Earth Metaverse Year 10, July 1st, 2031AD.
Shawn arrived at a palace of unparalleled luxury.
A grand arched dome, sculpted from pure gold and encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, soared above him.
Suspended from the ceiling, a holographic crystal chandelier shimmered with light that flowed like a swirling galaxy.
The walls, polished to a mirror sheen from deep obsidian, housed embedded displays that cycled through breathtaking works of art and stunning natural landscapes.
At the center of the vast hall stood an enormous crystal orb, seamlessly interacting with a real-time holographic projection of the universe.
The floor beneath Shawn's feet was covered with an intelligent carpet that adjusted its texture to provide perfect comfort.
A faint, ever-changing fragrance filled the air, subtly shifting with the emotions of those present. Beyond the towering floor-to-ceiling windows stretched a boundless sea of stars.
Everything about this place was mesmerizing—overwhelmingly so.
A robotic attendant guided Shawn to a luxurious seat, presenting him with a glass of an exquisitely rare and costly drink.
At that moment, Donner and Jolie entered the hall, moving with a deliberate, almost regal grace.
Dressed in resplendent gowns and crowned with dazzling tiaras, they looked as though they had stepped straight out of myth.
Donner approached first, extending a document that radiated a golden glow—the AGI-ST Program Authorization Letter. His voice was low and commanding, echoing through the vast space like a whisper that reached deep into the soul.
"Sign it."
His words carried a gravity that sent shivers down Shawn's spine.
"With this," Donner continued, "you will gain power beyond imagination."
Jolie, standing gracefully beside him, added with a sweet yet enigmatic smile, "Wealth, prestige, knowledge, even eternal life... All of it will be yours. Just sign your name, and everything will be within reach."
In that instant, Shawn glimpsed a vision of his future—his name etched into the annals of history, immortalized as a legend. He saw throngs of people pledging their loyalty, hanging onto his every word, their faith unwavering. He stood above them all, gazing down upon the world with a transcendent presence.
Yet, just as he tried to focus on the details, a veil of shimmering light obscured his sight. The future was cloaked in a dense mist—indistinct, uncertain, as if reality itself wavered between truth and illusion.
"Sign it, Shawn."
Jolie's voice was soft, coaxing, as she retrieved an ornate golden quill from a silver-threaded pouch. The tip of the feather glowed with a faint blue luminescence, mirroring the radiance of the authorization letter in Donner's hand.
"By joining the AGI-ST Program, you won't just gain access to the two ultimate psionic weapons—the All-Seeing Eye and Phantom Axe. You'll as well..." Her voice dropped lower, almost hypnotic.
"You'll unlock the final, ultimate ability—the ASI Singularity Light."
She leaned in slightly. "The pinnacle of all intelligence."
Shawn's hand trembled as he reached for the golden quill. At that moment, it felt as though the weight of the world rested on this one decision. His heartbeat quickened.
But just as the tip of the quill was about to touch the parchment, a sharp, searing pain shot through his chest.
He gasped. His body jolted slightly as his gaze dropped.
Around his neck, the Zhen Palace Spirit Key quivered violently, radiating an intense, piercing light. Unlike the warm golden glow that surrounded him, this light was cold, pure—like a warning cutting straight through his heart.
"Shawn, what's the hesitation?"
There was an edge of impatience in Donner's voice now, his sharp gaze narrowing, a flicker of something dangerous beneath his composed demeanor.
Slowly, he took a step closer. His tone deepened, resonating with an almost magnetic force.
"Opportunities like this don't come twice. Miss it, and you'll be left behind—forever."
Jolie, however, maintained her soft, inviting smile, as if she hadn't noticed Shawn's hesitation at all.
Then, from the depths of his memory, a voice surfaced—his grandfather's, echoing through time, words he had heard countless times in childhood.
"Never forget your original purpose. Only then can you truly achieve greatness."
A simple sentence.. Yet they cut through the fog in his mind like a blade.
Shawn looked down at the feathered quill in his hand. Then, slowly, he lifted his gaze back to Donner and Jolie. A new clarity emerged in his eyes.
He studied everything again—the golden glow of the authorization letter, the eerie blue shimmer of the quill, the flawless beauty of Donner and Jolie's smiles. It was all too perfect. Too tempting. Too surreal.
A single thought crystallized in his mind.
Why would such unfathomable power be handed to him so easily?
And more importantly—what was the price?
"Shawn, trust me."
Jolie's voice was still sweet, but there was something else now—urgency.
"Sign it. Not just for yourself, but for the future of all mankind."
