It was a quiet afternoon in a town square. Its name: Instam Belly, a beautiful place, yet still hidden amidst valleys and forests.
A seventeen-year-old young man was sitting on a bench, watching the comings and goings of people, the serene flight of birds, and the sky, clear and blue, sprinkled with clouds soft as cotton.
He was Ji Ao: curious, brave, somewhat shy, but still without a strong or famous name that could be recognized by the people of that place, as if destiny were waiting for the right moment to reveal him.
Suddenly, a loud crash cut through the air, as loud as thunder. But the sky remained clear.
The young man looked around, confused.
"Thunder? With this sky? Or is it something bigger?" he thought.
Before he could delve deeper into the idea, he noticed a figure appearing on the other side of the square.
A tall young woman, dressed strangely, as if she belonged to another time… or another world.
Her face was partially covered by an unusual mask, covering her from the neck, a piece that, at the first moment Ji Ao noticed it, seemed like a hood made of some unknown fabric, but shining like polished metal.
She walked quickly, almost running, as if fleeing from something.
And then four men appeared, emerging like shadows, also wearing eccentric clothes, in an old-fashioned, almost theatrical style.
They surrounded the young woman without hesitation.
She tried to resist, but under the orders of one of them, she was soon subdued and thrown to the ground. Injured, she struggled to get up.
The young man on the bench remained still for a moment. Everything was too strange, almost unreal.
"Who are they? Why are they after her? And why is she wearing a mask?"
Three other young people crossed the square, laughing and talking.
They saw the scene but were not disturbed. They kept walking as if nothing was happening.
But something stirred within the young man. A deep discomfort.
A sense of justice that would not allow him to ignore what he saw.
He stood up, his heart racing.
"Hey! Stop that!" he shouted, running toward the four men.
They turned, surprised, but their faces remained cold, distant.
The young woman, still on the ground, looked at him. Even with the mask, Ji Ao felt in her eyes a silent plea for help.
"Leave her alone!" he said firmly, trying to appear braver than he felt.
There was hesitation. One of them said something, strange, hissing words, like a language made of wind and whispers.
Perhaps they mistook the young man for someone else. Or perhaps they realized he would not give in.
In a swift movement, one of the men threw a small shining object to the ground, like a pulsing crystal, and in an instant, they all disappeared into the shadows of the city.
Ji Ao ran to the young woman with the clear intention of helping her.
She was tall, about 1.80 m, with a slim but firm and defined body, showing hidden strength beneath her fragile appearance.
Her clothes were extravagant, almost from another world, bright and full of strange details.
The mask continued covering her face completely, and Ji Ao could not imagine how she removed it, or if she could.
"Are you okay?" he asked, extending his hand.
She accepted, and he helped her sit on the bench he had previously occupied.
She was breathing heavily. The mask, curiously, seemed part of her face. There was no clasp, no visible fit. It seemed glued to her skin.
"Who were they? And you… where are you from?"
She hesitated. Her eyes, invisible but present, seemed to pierce through time, seeking courage to tell the truth.
"I… am not from here," she murmured, in a low, almost ethereal voice. "I came from a very distant place… and they are hunting me."
The young man blinked, surprised.
"Hunted? Another place? What does that mean?"
His gaze fell on the object left behind. A small stone, subtly glowing.
It seemed to breathe.
"What is this?"
The young woman shrank slightly. Fear returned in her posture.
"This is a Chi'ia stone… more precisely, a fragment of my world. A world they want to dominate… or perhaps they want to destroy it… and me as well."
Ji Ao furrowed his brow, confused and curious, and asked again,
"Where did you say you came from? Who were those men, and why were they attacking you?"
Annoyed, she paused for a moment, carefully choosing her words:
"I already told you, I come from another place. Now, what matters is that we need to get out of here."
Without hesitation, Ji Ao made a decision: he kept the stone in his pocket and, gathering courage, invited the young woman.
"Then let's go. There's a diner nearby. You need to eat something there, they have amazing snacks."
Immediately, he regretted mentioning the snacks; he didn't have much money, but he wanted to do something for her.
They walked together, crossing the square still lit by the afternoon sun. The young woman's figure drew attention wherever they went: tall, with shining clothes and the mask that did not come off.
Some people whispered, others just stared curiously, but Ji Ao only wanted her to feel safe, even if just for a few moments.
Chapter 1 – Part 2
At the Diner
They entered the diner, which was calm at that time of day.
The smell of hot oil and toasted bread filled the air, and the hum of the refrigerator in the background was almost relaxing.
Ji Ao chose the most discreet table in the corner, from where they could observe the street without being exposed.
The young woman sat down slowly, keeping her posture firm even with the visible tiredness in her eyes.
The mask still covered her face, and her hair slipped through the gaps of the mask, straight over her shoulders.
The contrast between her and the ordinary diner environment was striking, as if a character from a fantastical world had been thrown into an everyday scene.
He ordered two simple sandwiches with the little money he had — bread with meat and cheese — and placed them on the table.
She looked at the sandwich with curiosity, picked it up carefully, and took a small bite in silence.
"You can trust it. It's just a sandwich… nothing more," he said, trying to ease the mood.
She looked at the sandwich with a certain curiosity, then picked it up carefully, as if it were something rare.
She took a small bite but ate in silence.
He remained seated in the diner with that tall young woman, still trying to understand everything.
The smell of the freshly prepared sandwich rose as he ate slowly, mixed with the subtle metallic scent of her clothing — a strange, shiny fabric, almost alive.
Ji Ao leaned back on the bench, looking outside for a moment.
The pocket of his jacket weighed slightly with the Chi'i stone he had picked up. He slowly took it out and placed it on the table, between them.
The light pulsed softly, almost alive.
"So…" he began, in a more serious tone, "this strange stone is from your world?"
