NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Call of the Aeons
The Astral Express soared through the vast expanse of the cosmos, its course set toward the next waypoint. Stars stretched infinitely in all directions, each one a beacon of history, a world untouched or long forgotten.
Zhongli stood near a window in the parlor car, watching as the void passed him by.
Despite all he had seen in Liyue, despite the millennia he had spent walking the land he once ruled, the boundlessness of the universe was something entirely new to him.
"An existence without borders…" he mused internally.
Liyue had been built upon the principles of contracts, of order. But here, in the vast openness of space, what bound the stars together?
Behind him, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
"You're deep in thought again."
He turned slightly. Welt Yang approached, his steps slow and measured, as if carefully considering his words.
Zhongli gave a small nod. "This world—no, this entire universe—operates on a different set of laws than my own. And yet, certain principles remain unchanged."
Welt took a seat nearby. "Principles such as?"
Zhongli folded his arms. "Power, influence, the unspoken contracts that bind civilizations together. I have seen such things in Liyue, and I see them here among the stars as well."
Welt adjusted his glasses. "You're speaking of the Aeons."
Zhongli's golden eyes flickered.
Yes. The Aeons.
Entities that wielded power beyond comprehension. Beings that could shape the very fabric of reality.
It was not unlike how Celestia loomed over Teyvat—distant, untouchable, dictating the laws of existence from above.
And yet… Zhongli felt something different about the Aeons.
"I have heard much about them since my arrival," he admitted. "Yet, I have never encountered one directly."
Welt gave a knowing smile. "Perhaps you will, in time. After all, it seems fate has already taken an interest in you."
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The Weight of Fate
Later that evening, as the crew prepared for their next destination, Zhongli felt it.
A presence.
Something vast, something watching.
It was subtle at first—an unshakable sense of being observed. Not by human eyes, nor by any physical entity.
This was different.
"So, you have finally noticed me."
The voice resonated through his mind, carrying no sound, yet undeniable in its presence.
Zhongli narrowed his eyes, his stance instinctively firming. "Who are you?"
The air shimmered, and for the first time since arriving in this universe, he saw it.
A celestial figure, vast and boundless, its form shifting between incomprehensible shapes. It was neither human nor beast, neither light nor shadow.
An Aeon.
"You are not of this world, and yet, you stand among its chosen travelers. Tell me, Morax—do you seek to understand the path of the stars?"
Zhongli's expression remained unreadable. "I do not follow blindly. But I will not turn away from knowledge."
The Aeon's presence pulsed, a sensation like the shifting of constellations.
"Then let us see if your will is worthy of the cosmos."
Before Zhongli could respond, the world around him shifted.
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A Trial of the Aeons
In the blink of an eye, Zhongli found himself standing somewhere else.
The Astral Express was gone. The familiar hum of the train had vanished.
Instead, he stood upon an endless plane of golden stone, a place suspended between the material and the divine. Towering structures of cosmic ore stretched infinitely into the sky, their surfaces reflecting star clusters from distant galaxies.
It was a space untouched by time.
A domain of judgment.
And before him, the Aeon loomed.
"You are an Archon, a god of a lesser world, yet your power remains even beyond your own realm. Let us test it."
Zhongli did not hesitate. He extended a hand, summoning the strength of stone itself.
The ground answered.
Massive pillars of golden Geo erupted around him, forming an unbreakable wall of protection. The air trembled with his authority.
"Impressive." The Aeon's voice echoed, reverberating through the very fabric of reality.
Then—the stars themselves began to move.
From the void above, lances of celestial energy rained down, each one powerful enough to shatter mountains.
Yet, Zhongli stood firm.
Raising his hand, he commanded the earth.
Geo surged upward, forming an unshakable barrier of jade and obsidian. The celestial lances struck, but they did not break through.
For a long moment, the battlefield stood in perfect balance—the immovable earth against the unstoppable sky.
Then, slowly, the Aeon's presence shifted.
"You stand firm, even before the weight of the cosmos. Perhaps there is a place for you beyond your world after all."
The golden plane around them began to dissolve, reality itself bending as the trial came to an end.
The last thing Zhongli heard before his vision faded was the Aeon's final words—
"I will be watching, Morax. Let us see where your path leads."
---
Return to the Express
When Zhongli's consciousness returned, he was back aboard the Astral Express.
The parlor car was quiet, the soft glow of the lights casting warm reflections against the polished wood.
Across from him, Welt sat with his usual calm demeanor, a knowing glint in his eyes.
"You're back," he said simply.
Zhongli exhaled slowly, adjusting his cuffs as if the entire encounter had been nothing more than a passing moment.
"I never left," he replied.
Welt chuckled. "If you say so."
But the look in his eyes said otherwise.
Zhongli remained silent for a moment before glancing out the window once more. The stars still stretched infinitely ahead.
Yet, now, he felt something different.
He was no longer just a traveler caught between worlds.
The Aeons had taken notice of him.
And whatever contract fate had written for him—he would soon discover its terms.
---
Chapter 6 Preview: The Path of the Trailblaze
With the Aeons watching, Zhongli begins to uncover the deeper forces at work in the universe.
But as the Express nears its next stop, new challenges await.
A world in turmoil.
A shattered balance.
And a force that even the gods of Teyvat may not comprehend.
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Author's Note: (✯ᴗ✯)