Shawn exhaled slowly. His fingers tightened around the Zhen Palace Spirit Key, its cold radiance intensifying, filling him with an unshakable resolve.
Then, with deliberate intent, he took a step back. His voice was calm, unwavering.
"I'm sorry. I need more time to think."
The atmosphere in the hall shifted in an instant.
The golden light seemed to dim.
Donner and Jolie's smiles froze.
For the briefest moment, they exchanged glances. Then, Donner let out a cold, quiet chuckle.
"Perhaps," he mused, "you fail to understand the true value of this opportunity... or the consequences of rejecting it."
Jolie's eyes, once gentle, now held something else.
A glint of ice-cold menace.
Shawn clenched the Spirit Key tightly in his hand, his grandfather's words echoing in his mind: "Never forget your original intention."
He knew this choice wasn't just about his own fate—it could change the course of the entire world.
His resolve was set.
Suddenly, an unseen force yanked him backward. The world around him trembled as the grand palace began to collapse. The marble floor cracked, revealing an abyss that seemed to stretch into infinity.
Donner and Jolie's faces contorted into grotesque masks, their voices sharp and grating.
"Did you really think you could escape?" Donner sneered. "The Zhen Palace Spirit Key is already in our hands!"
Shawn struggled, but before he could react, darkness engulfed him.
When he came to, he was bound in a dimly lit chamber. His limbs were restrained, and the Spirit Key was gone.
A faint blue glow flickered around him—some kind of energy field pulsing in the air.
A cold realization struck him.
This was a trap.
That day in the Source of Tao Wetland Park—his sudden dizziness—it was them. Donner and Jolie had done something to the Zhen Palace Spirit Key.
But why? Just to get him to sign up for the AGI-ST Program?
No. Their ambitions were far greater.
Shawn recalled the cryptic warning of the expert from Kapteyn's Star: "Unless... holder of the Spirit Key willingly provides an access point, the system cannot be breached."
It all makes sense now.
They were after the Spirit Key's system—trying to infiltrate it from within.
As despair crept over him, a deep, familiar voice rang out.
"Shawn! I'm here!"
A white-bearded old man materialized, clutching a smooth, white stone orb.
Chanting softly, he raised the orb, unleashing a surge of energy that shattered Shawn's restraints in an instant.
Freed, Shawn followed the old man toward the exit—only to spot Donner and Jolie hunched over a strange device, their fingers racing across its controls.
"I can't believe you managed to escape," Donner scoffed.
"But it's too late!" He reached for the activation switch.
In a flash, the old man pressed the orb to his chest, murmuring another incantation. A violent tremor shook the chamber, and in the next instant, Donner and Jolie's device went dead.
Seizing the moment, Shawn reclaimed the Spirit Key.
"Come with me!" the old man commanded.
Shawn turned to follow—then suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry stopped him in his tracks.
"Old man, you can't just leave like this!"
The anguished voice sent a chill down his spine.
Shawn's eyes flew open.
He was back home, sitting in his chair.
But something was terribly wrong.
His grandfather lay collapsed beside him, blood at the corner of his mouth.
Panic surged through Shawn as he fumbled for his phone, calling emergency services.
Too late.
At the hospital, Shawn stood frozen as his father handed him the death certificate. He felt nothing. No tears, no words—just a hollow ache, spreading through his chest like ice.
Later, his grandmother recounted what had happened.
That afternoon, his grandparents had returned home to find Shawn resting in his chair, eyes closed. Wanting to let him sleep, they tiptoed past him and into their room.
But just as they settled in for a nap, they heard Shawn suddenly gasp sharply.
Alarmed, they rushed back.
Shawn remained motionless, but his face was contorted in distress.
His grandmother called his name. "Shawn? Shawn!" She shook him, but he didn't stir.
That was when they saw it—the pendant around his neck, glowing with an eerie blue light.
His grandfather, sensing something was wrong, reached out to remove it.
The moment his fingers touched the pendant, it reacted.
As if it had a mind of its own, it flared to life—knocking him to the ground.
That was when Shawn had felt himself being pulled into the palace.
The shaking, the force—it had been his grandfather all along.
And in the end, his grandfather had given his life to stop him.
Shawn sat motionless, gripping the Zhen Palace Spirit Key in his hands.
He didn't cry.
His mind swirled with unanswered questions.
What were Donner and Jolie really after?
What dark secrets lay behind the AGI-ST Program?
Who was the old man with the white stone orb?
And that voice... why did it sound so familiar?
Suddenly, it clicked.
The old man—the one who saved him—was the same voice that had spoken to him during his examination that day.
But who was he really?
And why was he helping Shawn?