Earth Metaverse Year 10, June 27, 2031AD.
Shawn woke up a little later than usual that morning. After freshening up, he had a bowl of sweet potato and grain porridge along with two steamed buns his grandmother had just made.
He then rode his bike down Ziguang Avenue, turned onto Tianjing Palace Road, and soon arrived at the stone archway marking the entrance to The Source of Tao Wetland Park. It was not yet 8 AM.
By the stone pillar beside the gate, Jolie and Donner were already waiting. The octagonal jade meteorite pendants on their chests gleamed in the morning light, prominently displayed over their clothes. However, their demeanor was unexpectedly warm, a stark contrast to their usual cold reserve.
"You're here," Jolie greeted him with a smile.
"Let's head inside," Donner added. "It's quiet there, and the atmosphere is nice."
The Source of Tao Wetland Park was named after the birthplace of Laozi, the founder of Taoism. It lies at the confluence of the Guo River and Wujia Rivers, with interconnected ponds, winding streams, lush trees, and abundant aquatic plants. Being there evoked a deep sense of harmony with nature and a profound tranquility.
Despite being a prestigious 5A-rated scenic site, the park didn't charge an entry fee. Locals and nearby villagers often come here—for morning exercises, family outings, friendly gatherings, or romantic strolls.
The three of them walked deep into the park, stopping at a waterside pavilion. They sat together on the benches surrounding it. The area was empty, save for the rustling reeds swaying in the breeze and the occasional birdsong piercing the soft morning mist.
Jolie pulled a yellowed sheet of paper from her bag. On it were ancient scriptural writings and a mysterious symbol.
Shawn leaned in to examine it, his eyes widening in shock.
"You… you have one too?"
The text read: 'Before the dawn of Genesis, a single primal breath arose—vast, undivided.…'
Below it was a circular symbol (O) with an inverted "Λ" inside.
Jolie took a deep breath and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Yes. Yours is the Zhen Palace Spirit Key, mine is the Xun Palace Spirit Key, and Donner's is the Gen Palace Spirit Key."
Shawn was taken aback. His own scripture and symbols had been passed down to him by Grandma Lucy. But where had Jolie gotten hers?
Did York and Jordan give it to her? That didn't make sense—according to the experts on Kapteyn's Star, this shouldn't be possible.
"Shawn..." Donner suddenly put an arm around Shawn's back. "There were a lot of misunderstandings before, but I never expected… that we would all share the same purpose. We joined the AGI-ST Program to realize our potential, and now, fate has brought us together again."
"That's right. No matter what happens, we're still friends," Jolie chimed in, moving slightly closer to Shawn.
Shawn, unaccustomed to their sudden warmth, felt a little overwhelmed.
"Y-yeah… friends…"
"Your admission letter to Capital University has arrived, right?" Jolie asked, watching him closely. "Have you decided to go?"
"Yeah, I have, but…" Shawn hesitated, noticing the strange expressions on their faces. "Why are you both looking at me like that?"
"Hey, you're the class idol now—we admire you!" Donner grinned, retracting his arm and giving him a thumbs-up.
"I just want to be wherever you go," Jolie added, edging even closer. Her voice was soft, her expression… subtly different.
"Alright, alright, I can't handle you two like this," Shawn said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just promise me one thing—don't ever throw me into an ice cave again. My first choice hasn't changed. I'm still set on… Sunzen United University."
Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself.
Silence settled over them. The morning breeze carried a faint chill.
After a while, Donner broke the quiet.
"They say… Ranzi, the one set to inherit the title of Meta Hierophant, also lives in Sunzen City, right?" His tone was filled with curiosity.
Shawn's heart skipped a beat. That information shouldn't have been made public yet. How did Donner know?
"I don't know if Ranzi will officially take on the role, but I've heard he resides in Sunzen," Shawn answered truthfully.
Jolie, slipping the paper back into her bag, asked nonchalantly, "So… you don't keep in touch with Ranzi often?"
Shawn shook his head. "Not really. We're not that familiar with each other."
"You and Ranzi aren't familiar with each other?!"
Both Jolie and Donner exclaimed at the same time, their voices filled with disbelief.
Shawn glanced at them, baffled. "Yeah… Hey! What's with you two today? Why are you so interested in this?"
Donner hesitated, glancing at Jolie before answering awkwardly.
