The Great Expanse
The expanse was boundless.
Ever-expanding.
Blood flowed for miles on end, and the land lay buried under a carpet of white bones. The air was chilled, vibrating with the cries of fallen souls. This was a world of infinite possibilities, and within those possibilities, a clan was born.
Surnamed... Li.
A dense bamboo forest stretched into the horizon, cradling a lone pavilion. Inside its golden interior, the scent of mint and rain lingered. Outside, the bamboo swayed in a rhythmic dance as tea was sipped in silence.
"Do you know the truth of the world?"
A simple question, yet the light dimmed and the winds began to howl. Li Mu glanced around, waves of unease forming in his heart. The truth of the world... what an ambiguous thing he thought.
The Patriarch calmly sipped his tea.
Slurrrp!
Thud.
The cup landed on the table. His lips parted.
"Nothing births something."
"Something births one."
"One births two."
"Two births mysteries."
Silence fell like a heavy shroud.
Li Chen raised his head, his eyes sharpening. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a lighter and a cigarette. With zero regard for the sacred atmosphere, he lit a blunt. The pungent smoke blurred reality, mixing with the fading scent of rain and mint.
Puff!
"What are you trying to say?" Li Chen asked through a cloud of smoke.
The Patriarch spared him a single glance, then stood and walked toward the edge of the pavilion, facing the bamboo.
"Do you know why you experienced such a trial?"
Li Qian blinked, her voice steady. "No. Can you tell us why?"
The Patriarch said nothing but pointed toward the darkening sky. "In this world, a plane exists known as..."
CRASH!
Lightning thundered.
"The... Great..."
Clouds swirled; the wind surged into a gale.
"Expanse..."
The heavens seemed to weep as the rain fell, plunging the world into shadow.
"You were sent to the past—to the Ancient Li Clan," the Patriarch continued, his voice cutting through the storm. "That was our ancestral world. A world stolen from us by a being known as..."
"INSIGHT!"
CRASH!
Waves surged within Li Mu's heart, pounding like war drums as the Patriarch's eyes locked onto his. The world seemed to stand still. The wind whistled with the sound of ghost-generals sharpening their blades for a forgotten war. Killing intent bled into the air.
Until...
Cough! Cough!
Li Chen crushed out the blunt. A calm, mocking smile played on his lips. "So, what you're telling me is... a being known as 'Insight' destroyed our clan?"
Thunder roared. The rain intensified.
Li Qian joined in, her eyes narrowed. "If you're telling us this now, it must be out for more than just our ancestral land."
The Patriarch gave Li Mu one last lingering glance and hummed. "Yes. To put it bluntly: it is out to control all sentient beings. But for now, that is all you need to know."
He turned his back to them. "You will be sent to Eldirion, one of the ten thousand worlds in the Great Expanse. There, you will find... The Academy."
Looking up at the raging storm, the Patriarch blinked, then began to walk away into the shadows of the pavilion.
Patter. Patter.
"For now, do what you must. The city is free to explore. May God watch over you."
Thunder!
Chills surged up the trios' spines. Unseen by them, the threads of fate and destiny—once woven—began to unravel and shift toward...
R
E
D.