A small red silhouette stood atop the thick black walls of Naqueser. Only those who have seen the unending wall from above know that it was more than 50 meters thick.
Wednesday locked his gaze at the tall sword-like structure that seemed to want to touch the sky.
The Tower of Bellathor.
"Did you also predict this?"
A energetic voice of a woman left their mosaic mask that churned like a living thing.
"20%"
"HAHA! You hearing this, Sunday?! What Wednesday said? 20%! Wednesday's plan got ruined by a mortal!"
"Shut up, Friday. It's not like their plan got ruined for the first time, anyway."
A masculine, slightly aged voice complained in a sleepy tone.
"Why did we even let him have a week of time? You see. This is why I prefer to just abduct people. No worry of them doing anything untoward like this. Why do you need to ask them and give them a chance to revolt, when you can just force them?"
Another breathy, cynical voice muttered from inside.
"Sheesh, Thursday, you fucking creep! Even after all that time, you still haven't changed one bit."
"SILENCE!"
Wednesday shouted loudly, their pair of unfeeling eyes staring at the eerie scene above. The white dragon's long snake-like body encompassed the entirety of Naqueser. The bright ethereal glow of it reflected on their colorful mosaic mask.
*thud*
A man in a white lab clothes silently landed beside him.
"You are welcome to the most amazing show ever. On today's episode, we have a ignorant fella trying to defy the heavens! Ticket's free! Just treat me to a godworm sometime."
"You did not tell us anything about this."
"Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot."
Haider scratched his bald head, his perfect smile radiating innocence as he replied apologetically.
"Do you intend to betray The Beauro?"
Haider's innocent face turned indignant, as if the most baseless accusation had been thrown at him. A wronged voice came out of his throat as he shouted animatedly.
"WHAT?! NO! REALLY! I JUST FORGOT. THIS GUY KEPT ME BUSY WITH LAB WORK AND WENT AHEAD WITH ALL HIS SINISTER PLAN!"
A pair of calm eyes kept staring at him from the square eyeholes.
"ALRIGHT. Alright. I may have omitted some information. But that does not mean I betrayed BCA. Even if you knew that he was going 'try to awaken' by himself, it's not like you would have interfered. Right?"
Haider smiled enigmatically, staring at the small red silhouette that barely could reach his chest. The small figure stared at him without blinking, without a retort. After a while, they both turned towards the tower again, watching the entire thing transpire.
"What are your plans if he fails? Move on to the nex-"
Soon, the dragon above the sky vanished, surprising Haider. He watched the blue night sky with a tinge excitement in his face, raising his hands triumphantly as he pointed his middle fingers towards the sky.
"HE SUCCEEDED! THAT'S MY BOY! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A MYTHICAL-"
However, his voice got stuck in his throat. His stared at the changing sky with a bit of apprehension on his face.
The breezey sky, the sounds of the wind and the city, all stopped. The flow of time itself had stopped. Everyone was still aware of it happening, but few could even lift a finger at this very moment.
Everyone staring at the silver white sky felt their heart miss a beat.
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
A barrage of large noises that seemed to break the time dilution reached their ears, allowing everyone a small moment of respite.
"WEDNESDAY!"
A loud voice boomed from afar, resounding throughout the entire city.
"I will find you the co-ordinates of sacred dimension as long as you help me find a way for me to return to my world."
Even though they were awakened and had their five senses amplified to the maximum, they should not have been capable of hearing something something from so far away. However, floating black armors transmitted the sound throughout the city.
As soon as Wednesday heard Long Tian's cracking voice, they felt like thunder struck their ear. They brought out a pale golden sundial, flying towards the tower.
Haider's pupil also constricted as he listened to Long Tian's voice. Even he couldn't pretend to be 'under control' anymore.
He turned his head towards the left with a lot of effort. However, there was no one there.
*****
Long Tian up at the silvery sky above. The pale, silvery luster reminded him of the moon, making the sky look eerily divine. His tired eyes were mystified by it's divine beauty.
