——[When Ancient Power Chooses Its Bearer]
"The Arcane Cores."
Mr. King surged to his feet, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The words cracked through the silence like a thunderclap.
His voice was sharp, a blade slicing through hesitation.
His eyes blazed—not with fear, but with something far more volatile.
A force that could shatter mountains. Unyielding determination.
"We will stop the AGI-ST." His gaze swept the room, piercing through doubt, igniting resolve. "But first… we need to find the other seven Arcane Cores."
A sharp inhale.
Seven?
Shawn's pulse hammered in his ears.
Then Mr. King turned to him—locked onto him.
"If the nine Cores are reunited, they can awaken the Meta Spirit Key."
Nine?
The room shifted, uneasy whispers surging like a rising tide. Eyes darted. Jaws clenched.
In Shawn's palm, the ancient parchment—yellowed, fragile, worn by time—seemed to pulse with unseen energy.
It had just become the most dangerous thing in the room.
A whisper, laced with awe—
"The Thunder Arcane Core… One of the nine… It's already appeared."
Shawn froze.
His mind raced.
The Spirit Key. The Seal. The Arcane Cores.
He barely understood it all.
But one thing was clear—
He was part of something far bigger than himself.
His hands trembled.
No—
Not trembled.
They resonated.
The lights flickered.
At the far end of the chamber, the screen distorted. Symbols twisted, glitching into chaos.
Shawn's vision blurred.
The room warped—colors smearing into streaks of light and shadow.
For a moment—
He felt like he was falling.
Then—
A single voice cut through it.
"Quinne."
Mr. King leaned forward. His voice was steady, but edged with something unreadable.
The Secretary-General straightened.
"Go to the central shrine."
A pause.
"Retrieve the original Thunder Arcane Core."
The chamber tensed. Even the most composed figures stiffened.
Shawn clenched his fists.
The parchment in his grip pulsed.
No—
Not parchment.
An artifact.
And Shawn knew, deep in his bones—
This wasn't the end.
A storm was gathering.
And he was standing at its heart.
---
Quinne stepped forward, both hands cradling an exquisitely crafted wooden box.
Dim light flickered across the grand hall, casting long, wavering shadows along the walls.
The intricate carvings on the box seemed to shift, whispering secrets of a lost age.
The air was thick with incense and aged wood—a solemn reminder of the moment unfolding.
All eyes locked onto the box.
A hush fell.
Shawn's pulse quickened.
Quinne moved deliberately, unlatched the box, and lifted the lid.
Inside—
Nestled in black velvet—
A circular jade meteorite seal pendant.
It shimmered with an ethereal green glow, pulsing faintly, as if breathing. Ancient engravings traced its surface, whispering of power long forgotten.
But what stole Shawn's breath—
Was the symbol at its center.
An unmistakable V, encircled by archaic sigils that seemed to shift as he stared.
His fingers twitched.
Instinctively, he reached into his pocket, pulling out the aged paper he had carried since the conference. He unfolded it, holding it up to compare.
His heartbeat stumbled.
The patterns were identical.
A sharp inhale.
Realization struck—sudden and undeniable.
The room held its breath.
Mr. King stepped forward. His presence loomed, both commanding and enigmatic.
Without hesitation, he lifted the jade seal pendant, its glow reflecting in his eyes—sharp, unreadable.
"This," he declared, voice steady, "is the Thunder Arcane Core—one of the Nine Arcane Cores."
With measured precision, he placed the pendant around Shawn's neck.
The cold jade pressed against his skin.
A ripple of energy surged through him.
A sensation—half exhilaration, half dread—coursed through his veins.
Something ancient had awakened inside him.
Mr. King's gaze locked onto his.
"From this moment on," he said, "you are entrusted with the search for the remaining seven Arcane Cores. The fate of both Kapteyn's Star and Earth may depend on it."
Shawn swallowed.
The weight of the seal pressed against his sternum like an anchor.
What had he just agreed to?
What did this mean for his future?
Yet beneath the uncertainty—
A spark of something undeniable flickered to life.
Determination.
He nodded.
There was no turning back.
---
Quinne stepped closer, offering a rare smile.
"Congratulations, Shawn. You are now officially a Soul Realm member of the Kapteyn's Star Meta-Origin Sect."
Shawn blinked.
Meta-Origin Sect?
A flash of memory: "M. O. S."
Quinne nodded.
"A spiritual lineage that has safeguarded knowledge of the Meta-Spirit Key for centuries. Despite relentless persecution, it has endured."
A pause. A flicker of something darker in Quinne's expression.
"On Earth, the Sect was once active. But after 1949, it was officially banned. What remains today is an academic front—the Meta-Origin Society. They carry fragments of our traditions but lack access to true Soul Energy cultivation."
Shawn exhaled.
Had he truly stepped into a hidden world that had existed beneath history's surface?
Quinne's voice broke the silence.
"But what matters now are the Arcane Cores."
His tone darkened.
"Twenty years ago, we transmitted eight images of the Arcane Core to Earth in an effort to locate them. However, we received no reply."
A chill crept up Shawn's spine.
"Why?"
"We believe it relates to CP-Hub's ban on the Earth-Origin Society."
Shawn's stomach clenched.
"So… I'm the only one you've contacted?"
Quinne's expression was unreadable.
"Yes. As the bearer of the Thunder Arcane Core, you are the only confirmed Core holder we've been able to locate."
The jade pendant on Shawn's chest suddenly felt heavier.
No longer just a relic—
A responsibility.
Quinne's gaze was steady.
"The other seven Arcane Cores," he said, "each unique in color and hidden animal pattern."
A flicker of light.
Before them—
Eight seal pendants materialized.
Heaven. Earth. Thunder. Wind. Water. Fire. Mountain. Lake.
Each glowed with a distinct, otherworldly radiance.
Yet—one was missing.
The Central Arcane Core.
Gone.
Nowhere to be found.
Shawn's breath hitched.
His eyes dropped to the pendant against his chest—the Thunder Arcane Core.
Its emerald glow shimmered, like the first breath of spring.
And he knew, with a certainty that defied logic
When its power fully awakened—
A dragon would rise.
His pulse thundered.
Mr. King's voice was firm.
"Find the others. Only then can we open the Rifts and reclaim our Primal Souls."
Shawn exhaled.
Excitement surged. So did the crushing weight of expectation.
******
Then—
A shift.
His eyes snapped open.
His room.
His desk lamp flickered. His shirt damp with sweat.
Doubt crept in.
Had it all been a dream?
And yet—
He felt it.
The weight on his chest.
Slowly, he looked down.
The jade meteorite seal glowed.
Pulsing.
Perfectly in rhythm with his heartbeat.
And he knew—
This was only the beginning.