The word "Aberration" resonated in the ornate confines of the palanquin, reverberating like an ominous echo. Kai felt it as a visceral blow, his fists clenching reflexively, breath catching in his throat. His mind raced, weaving together the fragments of information he had on the Eternals. Vast celestial consciousnesses anchored to galaxy clusters, their very essence intertwined with the stars. Over eons, they had been relentlessly gathering knowledge, the deep expanse of space serving as their vast canvas of memories.
He struggled with their perspective, a span of existence so vast that human lifetimes appeared but fleeting moments. What desires could fuel such beings? Their motivations, their true nature, remained an enigma.
"Why are you here?" Kai's voice quivered, barely more than a whisper, "What do you want?" He backpedaled the edge of the plush rug beneath him, catching his heel, nearly causing him to stumble.
Bellaria's icy gaze swept over him as if sizing up an insignificant insect. A ghost of a smile briefly danced on her lips but was quickly replaced by a frosty countenance. "They dared defy us," she hissed, her voice filled with scorn. "I could've been debased, turned into something like you, a miserable half-breed." She paused, her eyes darkening with anger. "That assault took so much from me. I will destroy everyone who knows about the Far-reaching array and pay back the Celestial Temple for the offense they have given, all following the cultural norms of these savages."
Kai felt a chill as her venomous words enveloped him. He was a blend, a mix of Eternal and cultivator. Though parts of his memories were veiled in shadow, he knew his unique status as a soul forger had paved the road they traveled to Long Yuan.
He looked around the flying palanquin, a symbol of the new culture he was now part of. "The people here are different, aggressive, yes, but that’s not all there is to them. They are also proud, loyal, valuing honor and traditions. Their fierceness stems from their beliefs."
Ahja interjected, his voice laced with pity and contempt, "You, more than anyone, should feel their treachery. Look at what they did to you—stripping away your grandeur, reshaping you, bending you to their will. Do you not understand our purpose?"
Kai hesitated, pain flashing across his face as he recalled fleeting moments of kindness from certain individuals at the Celestial Temple. "They've ceased using the Far-reaching array. There are those there who... who showed me kindness." He could see their faces in his memory, their genuine smiles, the rare moments of camaraderie amidst his first days here.
“But most there are innocent! They aren’t responsible for the transgressions of a select few,” Kai exclaimed, desperation evident in his eyes.
Ahja's voice reverberated through the space, each word pressing on Kai's chest with its weight. “I can see you don’t agree with our course of action.” The timbre of his voice, deep and commanding, seemed to make the very curtains of the palanquin vibrate.
Bellaria’s eyes narrowed, the frostiness in her gaze sending a chill down Kai's spine. “You can’t be allowed to interfere. There can be no disruptions to our plans.” Her chilly voice contrasted sharply with the oppressive warmth inside the palanquin. After what felt like an eternity, she broke the silence. “Kill him.”
“I’m not certain he can even be killed,” Ahja mused, concern flickering in his eyes. “However, we should be able to ensure he stays out of our way.”
Kai felt the weight of their intentions pressing down on him. Reacting instinctively, he channeled a deluge of primordial energy throughout his being, the world around him slowing, every second stretching into eternity. Although unfamiliar with Ahja and Bellaria's true capabilities, the imminent threat radiating from them was palpable, dwarfing any danger he'd sensed from other cultivators he had encountered.
His only recourse was his most potent assault, a concentrated burst of energy. Shifting his consciousness, Kai was before the imposing gate in his soul realm, the gargantuan bronze iris standing sentinel. It was a formidable barrier, normally allowing but a mere dribble of celestial energy to seep through.
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This is it, Kai thought, rallying his willpower. With a mental command, the colossal iris creaked into motion, gears grating and echoing in the vast emptiness of his soul space. Each slow, ponderous movement felt magnified, but given his time dilation, it would appear almost instantaneous to Bellaria and Ahja.