"It's not so bad, right? Mother, even though I may fail tonight, the continent of Raoqen will remember my name."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
He stared at the watch in his hand, caressing it again as he whispered.
"Well, only some of them. The mortals wouldn't, but does that matter anymore? And you always taught me that 'Living like a Lion for a day was better than whimpering like a dog for a lifetime.'"
He gazed at the silvery hand of the clock that had started to slow down again. Each tick of the hand felt like they were taking longer and longer to pass.
"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Even that wasn’t enough to lure Wednesday out."
Long Tian sighed to himself. However, he had no regrets. He felt the time curse on his body move again as he closed his eyes.
"Sir, did anyone tell you that you are a it of a show off?"
An androgynous voice replied from beside him. As soon as Long Tian heard that voice, a smirk crept up on his old face.
"Sometimes a man has to bid against the heaven."
Long Tian smiled as he felt a red hue in clashing in his eyelids, prompting him to open his eyes.
A pale red sun was slowly rising in the distance, enveloping the silvery sky in a pale golden hue. Even though it was not as strong as the sunlight during day, it still suppressed the silvery sky, bit by bit.
Everyone stared at the sky that had stared to change once again. Watching The Sun and Moon stand in the same sky raised all the hairs in their body.
!Artefact 011!
*Sundial of Azin-Roth*
The sunlight reflected on the gnomon, casting a shadow on a intricate engraving of '9' on the smooth golden surface of sundial.
"How did you know, Sir?"
The androgynous voice asked again as Long Tian stared at the silvery dragon slowly phase out of the Sky.
"I calculated it with my fingertips."
"This is no time to play with words, Sir. I need answers. Real, concrete answers. You have less than a minute to convince me."
"136 scientist from Huaxia mysteriously vanished over the last few decades. All the details about them had been removed from the records. You even wiped them out of everyone's memory, making it as if they had never existed. However, one thing that you could not, or did not want to remove was their credentials from their journals."
"Sir, that explains nothing. All of this was unnecessary. If you really wanted to negotiate with us, you could have waited a week."
"Staring at the bare sky of Raoqen almost had me break down into squirming worms. Do you think I would dare to research on a GOD'S BONE?! We both know what happened to those scientists before me."
Long Tian turned around, his aged voice resonating throughout the area.
"I told you before, I despise being under control of 'secret organisation' such as yours."
Wednesday stared at Long Tian's face that was full of conviction.
"We have miscalculated. You are much more terrifying than we thought. You managed to keep such vast information source hidden from bunny."
"Bunny? Ha-Ha! That's what Haider is called? I knew it, why would a war veteran want to work in my lab. 'Serving the humanity!' What a lousy excuse."
"You sure are in a jest. Sir, How did you know?"
"Oh? Your motive? You interested in a bit of a story now? It's unfortunate that we do not have ale up here. Anyways, it's more of a legend now. Hundreds of years ago, Nineteen sages roamed Raoqen. Second only to immortals, under only the Gods, almost close to mythical beasts. However, one day, seven of them vanished without a trace, leaving no records. Among the seven, there existed a machine that wanted t-"
Wednesday changed their expression for the first time, their mosaic mask squirming as Long Tian kept speaking with a smile on his aged face. They interrupted him.
"We understand. However, nothing has changed. Even if we manage to save you tonight, your fate is written in stone if you do not find the co-ordinates of Sacred dimension."
Their eyes glowed with a blue light for the first time since hundreds of years.
"And you may just have just chosen to bring down your entire family with you. No, We wouldn’t do anything, but-"
Long Tian stayed silent. He knew everything. He knew and he still chose to proceed with the plan. He had done everything to increase his chances of survival.
Living as a slave was still better than dying without answers. He did not fear death, but he feared that he would die without knowing the mystery surrounding his existence. He stared at his stick-like hands, a grin of ridicule slowly laced on his lips.
"I am still just controlled by fate, anyways. Then let me see what you have written for me."
