Lucian tightly grasped Rover's hand. " Rover, if I come out covered in wrinkles… you won't disdain me, right?"
Rover: "As long as we can stop the turbulent flow of time, that won't happen."
Changli watched their intertwined hands, her thoughts unreadable.
Changli: "Lucian is the variable in this journey. Even I cannot fully predict how it will end."
"But I will walk with you—as your guide, as your ferryman."
"Where the final piece lands… will ultimately be your choice."
In Changli's original plan, Rover and Jinhsi would face the Sentinel in a decisive battle.
But now, with Lucian as an unforeseen factor, she could no longer foresee the outcome.
Though she disliked such unpredictability, Lucian's involvement might just yield unexpected results…
A few days earlier, City Hall.
Changli emerged from the shadows.
"So… what did Scar tell you about 'Jué'?"
Jinhsi took a deep breath, her gaze resolute.
"…'Jué' prophesied that a battle between us is inevitable."
"This battle will determine the future of Jinzhou."
Changli raised a brow slightly. "How… unexpected."
"Where was the last place you sensed 'Jué'?"
Jinhsi frowned. "Mt. Firmament."
"Unlike present-day Jinzhou, that mountain remains in a state of 'stagnation,' untouched by time."
Understanding dawned on Changli. "The first place 'Jué' appeared was also the original home of Jinzhou's people… I see."
Long ago, some of Mt. Firmament's inhabitants left for the central plains, building the Jinzhou of today.
Others remained behind.
Jinhsi: "I am the Magistrate chosen by 'Jué'."
"Perhaps what 'Jué' wishes me to understand is not that we are destined to clash, but that this battle carries the weight of Jinzhou's future."
"Regardless, my path remains unchanged—to act according to my conscience and fulfill my duty as Magistrate."
Changli nodded faintly, a soft chuckle escaping her. "Is that so?"
Jinhsi met her gaze firmly.
"From the slightest tremor to the foundations of a mountain—wasn't that your teaching to me, Changli?"
"This time, I must go alone."
Changli sighed inwardly. The young Magistrate who once followed her, declaring in a childlike voice that she wished to see a "peaceful golden age," had truly grown.
"Since we've reached the midgame, this move… shall be yours to make."
"This time, I will be your pawn, Jinhsi."
"No matter how different this crisis is from those before, I will always stand by your side."
Jinhsi's eyes burned with determination. "…Who can truly say who is the player and who is the pawn?"
"Regardless, I will do what I must."
As these thoughts passed through her mind, the drizzle gradually lightened.
"The rain is letting up. It should clear soon."
"It's time we set off."
A wooden boat waited by the shore.
Changli stepped aboard first.
Lucian and Rover exchanged a glance before following.
The mist over the sea blurred their sense of direction.
Visibility was so low that even the distant Loong's Ridge was barely discernible.
Seeing this, Lucian finally understood the disorientation experienced by those who had tried to find Mt. Firmament before.
The boat drifted like a leaf upon the vast sea, moving slowly forward.
The cries of seabirds echoed around them.
Changli sat across from them, eyes lightly closed, holding 'Under the Umbrella,' calm and composed.
When the boat reached a certain point, both Lucian and Rover shuddered as a strange frequency pulsed through them.
The pain was fleeting but sharp, like a sudden tear.
Lucian's vision blurred.
From across the boat, Changli's lips parted softly.
An unfamiliar melody spilled forth, her voice waxing and waning as the white mist thickened before their eyes.
Lucian called out, but there was no reply.
He turned instinctively, only to find the space beside him empty.
The mist grew denser, swallowing his vision whole.
Then, even the gentle rocking of the boat beneath him vanished.
Realizing something was wrong, Lucian stood abruptly.
He looked around—nothing but endless white, his ears filled with dead silence.
On the other side of the mountain, the sun peeked through the clouds and mist, casting a guiding light upon the boat's path.
As visibility returned, Rover realized Lucian was gone.
Changli turned at her words. Only the two of them remained on the boat.
As they reached the shore and stepped onto land, Rover's expression darkened.
Changli's eyes narrowed. This was unforeseen.
"Amidst such thick mist, who could make someone vanish without a trace…?"
As Changli pondered, Rover grew restless. "I'm going back for him."
Changli shook her head. "No."
She had anticipated Rover's concern for Lucian.
But right now, the enemy lurked in the shadows while they stood exposed.
Moreover, that sea mist was not something one could enter and exit at will.
Otherwise, so many explorers wouldn't have been lost within it over the years.
She suspected Lucian had already been transported elsewhere.
"This is Mt. Firmament, but we must pass through the mist to truly enter the time-flow barrier."
"Try contacting him through the terminal. See if he responds."
Rover steadied herself and nodded, pulling out the terminal to call Lucian.
Seconds passed—no answer.
Her expression darkened again. Lucian had been right beside her, yet she hadn't sensed a thing.
After a moment of thought, Changli spoke. "The variable has triggered an unforeseen event. We must be prepared."
"Now is the test of your trust in each other." For original chapters go to novel{f}ire.net
"Our journey to Mt. Firmament has only just begun. If you trust him enough…"
"I believe Lucian has the strength to crush any enemy in his path."
"And I believe, once he handles these troubles, he will reunite with you along the way."
Changli now suspected the Fractsidus' involvement.
As the organization that had imprisoned the Sentinel, they would not want outsiders interfering with their plans—no matter what outcome they sought.
But… who among them possessed such means?
Changli had no leads yet.
Rover shot her a cold glance before wordlessly striding toward Mt. Firmament.
Though her steps betrayed urgency.
Changli smiled faintly and followed.
The white mist had dissipated, replaced by endless darkness.
A chill crept over Lucian's feet. He looked down—the boat was gone.
Shallow water lapped at his ankles, its surface dyed crimson by an eerie red moon hanging low in the sky.
A cold hand settled on his shoulder.
Lucian summoned the Yamato and whirled around.
A familiar yet unfamiliar shade of red filled his vision.