Arcane Guardians: Season 1

Chapter 2: Gravity and Water

"Another school year, another achievement I’m supposed to reach," Xiangzhi muttered as she woke up in her bed, stretching lazily. The morning sunlight peeked through her curtains, warming the room as she reluctantly got up and headed for a quick shower.

After some time, she walked downstairs, greeted by the smell of breakfast and the soft chatter of her family.

"Xiangzhi, eat your breakfast quickly. Your father is going to drive you and Jinshu to school," her mom said, glancing at the clock with her usual morning rush.

Xiangzhi slid into her seat, grabbing some toast. "Mom, I can take the bus. Dad, you don’t need to worry—we can manage." She looked over at her dad, trying to reassure him with a small smile.

"Alright, alright," he said with a laugh. "You make the call this time."

"I'm taking the sunny side up!" Jinshu announced, snatching the egg off Xiangzhi's plate with his chopsticks before she could react.

"Mom!" Xiangzhi’s protest was quick, narrowing her eyes at her brother.

"Jinshu, give that back to your sister," their mom scolded, though with a knowing sigh.

Reluctantly, Jinshu returned the egg, muttering under his breath, and Xiangzhi gave him a triumphant smirk in response.

Their dad stood, ready to leave for work. "I almost forgot—no buying junk food, alright, Jinshu?" he said with a playful warning as he grabbed his keys.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jinshu replied, rolling his eyes.

"Bye, Dad!" Xiangzhi called, finishing her breakfast.

Soon after, she grabbed her bag and headed to the bus stop. As she stood waiting, she glanced at her phone, reading a message from her teacher about her new classroom. When the bus arrived moments later, Xiangzhi took a deep breath, stepping on board.

A new year at Xiangli University was about to begin.

After walking around the campus looking for her building, Xiangzhi finally found her classroom.

She entered the classroom, greeted by a girl named Shen Siyue. The classroom buzzed with the chatter of students meeting each other for the first time, sunlight streaming through large windows that overlooked the bustling campus.

"Hello! The teacher asked me to meet the students in this class. What's your name?" Siyue asked with a bright smile.

"My name is Li Xiangzhi," she replied, her voice quiet but steady.

"Li Xiangzhi... ah, here you are. You're on the list. Come on in and take a seat," said Siyue, gesturing towards an empty desk.

Later at lunch, like many other students on campus, Xiangzhi sat alone, eating quietly and observing her surroundings. She noticed Siyue approaching her, her friendly demeanor cutting through the sea of unfamiliar faces.

"You look lonely. Need a friend?" Siyue asked, taking a seat across from her.

"I guess so," Xiangzhi replied, a small smile forming on her lips.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Siyue teased gently.

"No, it's not that. I'm just not comfortable yet. I can get loud sometimes once I get to know someone," Xiangzhi explained, relaxing a bit.

"I see. We're pretty much the same, but I tend to approach first," Siyue said, laughing, which Xiangzhi found contagious.

After class, they decided to explore the school together to get to know it and with each other better. The campus was vast, with sprawling lawns and ancient trees lining the paths. As they walked and talked, Siyue decided to buy some water for both of them.

"Stay here. I'm just gonna grab us some water real quick," said Siyue.

"Oh no, I'm fine. You don't have to buy me anything," Xiangzhi replied.

"It's okay. It's a treat," said Siyue, waving off her protest.

Siyue headed to the canteen, bought two bottles of water, and placed them in her bag, unaware that her zipper had only been partially closed. A minute later, she returned, jogging back toward Xiangzhi when the water bottles fell out of her backpack with a thud.

Siyue quickly picked them up, but when she stood back up, the air temperature had changed. Everyone had vanished, and the bustling campus was eerily silent. All she could see was Xiangzhi and two other students in the distance. Suddenly, her vision blurred, and she felt herself collapsing to the ground.

When Siyue awoke, she found herself deep beneath the ocean, surrounded by the serene, otherworldly beauty of the sea. Strangely, she could breathe underwater. She closed her eyes, wondering if this was a dream, and pinched herself to be sure.

A deep voice echoed around her, resonating through the water. "Shen Siyue, you have been chosen to hold the Water Crystal, a relic that holds dominion over the ebb and flow of tides, alongside your spirit animal, the shark."

Siyue's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You will be granted the power of water manipulation, the ability to breathe underwater, and a trident as your weapon. If any threat is near, bring it to the mirror world to prevent harm on Earth. Wish to be transported there, and the crystal will grant it."

Before she could comprehend what was happening, the crystal sank into Siyue's palm, and she was pulled back to the real world, her heart racing with fear and confusion.

Meanwhile earlier, Xiangzhi, waiting for Siyue, began to pace. She glanced up to see Siyue running towards her. Just as she was about to wave, she stumbled, losing her balance and fell.

When Xiangzhi stood up, she was shocked to find everyone had vanished into thin air. The bustling campus was silent, except for Siyue and two other distant figures. Xiangzhi felt her consciousness slip away.

She opened her eyes to find herself floating in outer space, stars twinkling all around her. Panic set in as she wondered if she was dead.

"Li Xiangzhi, you have been chosen to hold the Gravity Crystal, a relic that holds dominion over the forces that bind stars and planets in their celestial dance," said the voice, clear and calm.

"The crystal what?... Is this a dream? Why me?" Xiangzhi whispered in disbelief.

"You will be granted the power of gravity manipulation, accompanied by your spirit animal, the hawk. If any threat is near, bring it to the mirror world to prevent harm on Earth. Wish to be transported there, and the crystal will grant it."

Before she could ask any questions, Xiangzhi snapped back to reality, the bustling world of the university returning in an instant. The crystal settled into her palm, warm and pulsing.

Xiangzhi glanced at Siyue and hurried over to her, eager to share what had happened.

"I'm assuming it happened to you as well," Xiangzhi said breathlessly.

"I was underwater, breathing!" Siyue replied, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"And I was in outer space, also breathing," Xiangzhi said, shaking her head. "Well whatever did happen to us, I hope it's not true," she says.

"They said we have to protect it or something," Siyue added.

"From what? Or who?" Xiangzhi asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing it's serious since they did give us some sort of... abilities?" Siyue replied.

"It's getting late now. Let's discuss this tomorrow," Xiangzhi suggested.

With that, the two of them went their separate ways, their minds swirling with thoughts of crystals and newfound powers.