The night hung heavy over the Ravenwatch Border, thick clouds smothering the sky. Thunder muttered in the distance, a grim warning whispered on the wind.
Yao Yi stood at the edge of the wasteland, his eyes fixed on the looming black stone fortress before him. Its walls towered high, moss clutching the ancient stones, and rusted banners flapped with mournful cries.
He drew a slow breath, the damp earth beneath his feet smelling of burnt wood and stale blood.
"This is the true face of the border," he murmured to himself, nerves and a quiet thrill mixing inside.
The spirit-glider descended gently onto a patch of bare ground, stirring dust into the chill air. Guards peeked from the battlements, their eyes sharp and watchful.
"State your name!" A harsh voice called from the ramparts.
Yao Yi squared his shoulders, voice steady: "Yao Yi. Transferred from the Inner Sect. Assigned by the Elder Council."
The guards exchanged glances but said nothing more, silently opening the heavy gates.
Inside, the fortress pressed down on him like a weight. Cracked stone walls, rotting beams, and tattered banners told stories soaked in blood and fire.
He was led to the command hall, where a single flickering lantern illuminated a war map etched with runes.
"So, you're the one with the Ten Sun bloodline?" A scarred man turned to face him, eyes sharp and voice rough.
Yao Yi nodded, heart pounding. "I am."
"Huo Jin. Commander of this border." The man introduced himself. "Your arrival marks the beginning of a calamity."
In the days that followed, Yao Yi struggled to adjust. The guards regarded him with curiosity and distance; older soldiers mocked him as a mere pawn of the elders.
During training, a young guard sneered at the mirror in Yao Yi's hand. "That broken thing won't save you here. Don't think you can flaunt it."
Yao Yi said nothing, clenching the mirror tightly, feeling a faint pulse vibrate through it.
At night, he sat by the window alone, staring into the dark borderlands. A whisper stirred from the mirror, like a murmur on the wind: "Power demands a price…"
The struggle and loneliness gnawed deeper within him.