Earth Metaverse 10 years, 12th June, 2031 AD.
The lights in the conference room swayed gently, casting interlocking shadows that deepened the room's already solemn atmosphere.
Only eight individuals remained inside:
Secretary-General Kent;
Chapter Magister Dora from Sunzen;
Chapter Magister Jordan from Shudu;
Chapter Watcher Grace from Hang City;
Chapter Magister York from Da Mingfu;
Chapter Watcher Lara from Tanzhou;
Chapter Magister Kennedy of the Wyrm Guardians;
and the special guest, Shawn.
At the center of the table, Kent sat steadily with his hands clasped and a calm, prepared gaze.
The others arranged themselves around him, their expressions a mix of puzzlement and anticipation.
Shawn was the only exception. Seated in a corner near Kent, his placement seemed out of place—after all, he was not an official member of the Meta Origin Society and knew little about the meeting's core topic.
"Let me introduce you all," Kent said, breaking the silence as he motioned for Shawn to stand. "This is fellow student Shawn."
Shawn rose, offered a slight bow, clasped his hands in a respectful salute, and said, "Hello, everyone!"
A ripple of puzzled glances passed around the table.
"Some of you might be wondering why we invited a student to today's meeting," Kent continued with a hint of a knowing smile.
As expected, most shook their heads, waiting for further explanation.
Notably, Jordan frowned slightly while York crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Kent paused, surveying the room, then slowly explained, "Shawn, like the rest of us—well, except for Chapter Magister Kennedy of the Wyrm Guardians—is also a Spirit Key holder."
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the room.
"Spirit Key?"
"How is that possible?"
Raising his hand for silence, Kent went on, "He is the Soul Kin of Chapter Watcher Lucy from Sunzen…" For a moment, the air froze and every heartbeat quickened. "Before Lucy died, she entrusted the mysterious pattern she received to Shawn's grandfather, instructing him to find her Soul Kin. I did not expect such a coincidence—Shawn is Lucy's Soul Kin."
Whispers of astonishment filled the room.
Shawn himself froze, his heart pounding. He had never been entirely sure that Grandma Lucy was his Soul Kin, yet Kent's deliberate revelation seemed designed to make his identity undeniable. Taking a deep breath, Shawn added, "I was born on the same day that Grandma Lucy passed away. In truth, my Soul Energy was transferred to me by her."
His voice was smooth and measured, yet its impact rippled through the room like a stone cast into still water. The crowd stared, their eyes reflecting a swirl of emotions too complex to name.
After the initial shock had time to settle, Kent cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "Twenty years ago, each of us received a mysterious pattern—what we now call the Meta-Spirit Key." He scanned the room and continued, "These Spirit Keys did not originate on Earth. They came from outer space."
At his words, the entire hall fell into a stunned silence. Each person realized that the mysterious pattern they had long taken for granted carried an origin far more astonishing than they'd ever imagined.
Dora frowned thoughtfully before finally asking in a quiet voice, "What exactly is their purpose?"
The room waited, breath held, for Kent's answer.
Rather than rushing to respond, he slowly circled the table with his eyes, as if weighing every detail.
Then, in a deep, resonant tone, he said, "Now, please share the patterns you received and the images they reveal."
Dora was the first to speak. "I received a pristine white pattern. At times, a gentle sheep appears within it—sometimes lowering its head to graze tender grass, other times lifting its gaze, as if lost in thought."
Immediately, Jordan followed, his tone concise and assured: "My pattern is brown, resembling an alert dog. It sometimes lies down or sits, sometimes gazing forward, other times pacing slowly along the pattern, as if patrolling its territory."
After a pause, Grace spoke slowly, "My pattern is black, revealing a wild boar. I even sketched its likeness. Whenever I look at it, I feel a surge of untamed energy, as if it were dashing through a dense, shadowy forest."
York then added in a subdued tone, "My pattern is deep blue, depicting a rooster. It stands proudly with its head held high, occasionally fluttering its wings as if ready to take flight."
Lara spoke softly, a trace of uncertainty in her voice, "And mine is yellow, showing an image of a cow. That ox is sometimes as immovable as a mountain, and other times it moves slowly, exuding calm and reliability."
Once everyone had shared, all eyes turned back to Kent, their expressions anxious yet expectant.
Kent nodded thoughtfully, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, and said, "None of these patterns appeared by chance. The Meta-Spirit Key resonates with the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching—each representing the immutable laws that govern heaven and earth."