He felt a tidal wave of power build-up, ready to be unleashed. But as the gates neared their full aperture, the familiar flow of celestial energy ebbed faltered, then vanished entirely.
The palanquin’s atmosphere became charged as Ahja stared at Kai, a hint of mockery playing on his lips. "Did you think to overpower us with borrowed strength, especially when its source stands before you?" Now aglow with an unsettling prismatic radiance, his eyes held Kai captive.
Overwhelmed by the abrupt cessation of his spiritual energy, Kai's strength waned, his legs buckling beneath him. A desperate glance into his soul realm confirmed his worst fear: the nova cluster, his energy reservoir, had vanished. His face, usually composed, now reflected a maelstrom of despair and betrayal.
He could only watch in sheer horror as Ahja lifted his hand, a poignant sadness lingering in his eyes, directly contrasting with the impending devastation. As a surge of resplendent gold energy burst forth, Kai recognized it instinctively. It pulsed with the same resonance that had coursed through his veins countless times, a very extension of his self. But now, it turned traitor, rebelling against its master.
The force was unrelenting, overwhelming his defenses and consuming his physical form. He felt an agonizing burn as every cell, every fiber of his being, was engulfed and eradicated. The world around him blurred, replaced by an intense, engulfing golden maelstrom. The sensation was paradoxical: the energy he had always associated with power and life was now the harbinger of his undoing.
As the luminous storm receded, Kai found himself bodiless, his soul hovering in the void. The remnants of his existence were stark against the backdrop of the vast sky. No heron, no palanquin remained; only the remnants of his ethereal self and the looming figures of Ahja and Bellaria, their eyes emanating an eerie, soul-penetrating light.
Ahja advanced, the prismatic luminescence of his gaze intensifying, pulling Kai into its depth. He felt like an open book, every secret, every fear laid bare. He felt a pull towards the crown of his soul, where the soft, radiant purple orb – his crown core – pulsated.
“There it is,” Ahja's voice was almost a whisper, filled with a strange mix of satisfaction and regret.
Mustering the remains of his strength, Kai tried to convey his resolve. “The people of Long Yuan... I won't let you...” His voice trailed off, feeble.
Bellaria's laughter, cold and mocking, cut through his words. “Such misplaced valor, half-breed.”
Without another word, Ahja's fingers, ethereal and glowing, closed in on Kai's crown core. With a swift, deliberate motion, he crushed it. Kai felt a searing, more intense pain than he'd ever experienced. The core shattered, transforming into a mist of purple, and as it dispersed, so did the essence of Kai. He felt himself unraveling, memories fading, his connection to Long Yuan stretching thin until he was no more than a wisp in the wind, gradually fading into oblivion.
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Bao was adjusting a bamboo beam, using a lash to secure it firmly to their improvised sleeping area, when she heard the thud of a body hitting the ground. Glancing up, her eyes widened to see Ai sprawled below the tree, her face twisted in pain and shock. The suddenness of the fall made Bao's heart race.
She remembered the past few days and the odd change in Ai's behavior. Ever since her session with Master Kai, Ai had been... different. There was confidence in her step, a glint in her eye. The girl claimed she was linked to Kai, often gazing into the distance, claiming to sense him. Just the other night, Ai had paused to bow in a specific direction during dinner. When Bao asked, Ai only murmured something about Kai's power calling out to her.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Bao dropped her tools, gauging the distance between her and Ai. In a split second, she leaped down, landing agilely next to her friend. She reached out, her hands hovering uncertainly over Ai. "Hey, what's going on?"
Ai looked up, her usually sparkling eyes now filled with terror. Bao was taken aback by the raw emotion she saw there; it was as if Ai had lost a part of her soul.
"I... I can't feel him," Ai stammered her voice barely above a whisper. Each word was choked with disbelief. "He's... he's gone."
The weight of Ai's words pressed down on Bao. For Ai's previous claims about their connection, Bao had never seen her like this. Whatever had happened, it was real.
Master Kai was gone.