"Frer rix surrren krennn"
An ethereal ageless voice muttered angrily as the silvery white sky began to overpower the golden sun. The moon was slowly eclipsing the sun, casting the entire continent in a haze of golden and silver.
Wednesday sighed, seemed like this matter was going to cost them an arm and a leg. However, they were willing to pay whatever price necessary this time. They saw a terrifying potential in Long Tian, something that they had never seen in any other candidates. They were willing to bet everything on him.
The sundial in his hand soon became bigger and bigger, making the Sun in the sky glow with a bright fervor again. Long Tian watched with a smirk as the yellow sun and silver moon fought in the sky for Supremacy. Half of the sky was enveloped in yellow golden rays while half was enveloped in silvery white rays.
Time slowly turned back as the golden gnomon of the Sundial slowly disintegrated under the continuous onslaught of The white dragon.
Long Tian's ashen face slowly started to return to a brighter color, as if he was de-aging. His entire being returned to being young in seconds. His stared at his forearm that had floated back from the ground.
*squirm*
It rejoined with his wrist, looking as new as a newborn's arm. Long Tian quickly checked for his soul artefact, only sighing in relief when he found it in his divine space. The moon above had almost managed to overpower the yellow sun, there was no time left.
Wednesday took out an ordinary blade, pointing it at Long Tian's arm that had a half formed tattoo.
******
Emperor Zhi Yan and Marquis Long Xiang watched the entire thing transpire from afar.
Long Xiang heard his son shout things that seemed foreign to him. His actions that followed along it made him question everything he knew about him.
"Another world? Hoh? You really did not know, Xiang?"
Emperor Zhi Yan smirked as he sat atop his throne. He did not seem to disturbed by the time dilution at all. Rather, he seemed to be not affected by it.
Marquis Long stared at his son that seemed almost alien. His tame son who never did anything untoward was exceedingly defiant today. He watched Long Tian confront the white dragon.
*Crack*
His fist were cracking under his iron grip that had turned into a shade of crimson.
*WHISH*
Gate 7, Aspect of time
Both of them felt time reversing. Qi that existed throughout heavens was attempting to push them back into the Long Manor. Long Xiang opened all 7 of his gates to stop himself from being pushed away.
Even though Zhi Yan only had a part of the artefact 003 with him, he managed to stop himself without issues. However, his fragmented artefact was only enough to stop himself from being effected by the time reversal, not enough to interfere in the fight between a god and a near single digit artefact.
Maybe he could have tried if he was in the City of Gold, but right now? He muttered with a bright glint in his eyes.
"The continent will never be the same again after today."
A woman in red floated beside the throne, laying atop a block of writing metal. Her entire body was shivering with an existential fear as she stared at the golden-silver sky. Her petite face distorted in horror and fear as she used her nails to dug into her own flesh.
"When the moon and sun clash, when the moon and sun clash, when the moon and sun clash."
She only muttered this single line, as if her mind has been broken. The moon soon eclipsed the sun, transforming the entire sky in silver white.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
A excruciating shout that shook the heavens was released from atop the tower of Bellathor that stood miles away.
The moon got eclipsed by a black-red star, turning the entire sky into a black red hue.
A mad laugh escaped her petite face that looked almost demonic.
"HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAH! IT'S BACK. THEY'RE ALL BACK! THE PROPHECY COMES TRUE IN THE ERA OF HUAXIA."
The petite face turned towards the emperor, shouting indignantly as her pale face distorted in horror.
"I TOLD YOU. YOU DID NOT TAKE A SINGLE OF MY WORDS SERIOUSLY! NONE OF YOU TRUSTED ME EXCEPT FOR DUKE HAN."
"And? Nothing we did would have stopped it. Calm down."
Emperor Zhi Yan stood up from his throne, his face slowly breaking into a mystical smile.
"Huaxia has indulged in peace for far too long. Even a sheathed sword gets rusty if not used for too long."
*splurt*
The woman in red splurged out a large amount of black blood, her shivering figure turning even weaker. Emperor Zhi Yan sat beside her, asking in a soft voice.
"What did you see?"
"The End."