, listening to Mei chatter about the fish she had seen, when she noticed something strange.
The water was too still.
Even with the breeze rippling across the surface, the river was smooth, like glass. Mei noticed it too and fell silent.
Then, the whispers began.
At first, they were faint, carried by the wind. Then, as she stepped closer, the voices became clearer—hundreds of voices overlapping, speaking in languages Li Na didn't recognize.
Mei clutched her sleeve. "Mama…"
Li Na crouched beside her, her heart hammering. "It's okay. Stay close."
She reached for the water, her fingertips barely grazing the surface—
A vision hit her like a crashing wave.
The valley, but older—untamed, wild, full of towering trees and shimmering waterfalls. Figures moved through it, clad in robes of ancient design, their eyes glowing with power.
A temple, standing where there was now only an empty field. Banners flapping in the wind, warriors kneeling before a towering statue of a dragon coiled around a lotus.
Then, fire.
A battle. Shadows descending upon the temple, devouring the light. The warriors fought, their weapons clashing with an unnatural force, but one by one, they fell.
The last thing Li Na saw was a pair of golden eyes staring through the flames. Watching. Waiting.
Then it was gone.
She stumbled back, gasping, her breath ragged. The river had returned to normal. The whispers were gone.
Mei tugged on her sleeve, wide-eyed. "Mama… what was that?"
Li Na had no answer.
But deep down, she knew.
The past was waking up. And it had not forgotten.
3. The Hidden Temple
When Li Na told Jiang Hu and the council what had happened, they acted immediately.
"We need to find that temple," Mira said, her expression grim. "If it still exists, it might hold answers."
Jiang Hu nodded. "We send scouts at dawn."
Li Na hesitated. "I should go."
Jiang Hu frowned. "That's not wise."
"If there's a connection to the visions, I need to see it for myself," she insisted. "I don't want my children growing up in a world we don't understand."
Mira smirked. "She's got a point."
Jiang Hu sighed. "Fine. But you're not going alone."
By sunrise, Li Na, Mira, and two scouts were making their way into the valley.
The further they walked, the more the air changed. It became heavier, charged with something ancient, like the air before a storm. The trees whispered as they passed, their branches shifting even when there was no wind.
Then, as they stepped into a clearing, they saw it.
The temple, half-buried in the earth, its stone walls cracked but still standing. The banners had long since faded, the statues covered in moss, but the presence of something remained.
Mira let out a low whistle. "Well. This is definitely not on any of our maps."
Li Na swallowed. "Let's go inside."
4. The Guardians' Trial
The temple's entrance was narrow, forcing them to move cautiously. Inside, dust swirled in the beams of light filtering through cracks in the ceiling. The scent of old incense and dried herbs lingered.
Then they saw the murals.
Faded but still powerful, the paintings covered the walls, depicting battles, rituals, and figures surrounded by auras of light.
And in the center—the dragon and the phoenix.
Mira stepped closer, running a hand over the wall. "This place was built by cultivators."
Li Na frowned. "But Earth was barren of qi for centuries. How did it survive?"
A deep rumble shook the temple.
Mira spun, knife in hand. "What the hell was that?"
The ground shifted, stones grinding against each other. Dust rained from the ceiling.
Then the voice came.
"Who seeks the past?"
Li Na's blood ran cold.
The voice didn't come from a person. It came from the walls.
The murals moved. The painted figures turned, their hollow eyes glowing faintly. The dragon shifted, coiling tighter around the lotus.
"Only those who remember may enter."
Li Na stepped forward, heart pounding. "We are seeking the Guardians."
Silence.
Then, a single panel on the wall split open, revealing a hidden chamber beyond.
Mira gave her a sidelong glance. "That's not ominous at all."
Li Na took a deep breath. "Let's find out what they left behind."
5. The Mark of the Old World
Inside the chamber, they found scrolls. Dozens of them, stacked neatly on stone shelves, untouched by time.
Li Na reached for the nearest one, the parchment surprisingly intact. She unrolled it, eyes scanning the intricate script.
It wasn't just history.
It was instructions.
"Techniques," Mira murmured, looking over her shoulder. "They were training manuals."
Jiang Hu had been right. The ley lines were shifting. The past wasn't just returning—it was leaving behind its knowledge.
But before Li Na could say anything, something shifted behind them.
A shadow detached from the wall.
Then another.
Figures stepped forward, their forms half-solid, half mist, their eyes burning with golden light.
The Guardians.
Or what was left of them.
One of them—taller than the rest—raised a hand.
"You are not ready."
Before Li Na could react, the world exploded into light.
6. A New Beginning
When she woke, she was outside.
Mira and the scouts were beside her, groaning as they pushed themselves up. The temple entrance was gone, the earth smooth where it had once stood.
"Did that just happen?" Mira muttered.
Li Na looked down. The scroll she had taken from the chamber was still clutched in her hands.
They had been sent away.
But not before taking something with them.
She met Mira's gaze. "We need to go back."
Mira nodded. "And next time, we bring more people."
Because whatever they had found in that temple—it was only the beginning.
---
7. The Unseen War
Far away, in the depths of the Eclipse Queen's fortress, a scout knelt before his mistress.
"They have found the temple," he reported.
The Queen's lips curled. "Good."
She turned to the shadows.
"Send my hunters. It is time to test their worth."