His gaze first fell on Dora, and his tone was gentle yet assured. "Dora, your Spirit Key is white, and within its image, you see a sheep. According to the principles of the Eight Trigrams—commonly known as the Ba Gua—the sheep corresponds to Dui, which represents the lake. Dui embodies joy and communication, signifying harmony and spirituality. Therefore, your Spirit Key is aligned with the Dui Palace."
Turning to Jordan, he continued, "Jordan, the figure emerging in your brown pattern is a dog. In the Eight Trigrams, the dog corresponds to Gen, symbolized by the mountain, which represents loyalty and guardianship. Hence, your Spirit Key is associated with the Gen Palace."
Next, he looked tenderly at Grace. "Grace, your black Spirit Key reveals the image of a wild boar. According to traditional texts, the boar falls under Kan, which is represented by water—a symbol often linked to danger. This association perfectly complements the wild boar's elusive, nocturnal nature. Thus, your Spirit Key belongs to the Kan Palace."
Addressing York's deep blue pattern, which depicted a rooster and had initially raised some doubts, Kent maintained his firm tone: "York, your Spirit Key corresponds to the Xun Palace. Xun represents the wind—gentle, unseen, and ever-present—and the rooster, heralding the dawn with its crow, embodies the transmission and flow of information."
He then turned to Lara, his tone calm and measured. "Lara, your Spirit Key is yellow and reveals the image of an ox. The ox, steadfast as it plows the earth, corresponds to Kun, which represents the earth—nurturing and embracing all things. The ox's diligence and solidity are in perfect harmony with the Kun Palace."
As his words echoed in the room, Kent paused and retrieved a folded piece of white paper from his notebook. Slowly unfolding it, a faint red glow emerged, gradually revealing the delicate pattern of a pheasant. The room fell silent, every eye fixed on the shimmering light.
"And my Spirit Key belongs to the Li Palace," Kent whispered. at that moment, the wavering red light filled every face with shock and awe.
He continued, "In addition, there is another Spirit Key in the possession of Elder Pingzi. His pattern reveals a horse, which corresponds to the Qian Palace. Qian represents the sky and symbolizes supreme Yang energy. And finally…"
His gaze shifted to Shawn. "In Shawn's case, the image is that of a leaping dragon, corresponding to the Zhen Palace. Zhen stands for thunder, representing dynamic change, awakening, and rebirth."
Once more, Kent surveyed the room and concluded slowly, "Thus, these Spirit Keys together form the complete set of eight: Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui."
Overwhelmed, the room fell into a heavy silence. "Until now, we only knew these patterns were mysterious and unpredictable—sometimes they'd even glow on their own, revealing animal images," murmured Dora. "We never imagined they were actually linked to the Eight Trigrams…"
After a brief pause, Tonrong asked thoughtfully, "Listening to these names… could it be that they correspond not only to the Eight Trigrams but to a system of Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams?"
"Wait…" York, who had been quiet until then, suddenly interjected in a deep voice, "If the Spirit Keys follow the distribution of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, then where is the ninth—the Central Palace?"
Before his question could fully settle, the lights in the conference room flickered and went dark for a brief moment, as if acknowledging the mystery. Instantly, every eye turned toward Kent.
Shawn's heart tightened. He almost blurted out an explanation—after all, he was the only one aware that the Central Palace did exist, though it had not yet been revealed and remained on Kapteyn's Star. However, catching a glimpse of Kent's expression, he sensed that no further explanation was forthcoming, so he swallowed his impulse and silently observed.
At length, Kent met their puzzled gazes and said slowly, "That is all we know for now. The Secretariat will keep everyone updated on any new developments."
The attendees exchanged incredulous looks, while inside each of them a torrent of questions surged.
What is the true purpose of these Spirit Keys?
Who holds the Central Palace?
The meeting ended amid a sea of uncertainty and deep contemplation.
After the session, Shawn lingered and walked alone to a secluded corner. The cool breeze outside carried echoes of the room's oppressive tension. Frowning slightly, his gaze distant and introspective, he mulled over a lingering doubt.
Based on today's discussion, none of them had any inkling of the full nature of the patterns they'd received—or that they were, in fact, Meta-Spirit Keys.
What troubled him even more was the apparent inconsistency: why would Jordan's Spirit Key, said to belong to the Xun Palace, and York's, to the Gen Palace, end up in the hands of Donner and Jolie?
It simply didn't add up.
After a moment's reflection, Shawn took a deep breath to steady himself, then closed his eyes and reached out in mental communion with Secretary-General Quinn, recounting every detail of the meeting and voicing his unresolved doubts.
The air seemed to tremble as Quinn's deep, majestic voice emerged slowly, "Perhaps there is a greater secret hidden beneath it all…