The Azureal Kingdom had fallen.
Once a proud beacon of prosperity, its city streets now lay silent, empty streets that had once thrived with life, now swallowed by death and despair. The echoes of the final battle still rang through the remnants of the royal capital. The Azureal Hall now a ruin, its banners torn and crumbled. The Northern Mountains Kingdom, allied with the forces of the Upper Realm had completed their conquest.
But amid the wreckage of Azureal's last stand, there were whispers of survival. Not everyone had perished in the wake of the kingdom's collapse.
Scene 1: The Shattered Kingdom
King Lin Yuantai and Queen Xianmei were gone, their fates unknown. The night they sent their son down the River of Fate remained the last time they were seen. Though the Royal Hall was lost and the mighty palace had fallen, the legacy of the royal family was far from extinguished.
Azureal's army, broken and battered, had retreated into the forested mountains to the east. Survivors, though few in number had banded together in secret hoping for the day they could rise again.
Among the survivors was General Zhou Liang, a seasoned commander who had seen the fall of his kingdom and lived to bear witness to its grief. His heart, hardened by years of battle, was softened by a promise, the last words of the king: "Protect the bloodline." Those words had driven him to keep the survivors safe and to keep hope alive, even in the darkest hour.
Though he did not know where the child had gone, Zhou Liang was determined to honor the prophecy. The child, the heir to Azureal had been hidden away, placed in the River of Fate to protect him from the impending doom. The hope for the kingdom's revival, for its future rested on the mystery of the child's journey.
Scene 2: The Hidden Survivors
In a hidden cave deep within the Silverstone Mountains, the remnants of Azureal's elite forces took shelter. They were few but they were determined. News of the child's disappearance had spread among them but none dared to speak the words aloud.
Among the survivors was Lian Xia, a high-ranking official who had witnessed the fall of the kingdom's capital. Her heart was filled with anger, not just for the betrayal by their former allies but for the unknown fate of the royal family.
"We were too late," she muttered bitterly, clutching a tattered map of the kingdom. "But I still sense something, his presence... the child must be alive. He must be."
Xia had seen the glow in the sky when the boat carrying the child vanished down the River of Fate. Something had protected him, something that the Upper Realm had not counted on. The River of Fate was no ordinary river and neither was the child who had been sent upon it.
"You are not the only one who believes so," said Zhou Liang, his voice grave. "But we do not know where he is. We have lost contact with the kingdom's allies. What remains is only the hope of the prophecy, and that... that is what we hold onto now."
As the two spoke, the sound of distant footsteps echoed through the cave. A scout entered, breathless with a grim report. "The Northern Mountains forces are still scouring the ruins of the kingdom. We've seen patrols as far south as the Ashen Plains. They search for us, and for any sign of the royal family."
Zhou Liang's face tightened. The Northern Mountains Kingdom, now allied with the Upper Realm would stop at nothing to wipe out the last remnants of Azureal. They would destroy anything that could challenge their newly forged power.
"We cannot hide forever," Zhou Liang said, his voice low with determination. "But we will not fall easily."
Scene 3: The Unseen Hand
Meanwhile, far beyond the mortal realm, the Upper Realm watched with cold, detached interest. Though the kingdom of Azureal was in ruins, their true prize, the child remained elusive. The envoy, Xie Zhen, had grown frustrated with the lack of progress in tracking him down. His orders were clear: eliminate the child before he could realize his potential.
Yet, as Xie Zhen paced within the grand halls of the Upper Realm, his mind was troubled by something he couldn't quite grasp. The Heavens which had long governed the flow of the cosmos had not taken kindly to the existence of the child. Their hatred had seeped into his very being. The child's power even in infancy, threatened to undo the established order.
"The child must be found," Xie Zhen muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. "The Heavens will not wait forever."
But even Xie Zhen could not see everything. The child's fate was not entirely in his hands. The River of Fate, it seemed had its own plans.