Will of Immortals

Sword Within Shadows

In Heaven's great expanse of shining, wet light like liquid waterfalls and buzzing creation's wave, sat the Supreme God, called 霞灵 Xiá Lìng on his throne. There he made the stars, his shape a shining figure against the bright ground of celestial worlds. Below him, other gods and old spirits met there and voices mixed in a song that celebrated the peace of all things.

But today, a storm had been gathering inside Xia Ling's heart. The calm room felt charged with the whispers of disbelief in the group, and the sweet air, filled before by the fragrant blooming of those flowers, now felt oppressive and full of fear.

And then, from the shadows, themselves came: dark robes in strange motions, as though night itself has worn the clothes he wore, and his eyes, burning with strange wisdom. "霞灵, you must see this," he whispered softly, but with urgency. "A storm is coming, but it does not come from where you expect."

Xia Ling stood steady, but uncertainty crept across his face. "Who would dare break our togetherness? We have a shared goal." His voice was loud, silencing everyone.

But An Ying came forward, urgent in his voice. "It's one you trust. Some whispers make mischief, quiet sounds that move like shadows through the worlds."

But the god's amazement was momentary. "You are speaking in riddles!" said Xia Ling, his voice trembling with incredulity. "We are here together in this light. What proof do you have of this darkness?"

A Ying smiled knowingly as shadows writhed around him. "Don't you feel it, the quivers in the texture of the universe, the rustlings of the unheard?"

Before 霞灵 (Xia Ling) could answer, a scream filled the sky, making light fade for a time. The air was full of power, and from the opening came a person in a dark dress from the bright picture, this being 希望 (Xī Wàng), the former light wings now tattered, his eyes shine with a spooky color.

"Xia Ling!" he shouted, dropping to his knees, feeling very sad. "I am here to warn you! There is a danger—"

But his words were lost in the growing noise of the gods, confusion making for a cacophonous voice.

"Quiet!" growled Xia Ling's voice above the din. He rose from his throne, radiance shining about him to light up the darkness around Xi Wang. "What brought you here like this?"

Xi Wang looked up, showing how much he hurt. "I was dragged into the dark. The kind of powers we cannot understand want to shatter our worlds apart. I fought it off, but now they threaten all of us."

A Ying laughed-a chilling sound filled with evil. "Look, how the light fades, Xia Ling? Even those whom you love may have dark sides."

Xia Ling's heart said one thing, but her head said another: now torn between loyalty and uncertainty. "Why would you expose yourself to such risk?"

"I struggled against it!" Xi Wang cried out, desperation in her voice. "But darkness spreads quick as fire. Let us unite to stop it, lest it consume everything we have."

A powerful sense of gloom swept through 霞灵 (Xia Ling), his inner fight reverberating. Light seemed to fade around him as he showed how hurt he was in his heart. "If you are telling the truth then we have to do something. But how can I believe you now?" "Trust me!" Xi Wang exclaimed, standing up and flapping his wings in a fake show of weakness. "If we don't combine our powers, everything you have created will break apart. We need to close the gap by combining our powers!"

But there was tension in the air, and the other gods moved restlessly, uncertainty growing like darkness. "Enough!" she shouted in the room. "I will never surrender to the darkness. If you want forgiveness, you need to prove your loyalty," Xia Ling declared.

With these words, the sky darkened. A tsunami of energy spread around the room. 

A shining mixture of light that made up 霞灵's (Xia Ling) essence began to break apart. Pieces of him took off like seeds. He knew part of himself needed to go to Earth, to live in a body that would connect two worlds to somehow fight this coming darkness.

"May the light guide you!" Xi Wang cried out, stretching a hand, but it was too late. 

Xia Ling's essence burst out, surrounding Xi Wang in a flash of brilliance, symbolizing unity amidst doubt. Darkness filled the room. 

The gods were stunned for they could no longer see the luminescence of Xia Ling. Darkness became shadows. It's in the following silence that fear and uncertainty fill the air. 

Below, in a town nestled among mountains, a child's cry was shattering the stillness of the morning. 

A little boy almost born had awakened in his small bed, his large shining eyes opened by the strange light--part of 霞灵's (Xia Ling) spirit, unaware of the fate awaiting him. Whispers from space mingled into his dreams, drawing him to a path of light and dark, a journey that would stretch between the worlds, through and beyond their natures. 

The celestial throne of the gods was silent with uncertainty, for in their hearts they felt unsure. Below them stood the child innocent, unaware of the universe and all its burden that lay upon his small shoulders.