"Well… isn't it because… we're all part of the Meta Origin Society?"
Jolie shot him a look but said nothing.
Shawn blinked. "I'm not a member of the Meta Origin Society."
Their reactions were instant and identical.
"What?! You're not with the Meta Origin Society?"
"That's right. What's the big deal?" Shawn frowned. "Seriously, what's with you two today?!"
Jolie quickly masked her surprise, lowering her gaze slightly. "Then… where did you get the Zhen Palace Spirit Key?"
Clearly, they didn't know the full story behind it. Their questions revolved solely around the Meta Origin Society and made no mention of Kapteyn's Star.
That meant they were unaware of Shawn's connection to Kapteyn's Star—and more importantly, that they didn't know the Meta Origin Society had been sealed away.
At that moment, Donner's phone suddenly rang. He stepped away from the pavilion to take the call, leaving only Shawn and Jolie behind.
Shawn, now more cautious, sensed that they might have another motive for meeting him today. He decided to turn the question back on her. "So, how did you get your Spirit Key?"
Jolie lifted her chin slightly, a hint of pride in her expression. "We joined the Meta Origin Society. One of us is part of the Shudu branch, and the other belongs to the Damingfu branch."
Shawn was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected them to be actual members of the Meta Origin Society. But something didn't add up—why didn't they just join the Bodu branch?
"Jordan, York..." The names flashed through Shawn's mind. Weren't they the heads of the Shudu and Damingfu branches? That would explain why Jolie and Donner's Spirit Keys corresponded to "Xun Palace" and "Gen Palace."
"Then why not join the Bodu branch?" Shawn asked casually, as if making conversation, but in reality, he was fishing for information.
"Bodu has a Meta Origin Society branch?" Jolie frowned, her tone carrying a trace of surprise and skepticism. "I've never heard of that."
"You don't know?" Shawn studied her reaction, his eyes narrowing slightly. A flicker of doubt surfaced in his mind.
"Then how do you know?" Jolie's expression sharpened. "Didn't you say you weren't a member of the Meta Origin Society? Were you lying to us?"
"Yeah, Shawn, which part of what you said is true, and which is false?" Donner's voice came from the side as he returned, still holding his phone. His gaze was lowered, but there was a clear note of scrutiny in his tone. "We're friends, right? No need for secrets between us."
Shawn let out a small, helpless laugh. "Come on, why would I lie to you? You guys are members—can't you just check for yourselves?"
"Then is your Spirit Key pendant a fake?" Donner's tone suddenly turned cold, cutting through the air like a blade, instantly shattering the casual atmosphere from moments ago.
A tense silence settled between them.
Shawn felt a chill creep up his spine. He instinctively sat up straighter, his mind racing. Why was Donner pressing so hard? Was this just a test—or did he have other intentions?
"Donner, what are you doing?" Jolie stepped between them, her voice laced with urgency and reproach. "Don't be like this. Shawn, don't take it personally—he's just impatient."
But Donner's eyes remained locked on Shawn, sharp and unyielding. "If there's nothing to hide, why are you so nervous?"
Shawn wasn't intimidated by his aggression. Instead, he found the situation somewhat ironic. Who's really hiding something here?
Without another word, he reached under his shirt and pulled out the Spirit Key pendant.
Jolie immediately took it, running her fingers over the smooth jade meteorite. But the moment her fingertips touched the pendant—
A sudden dizziness washed over Shawn. A faint blue light flashed across his vision, quick as lightning.
In the distance, birds resting in the reeds burst into flight, their feathers glinting gold in the morning sun. A large fish leaped out of the water, slapping the lake's surface with its tail, sending ripples outward—whether in response or warning, Shawn couldn't tell.
The light vanished as quickly as it had come.
Jolie's voice pulled Shawn back to the present. "Donner, you're being paranoid. Look, the pattern on the front is identical to ours, and the back has the inscription "震宮靈鑰"——Zhen Palace Spirit Key in ancient script. How could it be fake?"
Shawn exhaled slowly, his heartbeat still unsteady. What was that just now? An illusion… or an omen?
A faint smile played on his lips. "So, do you believe me now?"
Donner said nothing. His gaze remained locked on Shawn, unreadable, an odd glint in his eyes.
At that moment, Shawn had a feeling—this confrontation wasn't truly over. Not yet.