SWALLOWED STAR FANFIC

It was a cold winter afternoon in Three Mountain City, nestled within the Southeast Province. The streets of Three Mountain Plaza, located in the bustling southern suburbs, were alive with movement. Students hurried to and fro, their hurried footsteps echoing across the wide stone paths. Amidst the sea of vibrant youth, a young man with a slightly pale complexion moved forward with steady steps, his expression calm and unreadable, like a lone boat drifting silently upon a restless sea.

His name was Luo Feng. Twenty years old, he was currently studying Business Administration at a prestigious university in China. His clothing was simple in color—plain blacks and greys—but each piece was immaculately clean, presenting a refreshing and disciplined impression. Yet, no matter how well-dressed he appeared, he still seemed somewhat out of place among the more fashionably adorned citizens of the city. As he walked, he could feel the weight of curious glances falling upon him—some laced with interest, others tinged with subtle disdain, as if trying to unravel the contradiction he presented.

Luo Feng’s early life had been shaped by tragedy and perseverance. His parents, once brilliant figures in their fields, had died in a plane accident when he was merely three years old. Orphaned at such a young age, he was raised by his grandfather, a stern yet kind-hearted man who instilled in him the values of discipline and humility. For years, they lived together in a modest home, away from the grandeur that his parents’ inheritance could have easily afforded. However, when Luo Feng was fifteen, his grandfather’s health began to fail. The decline was slow but inevitable, and by the time Luo Feng reached sixteen, his grandfather had passed away, leaving him to face the world alone.

Following the loss, Luo Feng accessed the inheritance his parents had left behind—vast wealth and a mansion that had once been the pride of his family. It was a place his grandfather had often spoken of with bittersweet fondness, a symbol of happier times before tragedy struck. Among the belongings passed down to him, one item stood out more than any other: a small, intricately designed tower-shaped pendant. A family heirloom, it had originally belonged to his father, and though it was meant to be passed down at a later time, fate had dictated otherwise.

Lost in a labyrinth of memories, Luo Feng did not notice the speeding truck careening toward him. By the time his senses screamed in alarm, it was already too late. The world became a blur of sound and motion as the heavy vehicle struck him with brutal force. His body was sent flying, crashing onto the cold pavement with a sickening thud. Pain flared through every fiber of his being, sharp and unforgiving, but only for a fleeting moment. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision, swallowing his consciousness whole.

When awareness returned, he found himself standing within an endless expanse of white. The ground and sky melded into one, featureless and infinite. Before him, a nine-story tower floated majestically, its form wreathed in a soft golden radiance that seemed to pulse with life. Luo Feng stared, his mind struggling to comprehend the impossibility before him. Before he could gather his thoughts, the space around him began to shift and reform.

From the void beneath the floating tower, a staircase slowly materialized, each step shimmering into existence as if woven from light itself. Without understanding why, Luo Feng felt his body move forward, drawn by an invisible force. He climbed the staircase, reaching the grand entrance of the tower. The moment he crossed the threshold, the scenery transformed. No longer was he in a blank, white expanse. Now, a vibrant green field stretched out before his eyes, impossibly vast, like a dream without end. A breeze laden with the scent of blooming flowers brushed past him, and for a fleeting moment, he felt weightless, as though the very laws of reality had loosened their grip.

In a blink, Luo Feng was transported once more. The lush fields vanished, replaced by a breathtaking vista. He stood before a palace so grand that even the wildest imaginations of men could scarcely conceive it. Towering walls adorned with intricate carvings rose toward the heavens, each surface gleaming with gold and studded with gemstones that captured the light and reflected it in dazzling hues. The architecture was at once ancient and divine, a masterpiece of design that seemed to exist beyond the confines of mortal craftsmanship. As he took a hesitant step forward, a soft melody filled the air, its gentle notes wrapping around him like a warm embrace, steadying his battered spirit.

Gathering his courage, Luo Feng surveyed the surreal surroundings, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and awe. Just as he pondered his next move—whether to find a way out or to understand the meaning of this dreamscape—his gaze fell upon a figure near the palace entrance. A woman, poised and graceful, sat sipping tea from a delicate porcelain cup. She exuded an aura of serenity and command, her very presence making the magnificent palace seem like a mere backdrop to her beauty. She was, without doubt, the most beautiful woman Luo Feng had ever seen, her existence radiating a mystery as deep as the cosmos.

Drawn by an irresistible pull, Luo Feng took a cautious step toward her. Her eyes, sharp and clear as polished gems, shifted to meet his, and for a brief, electric moment, the world around them seemed to fade into insignificance. After a moment of silent observation, the woman gestured toward an empty chair before her, an invitation issued with effortless grace. Without a word, Luo Feng accepted and seated himself. She poured him a cup of tea, the fragrant steam curling into the air, carrying with it a scent so pure and invigorating that it seemed to reach into the very depths of his soul.

Without questioning further, Luo Feng accepted the porcelain cup with both hands and brought it to his lips. The first sip sent a wave of sensations crashing over him. It was smooth, rich, and impossibly profound, each drop carrying a weight that words could never encapsulate. Despite being heir to one of the wealthiest family legacies on Earth, despite having tasted the finest wines and rarest delicacies in hidden corners of the world, Luo Feng had never encountered anything even remotely comparable to the tea he now drank. Wealth and power paled before the simple, overwhelming perfection of it.

Finishing the last of the tea, Luo Feng placed the cup gently on the table and lifted his gaze to meet the woman’s eyes. Questions burned in his mind, but before he could utter a single word, she smiled—a smile filled with ancient secrets—and finally broke the silence. Her voice was as smooth as the breeze over a calm lake, melodic and entrancing.

“Hello, I am Eve, the spirit of the treasure you saw before arriving here.”

Luo Feng blinked, stunned by the revelation. “I’m Luo Feng. Nice to meet you, but… I don’t understand what you mean,” he said, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.

Eve did not offer an immediate explanation. Instead, she raised her hand, and from her slender fingertips, a golden orb of light began to condense. It hovered for a heartbeat before shooting forward, piercing straight into the space between Luo Feng’s eyebrows.

The pain that followed was excruciating. Luo Feng clutched his head as a searing agony wracked his mind. Images, sounds, concepts far beyond earthly comprehension flooded his consciousness, tearing apart the very fabric of his understanding and reshaping it anew. His body trembled violently, his vision blurring as waves of knowledge pounded into him without mercy.

Minutes stretched into an eternity. When at last the deluge of information ceased, Luo Feng sat frozen in place, his breathing ragged, his limbs numb. The sheer magnitude of what he had just received left him reeling, every corner of his being saturated with truths he had never imagined.

Even after the flow of knowledge ended, it took him another ten minutes to fully digest the reality that had just been thrust upon him.