Chapter Three: A Rebirth of Dreams

High above, several fighter squadrons were on patrol. Their wings bore the insignias of different nations, but on their tail fins, they all shared a common emblem: two intertwined serpents coiled in a spiral, encircled by a wreath of olive branches. The aircraft were the latest, state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighters. A formation of about twenty such jets was considered a significant force in modern military operations.

"Reporting to Svarg headquarters: Alpha Squadron has detected no anomalies."

The radar was empty. The pilots, having arrived as ordered, circled the airspace, seemingly on guard against some unknown threat.

"Fog is beginning to form. Beta Squadron has no findings either. Over."

Another squadron reported in.

"All units, remain vigilant. According to the Director's calculations, the target should appear in this vicinity momentarily." A woman who appeared to be the commander was overseeing the operation from a command post.

Fog? At this altitude? The stratosphere should be free of clouds—this was the greatest anomaly of all. The female commander sensed something was wrong. Just as she was about to issue a warning, a sudden, violent shift occurred in the communication channel.

"We have visual—ahhhhh!" Before the pilot could finish, a scream erupted over the comms, followed by an abrupt silence.

Something had appeared! The pilots entered emergency combat mode, but having never encountered such an enemy, they were at a loss as to how to engage.

A massive black shadow emerged from the rapidly spreading mist, seemingly scanning the patrolling fighter squadrons with what might have been eyes.

Chaos erupted over the radio. Even well-trained pilots could not avoid panic when faced with something that defied common sense. They launched a hasty assault. The creature’s body gradually emerged fully from the mist; it was colossal, its outstretched palm alone the size of a fighter jet. Yet, simple strikes seemed unable to hit the cutting-edge supersonic fighters. The entity seemed to ponder for a moment before firing a strange ray from a position resembling an eye. The targeted fighter exploded instantly.

"It seems they may not be able to hold out," a calm, deep male voice spoke from behind her. "Ziyuan, go prepare for the next phase. I will take over here."

"Director? Why are you here?" Ziyuan, the female commander, turned around, her furrowed brow relaxing slightly. The arrival of the middle-aged man known as the Director seemed to improve the situation.

"I have a deeper understanding of what we are facing than anyone else present... wouldn't you agree?"

The Director’s hair was streaked with gray, and a prominent scar marred his right cheek. He wore a crisp black uniform and stood with rigid, disciplined posture, clearly a man of significant military pedigree. Unlike many officers, however, he carried an air of approachability.

"Understood." Ziyuan saluted the Director.

The Director nodded in return.

"If we fail, we will have no choice but to awaken 'her'."

The order the Director had given her before leaving echoed in her mind. She already knew the mission by heart. She walked to the garage and started a red sports car. Both she and the Director knew that if the weapons of this era could not stop the enemy, a contingency plan was required—one that had been prepared long ago.

Early that morning, Li Jiayi waited at the entrance of Qin Yun’s residential complex to walk to school together; they lived in the same neighborhood.

Li Jiayi’s enthusiasm was well-intentioned, but Qin Yun had intended to have a serious talk with her new friend today to point out some social boundaries.

Yet, in the span of a fifteen-minute walk, the calm, everyday life of Qin Yun and Li Jiayi was about to collapse.

A shrill alarm shattered the ordinary morning. Suddenly, government broadcasts blared from loudspeakers on street corners, and evacuation warnings pinged on the phones of everyone nearby.

"Please proceed to the underground malls for evacuation. I repeat, this is not a drill!"

"Huh? What?!" Li Jiayi and the surrounding pedestrians fell into panic. This was a peaceful era—had a war or terrorist attack suddenly broken out? Qin Yun was at a loss, but Li Jiayi reacted unexpectedly quickly, grabbing Qin Yun and beginning to run.

"Qin Yun, let's go!"

Citizens of Chunqiu City were taught various evacuation drills starting in elementary school, and they had designated shelters. Li Jiayi was naturally familiar with these. The passersby around them quickly regained their composure and began fleeing toward the shelters, as if the citizens were well-practiced in this exact scenario. It was the newcomer, Qin Yun, who looked bewildered.

As the tide of citizens surged, several squadrons of fighter jets and attack helicopters roared overhead.

In the suburbs of Chunqiu City, anti-aircraft guns and tank formations had already been deployed, their barrels aimed at the sky.

"This is..." Qin Yun was stunned. It was a full-scale military mobilization, yet she had heard nothing of it from her father. At that moment, she and Li Jiayi saw a black shadow appear in the high sky, growing larger by the second. Several light trails streaked toward the shadow, followed by violent explosions on its surface.

"It's missiles!" It was Li Jiayi's first time witnessing such weapons outside of television.

But the black shadow continued its descent, seemingly suffering no significant damage despite the sustained barrage from the military. As it drew closer to the ground, the people fleeing below could clearly make out its gaunt, twisted, and blasphemous humanoid form. This monster, which defied human comprehension, caused many to stop in their tracks, frozen in terror.

Qin Yun stood among the paralyzed crowd. She pinched her cheek hard, wondering if she was still in bed and had yet to wake up. What a surreal situation!

The monster began to float in a spread-eagle posture above New Chunqiu City, silently watching the humans below like ants. The humans, in turn, watched this sudden arrival, completely unaware of its intentions.

Alas, how could human minds hope to understand what this blasphemous existence was thinking?

A ray shot from the creature’s head, sweeping across the city. Instant, violent explosions sent people flying! Qin Yun was thrown into the air, her mind blank, surrounded by searing heat. Everything around her seemed to be burning; merciless flames and intense heat consumed the innocent.

In an instant, the images from her dreams merged perfectly with the scene before her.

Li Jiayi grabbed her tightly, pulled her into an embrace, and fell toward the ground.

The sensation of weightlessness and the impact of the landing caused Qin Yun to lose consciousness.