Dawn of a New Age

Prologue (Part I): Diverging Fates

Disclaimer(s): None of the image(s) used in this chapter belongs to me. The Pixiv or Twitter source(s) will be linked underneath each image if available or unless it is from an official source.

Word Count: 15.5k Words

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Bohai City

The radiant sun rose above the horizon, painting the skies a bright orange and a very light fuchsia the farther the sky was from the day star. The ocean regained its rich blue color with the arrival of the grand star. It seemed to be a cloudless day, a premonition of the perfect sunny day for the people of Bohai City.

To be brutally honest, the city was a dump of a place to live, prone to Honkai attacks, but the people made the best of what is considered a terrible living condition.

A young girl can be seen lightly jogging down one of the many dirt trails. Her bluish-purple hair swayed wildly from her running stride and her blue eyes stared straight ahead in concentration.

She was completely immersed in her morning run, taking only small breathers when she needed to and as to not disrupt her practiced rhythm.

Minutes pass before she finally sees a house standing alone and away from the robust city.

It was a small, humble household with dry white paint and a wooden porch that hardly kept itself together even with the years of care provided by the owner.

A small smile graces her mouth as she goes up to the door and knocks on it, jogging in place to keep the adrenaline pumping.

The door opens to reveal an older woman with (H/C) hair and gorgeous (E/C) eyes that shone with delight, seeing who their visitor was.

A faint aroma of brewed tea can be detected, sending a wave of relief through the girl's body and calming her nerves, something she greatly appreciated after an intense morning workout.

"Oh! Early in the morning as always, Hua. I wish my son had your dedication."

"Good morning, Ms. Aisha! Is (Y/N) up early today?" Hua greeted the older lady, a smile on her face for the woman who she thought of as a dear friend.

She was always greeted with open arms whenever she came over and never once shunned away. The pair shared a close relationship with the more inexperienced of the two coming for advice and wisdom while the lonely mother was rewarded with Hua's company.

"Oh, you know I would be much happier if you just dropped the 'Ms.' part, Hua. Anyways, my son is never awake at this time, you know that, so why don't you come in and have some tea with me until he wakes up?"

Hua enters the household with a small nod, taking her shoes off at the entrance and tucking them neatly off to the side.

She was about to follow her friend's mom but stopped to look at a framed picture of the family that owned the land she was on. In the photograph, she sees (Y/N) and Aisha, happily smiling together - just the two of them.

She could never muster the courage to ask about her significant other -if she had any- and decided that it was probably for the better if she didn't know.

The girl goes to the living room where she sees Aisha sitting at the round oak-wood table, surrounded by chairs made of the same solid material.

Hua crosses through the room and joins the kind lady at the table where she is then poured a cup of morning tea.