The ship crashed outside the city of Atlantis.
Qing Ming was the first to arrive. He cut through the burning forest, stepped across the smoking scorched earth, and reached the massive metal wreckage.
There is a person among the wreckage.
No, not one—two. One is dead, charred beyond recognition. The other is still alive, curled in the corner, shivering.
Qing Ming approached cautiously and extended a hand.
The man lifted his head.
At that moment, Qingming froze.
It was a face he had never seen before—not because he hadn't seen beautiful women, but because her eyes held something indescribable. It was an ancient weariness spanning endless ages, yet carried the innocence of a child. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, glowing softly in the firelight.
"Who... who are you?" he asked.
She looked at him and said in broken ancient Atlantean, "My name is... Bi'an."
The other shore.
That was the first time Qingming heard that name. He didn't know it would follow him for the rest of his life, nor did he know he would wait three thousand years because of it.
He brought the other shore back to the temple.
The priests were wary of this unexpected visitor. Her attire, her language, and her eyes all differed from those of humans. Yet Qingming insisted on keeping her.
"She's not an enemy," he said. "I can feel it."
The priests finally relented. After all, Qingming was the child chosen by the gods; his words carried weight.
Bianxi settled in the temple. She learned human language, studied human culture, and gradually integrated into this civilization. Only Qingming knew that a faint sadness occasionally flickered in her eyes—a sorrow not belonging to this era.
One night, they sat once more at the temple's highest point to watch the stars.
"What are you thinking?" Qingming asked.
Looking at the stars, A-Bi whispered, "I'm thinking of my hometown. It's gone."
Qing Ming froze. "Gone?"
Bian An nodded and told him about her past for the first time.
She comes from a civilization older than Atlantis. Once, it flourished beyond measure—conquering countless star systems and creating wonders across the cosmos. But then, they encountered the Eclipseers.
"The Eclipser isn't a civilization; it's a disaster," Bior said. "It consumes everything, reshaping it in its image. It doesn't destroy you—it turns you into one of them. That's how my home vanished."
"How did you survive?"
"I'm the last one," said Bythos. "I used every ounce of strength to escape. But I know they won't let me go. They'll track me here, and then..."
She didn't continue.
Qing Ming fell silent for a long time, then said: "Then let's face it together."
Bian An looked at him, something flickering in his eyes.
"Aren't you... afraid?"
"I'm afraid," Qingming said. "But what good is fear? You said they'll come for us. If we can't hide, then we fight."
Bian An smiled.
It was the first time she truly smiled since arriving on Earth.
In the shadow of the temple, a sinister figure lurks, spying on them. This is an ancestor of the Nightmare Lion—a Moon-Eroder spy skilled in disguise and deception. His mission: to sow discord among humans and create chaos.
"That woman named Higan..." He licked his lips, a vulgar red gleam flashing in his eyes. "She carries the scent of an Enlightener. If we capture her, we can find a way to fight them."
He grinned wickedly and vanished into the darkness, beginning to plot his scheme.