Li drifted in a void of half-formed memories and shadowy impressions, his consciousness caught in a realm that felt both alien and eerily familiar. He floated weightlessly, surrounded by a swirling storm of fragmented images; a golden sunrise over distant mountains, a blood-red battlefield littered with fallen warriors, and an imposing figure cloaked in radiant fire, standing unyielding against a horde of shadowy foes.
The scene suddenly changes and Li sees a mighty red dragon with wings so large that it covered almost all of space. Bursts of flames were constantly being ejected from its mouth as it flew through the sky in majesty. The bearings of the dragon was like that of a lord. There was a palpable sight of majesty emanating from it. Li felt fear looking at the dragon but hen again felt an exhilaration he could not explain.
His consciousness flew upwards and away with the dragon. Suddenly Li panicked as the dragon howled and the howl was like a knife searing through Li's mind causing Li to also scream in agony. Li felt a falling, like he was falling from heights unimaginable. Suddenly, Li halted as the dragon came to a halt hovering mid air as it was surrounded by thousands of smaller dragons that had surrounded it and was throwing flames at it from their open mouth.
Li screamed, cowering in fear, expecting to be burnt to cinders. But to his surprise, nothing happened and then Li was fallen again through great unimaginable heights. Then the image changed again and Li was standing before a ravine, looking deep into the abyss as voices rose from it. Then he felt a pull like he was being pulled into the abyss. He tried to resist the pull but then felt a falling again. Li closed his eyes in fear as he screamed loudly on being pulled in. flicker, flicker, flicker, the images keep hanging relentlessly from one harrowing near death experience to another.
The images came in flashes, vivid and overwhelming, each one igniting a storm of emotions—fear, awe, rage, and longing. Li felt like a stranger in his own mind, an intruder in a story written long before his time. Then voices started whispering all over his mind, over and over again.
At first, they were faint, indistinct murmurs that tickled the edges of his awareness. But as the void around him continued to shift, the whispers grew louder, clearer, their voices a cacophony of anger, desperation, and sorrow.
"Unworthy…"
"The blood runs deep, but the soul is fractured…"
"Rise, or perish like the rest."
Li tried to move, to speak, but his body or whatever form he had in this strange place refused to obey. Panic bubbled within him as the whispers swirled closer, coalescing into a singular voice that cut through the chaos like a blade.
"You linger here, trapped between worlds," the voice said, deep and resonant, echoing with an authority that demanded attention. "Is this how you choose to meet your end? Or will you rise, as your ancestors once did?"
The void shifted, and Li found himself standing—or at least existing—on a surface of glimmering black stone. Above him stretched a sky of roiling crimson clouds, streaked with veins of golden light that pulsed like a heartbeat. The air was heavy, crackling with an energy that made his skin tingle.
Before him, the imposing figure from his visions emerged, its form taking on a clarity that stole Li's breath. The figure was clad in gleaming armour that seemed forged from starlight, its edges sharp and its surface etched with intricate runes that glowed faintly. A massive sword rested on the figure's back, its hilt adorned with a gem that pulsed with the same golden light as the veins in the sky.
Li tried to speak, but the figure raised a hand, silencing him with a gesture. Its face was obscured by a helm shaped like a snarling beast, its eyes glowing with a fierce, otherworldly light.
"You are of my blood," the figure said, its voice reverberating through the void. "But you are weak. Untested. Do not prove unworthy."
"I..." Li finally found his voice, though it came out as a hoarse whisper. "Who... who are you?"
The figure tilted its head, as if studying him. "I am the Sovereign of Eternity, the Scourge of Shadows, the Protector of the Eternal Realms. And you..." It stepped closer, its presence overwhelming, each footstep resonating like a drumbeat in Li's chest. "You are my heir, though you have yet to prove yourself."
Li's mind reeled. "Your heir? You've been plaguing my dreams over and over for months now! What do you want from me? what do you mean, heir? What are you talking about? I don't even know who you are, or why I'm here!"
The Sovereign's laughter was cold and harsh, like the crackle of a distant wildfire. "You will understand with time as you are still too weak to comprehend the great power within you, the power you carry. All that matters for now is this, within you flows the blood of the Sovereign of Eternity, a power that can either elevate you to greatness or consume you entirely. The choice is yours."
Li shook his head, his frustration mounting. "I didn't choose any of this! I just want to protect my friends and survive….."
"Survival?" The Sovereign's voice cut him off, sharp and biting. "Is that all you aspire to? Survival is for the weak. For the prey. Those who bear my bloodline do not merely survive, they conquer, or they perish."
Li's anger flared. "I didn't ask for this! I never wanted your power, your bloodline, or your expectations! All it has gotten me so far is fear and suspicion! I just want to be me!"
The Sovereign's glowing eyes narrowed, and the air grew colder. "You are naive. Do you think the world will allow you to live as 'just you'? Power is not a choice, boy, it is a burden, a responsibility. And this particular power you carry, is a curse."
The word hung in the air, heavy and foreboding.
"A curse?" Li echoed, his anger giving way to unease. "What do you mean?"
The Sovereign turned away, gazing into the stormy sky. "Long ago, I was betrayed by those I called my allies. They sought to get my power for themselves and when this failed, they sought to destroy me, to erase my bloodline from existence. Their treachery failed, but not without consequence. The curse they placed upon me now flows through you."
Li's heart sank. "What kind of curse?"
The Sovereign looked back at him, its eyes burning brighter. "A curse of destruction. If you do not master the power within you, it will consume you, and everything you hold dear. Your friends, your sect, your world… all will burn in your wake."
Li staggered, the weight of the Sovereign's words crushing him. "No… that can't be true. There has to be another way."
"There is," the Sovereign said, its voice softening slightly. "But it is a path fraught with peril. To break the curse, you must destroy those who carry the blood of my betrayers. Only by severing their line can you free yourself from the chains they placed upon us."
Li's mind raced. Destroy a bloodline? That sounded like a task for a vengeful god, not a mere boy. "How am I supposed to do that? Am I even capable of this?" he asked, desperation creeping into his voice. "I don't even know who they are, or where to find them."
The Sovereign stepped closer, towering over him. "You will learn. The blood will guide you. But first, you must survive and continue to grow stronger. This forest, this trial… it is only the beginning. Prove to me that you are worthy of the power you wield. Or succumb to the darkness, and let the curse take you."
The storm intensified, the crimson sky swirling faster as the Sovereign raised its sword. "Remember, boy, power demands sacrifice. If you are unwilling to pay the price, then step aside and let another take your place."
"Price? What price? Li asked in desperation but no answer was forthcoming as the Sovereign brought the blade down.
Li's vision exploded in a blaze of golden light, and he felt himself falling, the Sovereign's words echoing in his mind "Rise, or perish."
When he finally opened his eyes, the real world came rushing back. He was lying on a makeshift bed of leaves, his body aching and his mind reeling. Above him, Mei Ming's face came into focus, her expression shifting from panicked exhaustion to relief.
"Li?" she said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. "You're awake."
Li tried to respond, but his throat felt dry, and his voice came out as a rasp. All he could do was nod faintly.
As the others gathered around him, their faces a mix of relief and concern, Li couldn't shake the Sovereign's final words, the task ahead of him is he must survive and all he holds dear. They lingered in his mind like a burning brand searing his soul.
Li felt the red mots in his blood running riot all over his veins as he tried to sit up, then he convulsed horribly as a splitting headache hit him, then slumped as he lost consciousness again.