novelzi Chapter 3: Blossoming Bonds and Hidden Truths
Chapter 3: Blossoming Bonds and Hidden Truths
The Forbidden Forest was vast, ancient, and brimming with untamed energy. Its towering trees stretched endlessly, their thick canopies casting golden streams of light upon the moss-laden ground. Long Tian, now five years old, had grown stronger, faster, and more in tune with the world around him. Yet, for all his growth, he remained blissfully unaware of the human world beyond the dense trees that encased his home.
Today, however, would mark the beginning of a great change.
As the first rays of dawn painted the sky in hues of pink and orange, Long Tian sat cross-legged on a flat boulder, mimicking the meditative stance Xue had taught him. The golden-eyed boy breathed in deeply, his small body pulsing faintly with an unrefined yet potent energy.
A soft chuckle disrupted his concentration. He opened his eyes and turned his head, expecting to see the majestic forms of his two mothers Xue, the radiant Phoenix, and Feng, the mighty Dragon. But instead, standing before him were two breathtakingly beautiful women.
One had long, flowing crimson hair that shimmered like fire, her golden eyes holding an otherworldly warmth. Her delicate features carried an air of regality, and a vibrant red robe hugged her slender frame. This was Xue, but in human form.
Beside her stood a tall woman with silver-white hair cascading down to her waist, her sky-blue eyes sharp like a predator’s. A long, flowing blue robe accentuated her ethereal beauty. Her presence exuded a natural dominance that made the world seem smaller in her wake. This was Feng, transformed into human form.
Long Tian blinked in confusion. “Who...?” he began, his voice soft and uncertain.
Feng smirked, crossing her arms. “What, have you already forgotten your mothers, little Tian?”
Xue knelt down and gently cupped his cheeks. “We decided it was time for you to see a different side of us.”
Long Tian reached out hesitantly, touching Xue’s face. It was warm, like the gentle heat of a sunlit stone. Then he turned to Feng and poked her arm, earning an amused scoff from the Dragon Queen.
“But... you’re not beasts anymore?” Long Tian tilted his head, his innocent golden eyes filled with curiosity. He had never questioned their true forms before; to him, they had simply been his family.
Xue chuckled. “We can take many forms, but deep down, we are always the same.”
Each morning, he would meditate by the lake with Xue, learning how to sense the ebb and flow of energy within himself. In the afternoon, Feng would toss him into the river and force him to swim against the current, claiming that “a true warrior never lets the elements control him.”
Though the training was intense, Long Tian never complained. He loved spending time with his mothers, even when Feng’s methods made him question whether she was secretly trying to drown him.
As the sun set each day, they would sit together by a roaring fire, and Long Tian would listen to their stories of the ancient past. He still knew nothing of the human world, but in his heart, he felt no need to. His world was here, with them.
One fateful night, under a sky painted with countless stars, Long Tian sat between Xue and Feng, gazing up at the heavens.
“Tian’er,” Xue murmured, “one day, you will have to make a choice.”
Feng leaned back on her hands. “To stay here forever... or to step beyond the forest.”
Long Tian blinked. “But why would I leave?”
Xue’s golden eyes softened. “Because the world outside is vast, and fate may call you beyond these trees.”
Feng smirked. “And when that day comes, you better be strong enough to survive it.”
Long Tian did not understand their words fully, but something about them made his chest feel heavy. For now, though, he pushed the thought away.
He was happy here. He was safe. And as far as he was concerned, the outside world did not exist.
But fate... fate always had a way of changing everything.