Shuang Yan Chronicles : 01

Prologue

The spacecraft thundered with a guttural roar, its engines pulsating against the eerie stillness of the alien sea. The twin suns cast their golden fury on the rippling waters below, their reflections shimmering like restless spirits. Yet, the fragile beauty of the scene belied the storm churning within. The brothers stood at the helm, bodies battered and minds wracked with images of a world devoured by flames.

Hua Ren clutched the console for support, his breaths shallow and labored. His leg throbbed with a venomous burn, a cruel gift from the red-scaled dragon whose fangs had sunk deep into his flesh. He grimaced as he tore open a medikit, hurriedly injecting an anticoagulant into the wound. The hiss of the injector was drowned by the haunting echoes of roars and the crackling inferno they had barely escaped.

Beside him, Po Sen was a statue of tension, his battle-scarred face carved with lines of determination. His eyes, sharp as tempered steel, swept over the horizon through the ship’s viewport. Smoke plumes rose in the distance like ominous pillars, marking the ruins of their failed incursion.

"The fires are dying," Po Sen said at last, his voice cold and clipped. His fingers tightened on the edge of the console, as if clinging to resolve itself. "The dragons have withdrawn."

Hua Ren looked up from his wound, his expression darkened by pain and anger. "Withdrawn? No, brother, they’re strategizing. Their retreat isn’t defeat—it’s a calculated maneuver." His voice trembled, not from fear, but from the venom’s relentless assault on his system.

Po Sen’s jaw tightened as he turned toward his brother. "Strategizing or not, this planet is ours by necessity. Kun Lun is collapsing under its own weight, and this world—Long Yuan—holds the key to our survival. We cannot afford to falter."

"Survival?" Hua Ren spat, his voice rising despite the agony searing his leg. "Is that what you call this slaughter? Do you think victory lies in razing another world to ash? Have we learned nothing from the ruin of Kun Lun?"

Po Sen’s eyes blazed. "Don’t lecture me, Hua Ren. Coexistence is a fairytale. Dragons, humanoids—they see us as invaders. They will not negotiate, and I will not let the people of Kun Lun perish because you cling to impossible ideals."

Hua Ren pushed himself upright, wincing as the motion sent a fresh wave of venom through his veins. "Impossible? No, Po Sen. It’s fear and greed that make you blind. We’ve turned ourselves into the very monsters we fled."

Po Sen stepped closer, his imposing shadow falling over his wounded brother. "And that, Hua Ren, is why you were never meant to lead. The burden of leadership demands sacrifices you’ll never stomach."

"Leadership demands integrity!" Hua Ren fired back, his voice shaking with conviction. "Ling Yue knew that. That’s why she entrusted me, not you."

Po Sen’s face hardened, the faintest flicker of emotion betraying his rage. "Ling Yue was a dreamer. Dreams don’t save lives. They cost them. Her naivety destroyed her, and it will destroy you too if you’re not careful."

Hua Ren staggered but held his ground. His fingers brushed the edge of the console, eyes darting to the blinking red light that signaled the BAE pods—biological annihilation engines—had been primed. The realization hit him like a physical blow. "You activated the BAE pods? You mean to unleash them?"

Po Sen smirked, his voice laced with cold triumph. "Long Yuan’s creatures are formidable, but nothing can withstand engineered evolution. The venom coursing through your veins is the final element. With it, the BAE pods will adapt and dominate this world."

"You’re insane!" Hua Ren roared, forcing himself to stand despite the venom's numbing grip. He grabbed Po Sen’s arm, his grip weak but defiant. "You can’t do this. You’ll condemn not just this planet, but yourself. You’ll lose everything."