The young woman nodded, her voice still low, her eyes steady behind the mask:
She looked at him,
"Yes. It is a Chi'ia stone. They exist naturally in special places of my world, and they can also be combined, each one with a purpose. This one is… special. It can open breaches between worlds, but only if activated the right way. In the wrong hands, it can cause a collapse."
Ji Ao frowned.
"Cheia stone? Passages? Like… portals?"
She nodded again, her eyes fixed on the stone.
The faint light pulsed like a slowly beating heart.
"Yes, it connects different times and spaces… or, in more rustic language, it creates temporal rifts.
And it is not Cheia stone, it is Chi'ia stone. (you ignorant human!) But only if activated the right way. And… in the wrong hands, it can cause a collapse," she added.
Ji Ao leaned back on the bench, absorbing the idea.
The responsibility weighed even more on his heart.
The idea of a stone capable of opening portals sounded absurd — and yet, there was something in that light that made him believe.
"Those guys… did they know that?"
The young woman took a while to respond.
When she did, her voice was almost gone:
"They knew. But they don't understand how to use it. They only know what they want… and what they fear."
Ji Ao was silent for a few seconds, looking at her.
"And you? What do you want with this Cheia stone?"
She raised her eyes, and even behind the mask, he felt the weight in her gaze
"I already told you, it is not Cheia stone, it is Chi'i stone… And I want to return before they do. And prevent them from conquering what remains intact and free in my world. And prevent what else may be coming…"
She continued speaking, frightened, as if she could no longer find words to describe her fear.
"And what is coming?"
She hesitated. Looked at the ground. Then answered:
"Something I don't even fully understand myself. But what I can tell you is that if this stone falls into the wrong hands… it won't be only my world that will be in danger."
Ji Ao took a deep breath. The responsibility suddenly weighed in his pocket, even though the stone was no longer there, but rather in his hand.
"Why didn't you stop me? Letting me hold it, doesn't it bother you?"
"Because you picked it up first, and then it chooses. And how it reacted to your touch. This… has never happened before."
A deep silence fell between them, broken only by a distant sound of wind among the trees.
Ji Ao looked at the young woman, trying to understand everything — the stones, her world, the men who pursued her.:
The silence fell between them, broken only by the distant sound of the wind and the movement of the diner.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
She slowly raised her eyes from behind the mask:
"I do. But I cannot say it now. If I say it, you will be hunted too."
Ji Ao felt a shiver. Maybe she was just exaggerating, but still, he decided not to risk it, not at that moment.
So he put the Chi'ia stone back into his pocket. Decided, he knew he would do whatever it took to help her.
One way or another, he would not let that young woman go through that situation alone.
He smiled, blushing, innocent as he was, imagining that maybe in the future… maybe he would even get a little kiss on the cheek, as a reward.
The silence fell between them, broken only by the distant sound of the wind and the movement of the diner.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
She slowly raised her eyes from behind the mask:
"I do. But I cannot say it now. If I say it, you will be hunted too."
Ji Ao felt a shiver, maybe she was just exaggerating, but still he decided not to risk it, not at that moment.
So he put the Chi'ia stone back into his pocket. Decided, he knew he would do whatever it took to help her.
One way or another, he would not let that young woman go through that situation alone.
He smiled, blushing, innocent as he was, imagining that maybe in the future... maybe he would even get a little kiss on the cheek, as a reward.
Suddenly, as if she sensed something, she stretched out her hand without asking permission and took the Chi'ia stone from his pocket.
The stone pulsed in her hand, glowing for a brief moment, as if it recognized her touch. Ji Ao widened his eyes, surprised.
With quick movements, she stored the stone in a secret compartment of her clothing — a hidden space that closed automatically, almost organically.
Without saying anything, she raised her hand to the side of the mask and pressed a specific point. A soft click was heard, and something unbelievable happened: the entire mask changed texture, color, and shape. Now there was a face there — not just any face, but a beautiful one, with soft and realistic features, bright eyes, a delicate nose, and thin, graceful lips.
She looked... human.
Ji Ao blinked several times. Luckily, he found a crumpled bill inside his pocket and ordered another sandwich for her, who seemed hungry.
The girl grabbed a huge piece of the sandwich naturally and ate it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. But it was not. Everything about her exuded mystery. The mask, the clothes, the stone...
Then the diner door opened with a creak, and three figures walked in. Jin, Tom, and Dan — three guys known in the area for being troublemakers and wannabe tough guys. Ji Ao knew them by sight, and that never meant anything good.
Jin pointed with his chin.
"Hey, Ji Ao, what are you doing with a chick like that?" he shouted, laughing loudly. Tom and Dan came right behind, full of sarcasm.
Tom approached and mocked:
"Are you going to share or keep her all to yourself?"
Dan gave Ji Ao a playful shove, but the tone was provocative, almost aggressive. The girl remained silent, looking at them with an empty expression — or maybe an analytical one.
In the blink of an eye, she stood up. With a precise movement, she struck Jin's neck with two fingers, making him stagger back, confused and gasping. Before Tom could react, she spun in a circular motion, executing a perfect sweep that knocked him to the ground with a dry thud.
Dan froze. He looked at his fallen friends and at the woman — still standing, but now with her body slightly trembling. It was subtle, but Ji Ao noticed: she was weak. Those movements had drained her energy in an obvious way.
Dan slowly raised his hands.
"Are you crazy... I didn't see anything, I swear," he said, before running out the door.
Ji Ao was speechless.
"You... how did you do that?" he asked, not knowing if he was scared or fascinated.
She took a deep breath, her eyes now dimmer.
"It's not time for explanations. I need to go."
"I can take you to my house!" he said, still full of concern. "You look weak."
She shook her head firmly.
"No, that's not where I need to be. Come with me."