---
**Morning — Cloud Vein Sect Outer Quarters**
Zeravon sat at the edge of his wooden bed, staring at the floor.
His fingers trembled, not from fear — but confusion. He had woken up feeling… **wrong**.
Not ill. Not weak.
Just… **changed**.
> *"My wounds… they're gone."*
> *"That field… was it real?"*
He rubbed his temples.
No memories. Just **echoes**.
Flashes of gold. Screams he never heard. Darkness he never feared.
And above all — a pair of **his own eyes** staring at him, while he floated… above himself.
---
**Elsewhere — Whisper Pavilion**
Elder Lin's fingers moved through ancient jade scrolls. Instructor Wei stood behind him.
> "Five outer disciples vanished in one night. No traces. No Qi residue. Nothing," Wei said grimly.
> "You saw him, didn't you?" Lin asked.
> "Yes. Calm. Quiet. Serene. Too serene."
> "He's not just powerful," Lin murmured. "He's… *out of alignment with the Dao.*"
Wei frowned.
> "What does that even mean?"
> "It means the Dao doesn't **guide** him… it **follows** him."
---
**Back to Zeravon – Courtyard Walkway**
Zeravon stepped outside, stretching lightly.
Everything looked normal… but he could feel it.
**Fear.**
**Avoidance.**
Eyes that wouldn't meet his gaze.
Even his few "friends" in the sect acted strangely now.
> "Morning, brother!"
> "Uh… I have to go…"
> "Sorry! Duty calls!"
Zeravon blinked.
> *"Did I… do something?"*
As he passed by a reflective stone, his shadow didn't match his step.
He froze.
Turned around.
The shadow moved **a second late**.
---
**Later — Personal Practice Area**
Zeravon tried cultivating again, sitting under a pine tree. His breath steady, his Qi flow normal… at first.
But then, the surrounding grass began to grow wildly. The air bent in circles. A nearby insect **froze mid-air**, no longer obeying time.
> *"No. No no no… stay calm. Stay in the body. Don't go beyond…"*
He focused his mind inward.
But there it was.
**A second presence.**
Sleeping.
Breathing.
Smiling.
And then… a voice.
> *"You felt it too, didn't you?"*
Zeravon's eyes snapped open.
But no one was there.
Except a strange mark on his palm — a black spiral that hadn't been there yesterday.
It pulsed once — like an **eye blinking shut.**
---
**That Night – Dreamscape**
Zeravon floated in a pitch-black void.
Before him stood himself — identical in every way, except the eyes.
The "other" Zeravon had **void instead of pupils** — infinite, cold, and timeless.
> "Who are you?" Zeravon asked.
The other tilted its head.
> *"I am what you locked away."*
> *"And now… you're the key."*
Then he walked forward, **merged** into Zeravon's chest — and suddenly…
Zeravon stood back in the same black dimension from before.
Except this time, it wasn't empty.
Bones lay scattered.
Crimson mist hovered.
Voices screamed in reverse.
And in the distance…
**A throne made of mirrors.**
---
**Morning — Sect Mess Hall**
Zeravon sat quietly, sipping plain tea.
A senior disciple approached him.
> "You're… Zeravon, right? Did you… see Fan Yu last night?"
Zeravon raised an eyebrow.
> "Fan Yu?"
> "He was seen walking with you. You were the last…"
Suddenly, the disciple paused.
His eyes glazed over.
He dropped his teacup.
> "Wh… who was I talking about?"
Zeravon stared in horror.
The disciple didn't even remember his own **question.**
> *"What… did I do?"*
---
**Elsewhere – Unseen Realm**
A being wrapped in silken shadows floated above a golden lake.
> "It's begun," it whispered.
> "The eyes never closed."
> "The second consciousness… is no longer sleeping."
Another figure stepped from the void.
> "Shall we intervene?"
The first being shook its head.
> "Not yet. If we touch him now… we vanish."
> "For now, let the world fear the *Unknown Zeravon*."
---