—When Ancient Soul Energy Chooses Its Bearer
"Find all the Cores."
Mr. Kyng shot to his feet, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes blazed—not with fear, but with something far more volatile.
"We will stop the AGI-ST." His gaze swept the room, cutting through doubt, sparking resolve. "But first... we need to find the other seven Cores."
Seven?
Shawn's pulse quickened.
Mr. Kyng turned to him, locking eyes.
"When the nine Cores reunite, we can enter the Rift."
Nine?
A ripple passed through the room. Whispers rose like wind.
"The Thunder Elemental Core—one of the nine—has already surfaced."
For a moment, Shawn couldn't breathe—just stare.
His thoughts scrambled.
The Elemental Cores. The Seal. None of it made full sense—
But one thing was clear:
He was no longer a bystander.
His hands trembled—
No, not trembled. They thrummed.
A strange resonance moved through him.
"Quinn."
A single voice anchored him.
Mr. Kyng leaned forward. His tone was calm, but something unreadable stirred beneath the surface.
The Secretary-General stood upright.
"Go to the central shrine," Kyng said. "Bring back the original Thunder Core Vessel."
Tension swept the chamber.
Shawn tightened his grip on the aged sheet in his hands—
No. Not a sheet.
An artifact.
And somehow, he knew:
A storm was coming. And he stood at its center.
Quinn stepped forward, holding a finely carved wooden box.
Its surface shimmered subtly, as if the carvings whispered secrets from another age.
All eyes turned to the box.
With reverent care, Quinn unlatched it and lifted the lid.
Nestled in black velvet lay a circular pendant—jade and meteorite fused together.
It glowed faintly green.
But what stole Shawn's breath—
was the symbol at its center:
A clean, unmistakable V, encircled by shifting archaic sigils.
He raised the artifact in his hand.
The symbols matched—perfectly.
The truth hit like lightning.
Mr. Kyng stepped forward and lifted the pendant without hesitation. Its glow reflected in his calm, unreadable eyes.
"This," he said, "is the Thunder Core Vessel."
With precise movements, he fastened it around Shawn's neck.
The cold jade touched his skin—
And in that instant, energy surged through him.
A rush—half exhilaration, half dread—flooded his veins.
Something ancient stirred inside him.
Kyng met his gaze.
"From this moment," he said, "you are entrusted with finding the remaining seven Elemental Cores. The fate of both Kepra and Earth may depend on it."
The Thunder Core pressed heavy and solid against Shawn's chest.
His throat tightened.
What had he just stepped into?
What would this mean for his future?
But beneath the weight—
something stirred.
Small.
Quiet.
Unshakable.
Determination.
He gave a slow, steady nod.
There was no turning back.
Quinn stepped closer, offering a rare smile.
"Congratulations, Shawn. You're now officially a member of the Kepra Meta Origin Sect."
Shawn blinked.
Meta Origin Sect?
A memory surfaced—
M-O-S.
Quinn gave a faint nod.
"It's a spiritual lineage that has safeguarded knowledge of the Meta Soul for thousands of years. Despite relentless persecution, it survived."
Something shadowed Quinn's expression.
"On Earth, the Sect was once active. But after 1949, it was officially banned. What remains is mostly an academic front — the Meta-Origin Society. They hold only fragments of our old traditions."
A flicker of urgency passed through Shawn.
Had he stepped into a hidden world that had always been there—beneath the surface of history?
Quinn's voice pulled him back.
"But right now, what matters most are the Elemental Cores."
His tone dropped, steady and sure.
"Long ago, when the Meta Origin Sect was founded, Fuxi—the founder—placed nine Elemental Cores in a Nine Grid formation."
Shawn leaned forward slightly.
"Nine Grid?"
Quinn gave a small smile.
"Think of it like an ancient energy map—nine connected zones, a cosmic blueprint. The Nine Cores were designed to protect humanity's Meta Soul. If reunited, they form the Rift Bridge—a gateway to the other side, where the Meta Soul lies hidden."
His chest tightened.
"So… we can still reach it?"
Quinn's eyes darkened.
"In theory. But over time, humanity chose progress over preservation. To push technology forward, the Cores were sealed away."
He hesitated, then added quietly,
"Only two remain known: the Thunder Core and the Central Core. The other seven… their locations were lost."
Shawn licked his lips.
"So… what now?"
Quinn exhaled slowly.
"Twenty years ago, we sent eight images of the Elemental Cores to Earth, hoping to trace them. But we never heard back."
Shawn's brows furrowed.
"Why?"
Quinn's expression darkened.
"We believe it's tied to CP-Hub's suppression of the Earth Meta Origin Society. CP-Hub is the central authority of one of the Five Great Nations—the eastern superstate. They've tightly controlled anything linked to the Sect."
Shawn felt the jade pendant pressing harder against his chest.
No longer just an artifact—
A responsibility.
Quinn met his gaze.
"The other seven Cores—each has its own unique color and hidden animal pattern."
A shimmer of light flickered.
Before them, eight seal pendants slowly appeared.
Heaven. Earth. Thunder. Wind. Water. Fire. Mountain. Lake.
Each glowed with a distinct, otherworldly hue.
But—one was missing.
The Central Core.
Gone.
Shawn looked down at the pendant resting on his chest—the Thunder Core.
Its emerald glow shimmered faintly, like spring's first light.
And somehow, he knew:
When its power awakened,
a dragon would rise.
Mr. Kyng's voice cut through the air—firm and resolute.
"Find the others. Only then can we enter the Rifts… and reclaim our Meta Souls."
Shawn drew a slow, steady breath.
Excitement surged.
The jade seal pressed against his chest—unfamiliar, but real. For a moment, the hall blurred; the voices faded. He blinked, shaking his head.
Then—
His eyes snapped open.
The wooden desk.
The dim glow of the lamp.
The hum of late-night traffic outside the window.
Shawn sat up, drenched in sweat, pulse still racing—but the room was silent.
His hand moved to his chest.
It was there.
The jade pendant.
Cool. Smooth. No glow. No pulse.
Just an ordinary artifact—
Except he'd never owned anything like it.
He ran his thumb over the carved symbol.
Had it all been a dream?
But the weight felt real.
The details—Quinn's voice, the Nine Grid, the Core patterns—lingered with unnerving clarity.