A Journey Through Time's Fragments
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After years of collecting time fractures, Lang Xian and the child—now known as Jiu—had become wandering masters across scattered worlds. Jiu, now twelve years old (though his power rivaled centuries of wisdom), possessed a unique ability: he could see the threads of time as a glowing web stretching through the void. Together, they traveled in a spaceship forged from the bones of mythical creatures, pulled by butterflies made of black light.
On one of their journeys, they reached the Realm of the Dancing Crystal, where planets were crystalline cubes colliding in a musical rhythm, and the sky resembled the canvas of a mad artist. There, they encountered the Forgotten Time Shaman—an ancient being with six arms, each holding hourglasses that showed the ages of the universes.
Shaman: (in a voice like ticking clock hands)
"The heir bears a double-edged blade... it will either sever the past or doom the future."
Jiu didn't understand, but Lang Xian knew—it was a warning about the boy's growing and uncontrollable power.
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First Revelation: Jiu and the Cursed Mirror
In the heart of the crystal realm, they found the Mirror of the First Time, a legendary artifact that showed the darkest nightmares of those who gazed into it. Driven by childlike curiosity, Jiu looked—and saw:
A version of himself as a dark god erasing worlds with a touch.
Lang Xian dead by his own hands, while the ancient black shadow laughed.
Lian Hua alive in a parallel universe, desperately trying to reach him.
The shock triggered an eruption of Jiu's powers, unleashing a cosmic quake that split the crystal planet in two. Lang Xian, with the help of his bone sword, carried him away as the mirror shattered—releasing souls imprisoned since the dawn of time.
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Return to the Village: Old Wounds Bleed Anew
Lang Xian decided to return to the new village for rest, only to find it surrounded by golden thorn fences. Kira, leader of the old rebels, awaited them with an army of living ruins.
Kira: (her metallic eye glinting like a dagger)
"This village is no longer yours... Jiu is a ticking bomb."
It became clear that Jiu's presence was attracting shadow creatures from dead universes. The villagers, though once grateful, now feared the boy. For the first time since his return, Lang Xian felt powerless... How could he protect Jiu while the world feared him?
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Night Confrontation: Shadows from an Undead Past
At midnight, as Jiu practiced controlling his powers in the forest, he was ambushed by Shadow Wolves—twisted versions of the old Lang Xian. This time, the wolves bore strange symbols on their foreheads... the same symbol marked Jiu's own.
Lang Xian: (fighting fiercely while shouting)
"Don't unleash your power! They're part of you!"
But Jiu, terrified, released a wave of golden and black energy, annihilating the wolves... and tearing part of the forest into alternate dimensions.
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Dark Dialogue: Confessions in the Cave of Forgetting
They fled to a cave where Lang Xian's buried memories hid. On the walls, carvings displayed all his past atrocities.
Jiu: (staring at an image of a village massacre)
"Were you... a monster like them?"
Lang Xian: (his voice heavier than the cave stones)
"Worse... But you're not me. You have a choice I was never given."
Jiu didn't answer. But a black tear fell from his eye—turning into a butterfly, devoured by the cave's shadows.
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The Mysterious Disappearance: The Power That Steals the Father
By morning, Lang Xian awoke alone. Jiu had vanished, leaving behind a message written in golden blood:
"I'm going to find my mother... don't follow me."
Lang Xian searched every known universe. The only trace was a black butterfly fluttering at the edge of a sealed time rift.
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Terrifying Ending: A Voice from the Dead
When he tried to open the rift, he heard Lian Hua's voice for the first time since her death:
"Save him... before he becomes what you once fled from."
But hers wasn't the only voice... The Black Shadow—Lang Xian's evil counterpart—emerged from the rift, holding an unconscious Jiu.
Black Shadow: (laughing as the ground cracked beneath them)
"The final game begins... Who will sacrifice? The father... or the son?"
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And in a distant village where fate is spun anew, black butterflies began to gather around a newborn child... with golden eyes.