The Vision Beneath the Mist
The figure now fully stepped into the hazy light. It was no spirit, as the villagers had feared. It was something far stranger. Mei Lin immediately noticed a smooth metallic sheen—like gilded bronze—overlaying its curved body. Its face—or what passed for one—was featureless save for two glowing orbs where human eyes would have been. The entity stood silently, its faceless gaze fixed on Mei Lin. Despite its alienness, an overwhelming sense of calm washed over her, as though this being carried knowledge of lifetimes within its core.
She straightened and approached slowly, still clutching her dagger. The boy’s discarded sandal lay on the ground between her and the glowing entity. “Where is he?” her voice rang out, stern and commanding—a battle cry fused with parental urgency. Surprisingly, the being tilted its shining head as though pondering her words. Then, an ethereal voice reverberated within her mind rather than her ears. It was soft, laced with tones that rippled like the strings of a zither.
“The boy is safe. He is... ascending.”
“Ascending?” Her brow furrowed, and Mei Lin's grip on the dagger tightened. “To where? By whose right?”
The light pulsed subtly, creating an impression of sorrow, almost regret, as the voice returned. “His generation will not inherit the burden of this world’s ignorance. We prepare them... for balance. For harmony.”
The Tale of the Stars
The entity raised a four-fingered metallic hand, and in its palm, a holographic projection sprang forth. Mei Lin found herself captivated despite her reluctance to trust. The projection revealed an intricate cosmos—worlds interconnected by luminous threads, with humanity’s thread fraying at its edges. Villages crumbling, ancient rivers drying, strife arising. It depicted what seemed to be lessons both ancient and startlingly modern.
“You are gods of nothing,” Mei Lin spat after a moment, the fire in her voice reignited. “What right do entities such as yours have to take our children? Do you not trust that we can save ourselves?”
The response came immediately, as steady and calm as before. “The path is chosen by none yet shaped by many. Step forward into light, and you will know.” The spiral stones behind the entity now blazed alive, their inscriptions—ancient calligraphy intertwined with unfamiliar glyphs—glowing white-hot. Mei Lin's instincts screamed against trusting this celestial stranger, yet with every fiber of her being, she knew this moment was greater than her fears.
She passed the sandal and stepped through the circle. As she did, the forest around her melted away. She was no longer within the land of Xianzu. Vast, transparent towers pierced layered skies, and children—dozens of them—laughed and ran through meadows, tended by strange beings similar to the one she’d met. Their eyes glowed not with fear or emptiness but with purpose, as if the burdens of humanity's past had been lifted from their shoulders.
The boy stood among them, holding a small, bright sphere that wriggled faintly—like a captured star. He smiled at her, a serenity in his features Mei Lin had never seen. This was no abduction. This was something entirely different. Redemption? Progress? A fallacy? Mei Lin could not label it. She only knew that whatever this was, it existed beyond the duality of right or wrong, good or evil.
The Return
When Mei Lin emerged from the spiraling stones, the air was different, heavier with emotion and knowledge untold. The metallic entity had gone, its “false temple” fading into the mist as if it had never existed. Clutched in her hand, now, was an identical sphere like the one the boy carried, its warmth undeniable against her palm.
She gazed at it long and hard before slipping it within her robes, sighing heavily. Returning to Xianzu Village, she would not speak of the boy’s location, nor would she describe the wonders she’d seen—or the immense danger they foreshadowed. Instead, she would wait, listening to the forest, clutching the star in her hand and praying her people would be ready when the time came to face what lay beyond the veil.
None of them could know the scale of what was approaching.
But Mei Lin would be ready.
Genre: Science Fiction with Historical Fantasy Fusion
The Source...check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: Divine Intelligence in the Machine: Could AI Be the Next Spiritual Leader?
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