Chapter 1:  wandering soul

In the void, where there was neither light nor sound, a white orb no bigger than an egg appeared and shone with a dazzling light. The orb floated leisurely along, its path seemingly unaffected by any course.  But its light seemed to shrink, as if it were surrendering to the infinite depths of the void.

However, a moment later, an invisible force caught the orb's attention. The orb changed course and accelerated, making its glow even fainter. In its wake, it left a trail of shimmering dust decorating the empty, dark void. After an unknown amount of time, it finally reached its destination and came to a halt far away from a huge blue planet whose vast continent took up a third of its surface. From above, it looked like a planet teeming with life and activity.

The continent was a verdant expanse, its lush green a feast for the eyes. The surrounding ocean was a brilliant blue, its color so vivid it seemed to glow. After a few moments of pause, the orb shrank and began to move again, as if it had broken through some kind of barrier and finally reached the planet.

The white orb plunged into the depths, and the speed of its fall increased. Moreover, the laws of physics seemed to have no effect on it. Friction seemed to be non-existent. When it reached a height of one kilometer above the Earth's surface, it paused, as if contemplating its next move.

The pause was brief. After a few moments, the orb resumed its journey, this time with a clear destination. It traced a winding line, turning left and right. It dodged the rain clouds, its movements sure and deliberate. After days of travelling, it finally reached its destination.

The orb hovered over an opulent palace that stretched for miles. Every few steps a guard stood watch, their stern stares and gleaming armor leaving no doubt that this was the residence of someone important. The palace was built in the old European style, but the electric lights that illuminated it were an incongruous sight. It was a strange mixture of modern and antique, creating a unique atmosphere and aura.

Unimpressed by the captivating sight, the orb continued on its way, slipped past the heavy guards and reached the back garden of the palace. All that could be seen in the garden at that moment was a colossal tree whose shadow enveloped a young man. The young man slumbered in its shade, enjoying the gentle breeze. He seemed to have stepped out of a painting.

The young man had short black hair, a sharp jawline and thick eyebrows. Despite the youthful energy he radiated, his massive physique and towering height suggested otherwise.

The white orb only stopped when it was in proximity to the young man. It seemed to be examining him, watching him closely, as if it wanted to confirm something.

Then, without warning, the orb struck the young man's forehead. But in a shocking twist, the orb passed through his head as if it were an illusion.

The young man's body jerked, and a pained groan escaped his lips. His trembling and screams became more and more violent as time went on, his body rolling from side to side.

At the same time, in a dark place, four stars shone with a bright violet light. The white orb stopped and then took on a human form. He appeared to be in his late twenties, his body beginning to shed its youthful appearance and take on a more mature look. He resembled the sleeping young man, only a larger version. His cloudy eyes betrayed that he was unaware of what was happening.

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The young man stood before him, but his ethereal form seemed faded. But his bright eyes made him appear more alive and youthful. He was surprised to see a man in this place where his starry sky lay! It was a private place where no one was allowed to intrude, no matter who he was. But this man had managed to get here.

Questions flashed through his mind: 'Who is this man? How did he manage to sneak in here? And how did he do it? Is he here to assassinate me? Has the situation reached its end? Will I be killed before I can realise my dream?’

The man walked slowly forward until he stood in front of the young man. Then a golden light appeared and rushed towards the confused young man.

Although before the golden light could reach him, it was stopped by a sudden shield consisting of four purple stars. These stars not only stopped the treacherous attack, but continued to shine and move towards the man's ethereal form. The golden light rising from the man's body tried to stop the attack, but it was in vain. The golden light could only weaken the momentum and power of the attack, but no more.

The man's figure began to fade, as if he were about to disappear. But the golden light returned, this time not to attack, but to envelop the man. After a few seconds, when the golden light had disappeared, the man's form had solidified and he seemed ready to attack again.

But the young man Carl came to his senses and could no longer be distracted. He knew that things had reached a point where it was a matter of life and death. So he began to control the stars to eliminate his opponent before he became active again. With an idea, he managed to focus the power of the four stars and combine them into a single strike, hoping to quickly take out his opponent and end his troubles.

But the man was not so simple either, for there was a flash in his eye. It seemed as if he was about to regain consciousness. A golden light, larger than before, shot out of his forehead and headed towards the young man. But in the next moment, the young man's attack struck and the two collided. The golden light held back the attack for just a moment. The violet light continued to accelerate towards the man. The man, who had regained consciousness, tried to fend off the attack, but it seemed as if he did not know how to control the golden light. He raised his hands into a cross to protect his face, which seemed ridiculous in such a fantastic confrontation.

But the golden light reacted to this awkward movement. The light gathered in a small area in front of his face and formed a shield that resembled a medieval shield. When the purple beam reached the shield, it stopped for seconds, its momentum slowed and its power dwindled. When it finally hit the man's body, it had hardly any effect.

"Ah, I almost died..." But he did not finish his words. Another purple beam hit him and removed three quarters of his head, leaving him with only one eye and part of his lower jaw. All that was left in his eye was a flicker of shock, confusion, regret and even some hope that the golden light would save him.

A few moments passed after this blow, and the flicker in his eye faded until it became dull. His form gradually began to dissolve like dust, presenting a beautiful and mesmerizing sight to the starry sky. This breathtaking sight lasted only seconds, and all this man left behind was a golden orb the size of a bean.

It radiated a magical glow and spread a feeling of attraction. Carl, the inexperienced young man, could not resist this attraction and could not help but approach its step by step. It was as if he had forgotten his father's many warnings, his usual exercises and the procedures he had learned to avoid assassination attempts. All these things no longer interested him, for all that remained was the stubborn desire to possess this golden orb.

But even as the young man Carl approached the orb, the stars hanging in the sky did not seem to react. Did they not sense the danger to Carl? Or was the golden orb able to bypass the senses of these stars and avoid the impending danger?

These questions played no role for Carl, who had reached the golden orb.

As he approached it, he could see the orb. It was covered on all sides with strange engravings that he could not recognize. The engravings shone blood red and added to the orb's beauty and appeal.

Carl reached out to touch the strange orb, but at that moment he heard a strange but familiar sound...