Ana wriggled slightly in her mother's embrace. "I'm fine, Mother," she insisted, her voice muffled against her mother's shoulder. "A god helped me."

Her mother pulled back, her brow furrowed in confusion. "God?"

"Yes! Look there!" Ana said, turning and pointing a finger towards the center of the room.

Her mother's gaze followed. Her eyes widened in immediate fear.

A finger-long, triangular golden object was floating silently in the air. It pulsed with a soft light.

"What's that!" she shrieked. She scrambled backwards, pulling her daughter behind her with a desperate strength, trying to shield Ana's small body with her own. Her eyes were locked on the golden shard, her heart hammering against her ribs. She didn't know what it was.

"No, Mother, don't be afraid!" Ana's voice was filled with a child's earnest frustration as she tried to peek around her mother's side. "It's a god! It helped me in the forest and showed me the way out. It is a great god!"

The woman was puzzled by her daughter's words, but she could not believe them. Spirits and demons were known to lure children with tricks and illusions. "Ana, be quiet," she commanded in a trembling voice.

The little girl continued, her voice filled with pride. "I invited God to our home to give him offerings," she explained. "Otherwise, he would have left. He is always busy helping people and traveling, you know."

The woman stared at the floating shard. It did nothing. It made no sound. It simply hovered there. Just as the mother's fear began to war with her confusion, the artifact spoke.

“You. Do. Not. Need. To. Make. Any. Offerings,” its strange, chiming voice resonated, filling the small hut. “I. Do. Not. Need. Them. I. Will. Go. Back.”

The golden shard began to drift towards the open doorway, its light dimming slightly as if in preparation to depart.

"No! Great God, please don't leave!" Ana cried out, scrambling out from behind her mother. She ran towards the artifact, her small hands outstretched in a desperate plea. "Please, stay! Just for a little while!"

The mother watched as the golden object slowly began to leave. Seeing this, a profound realization struck her. The fear in her heart finally began to recede, replaced by a dawning, terrifying awe. There might be truth in her daughter's words after all.

Taking a shaky breath, the woman slowly got to her feet, her movements cautious. She kept a respectful distance. "Forgive my ignorance, divine being," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "May I ask… who are you?"

The artifact turned its non-existent gaze from the child to the woman. It considered the question. It had no answer.

"I. Do. Not. Know. Who. I. Am." it replied, its voice a chorus of pure, honest confusion. "I. Came. From. The. Outer. World. Beyond. The. Sky."

The mother's eyes widened. From beyond the sky... These words confirmed its otherworldly nature. She didn't know if this being was truly a god, or perhaps a divine instrument sent by the heavens, but it possessed abilities that were divine for a human. Disrespecting such an entity would be foolish. A deep sense of shame washed over her for her earlier, fearful reaction.

"Please, forgive my rude behavior," she said, her voice filled with sincere apology. "I was ignorant and afraid. Please, do not get angry."

“I. Have. No. Problem.”

The mother looked at her daughter. "Ana, go to the village. Borrow some fruits from Auntie Mela, and some rice. Ask for some cured meat as well, if she has any. Tell them we will pay them back after the harvest." The little girl knew they had nothing good in their hut to serve a special guest, let alone a god. She nodded immediately. "I will go now, Mother."

The artifact saw all of this. “I. Do. Not. Eat,” its voice chimed, stopping the girl in her tracks. “You. Can. See. I. Am. Not. Like. You.”

The mother hesitated. Fear and confusion warred on her face. "But… we have nothing else to offer," she said, her voice faltering. "In our village, we offer fruits and food. I do not know if you desire something… different." She was afraid. Afraid that this divine being might demand some precious tribute.

The artifact was silent for a moment. It had seen offerings other than food. “I. Have. Seen. Some. People. Offer. Water. And. Flowers. I. Will. Accept. That.”

A wave of profound relief washed over the mother. "Ana," she said, her voice much steadier now, "go and bring some fresh water from the stream. And gather the prettiest flowers you can find." She handed her daughter a small wooden jug.

The girl, also relieved, nodded eagerly and ran out of the hut.

The mother was silent for a moment. Then, she rose and went to a corner of the room. There, on a small, raised platform of packed earth, was a simple ancestral shrine. A few small, crudely carved wooden statues sat within it. Some resembled animals—a boar, a horse. Others resembled a man and a woman. She carefully took them out, wiped the dust from them and placed them back with reverence. She bowed her head and joined her palms in a gesture of prayer. She remained like that until she heard her daughter's light footsteps returning.

Ana entered, her arms full of colorful wildflowers, the small jug sloshing with clean water. She washed the flowers carefully in a bowl, then cleaned the space beside the ancestral statues.

"Great God," she said, her voice full of innocent reverence, "please, come and take your place." She gestured to the spot beside the statue of the boar.

The artifact floated over and settled there.

The woman poured a little fresh water over the ancestral statues, and then over the golden shard. The cool water trickled down its smooth, metallic surface. Then, she carefully arranged the vibrant wildflowers in a small pile before it.

The mother and daughter duo knelt together. They bowed their heads and prayed in silence. After a few moments, they opened their eyes. The mother looked at the artifact, her gaze now filled with a deep respect. "Thank you for accepting our humble offering."

“Now. I. Will. Take. My. Leave,” the artifact resonated, its purpose there seemingly complete.

"Wait! Great God, please stay!" Ana cried out, scrambling to her feet. "It is getting dark. You must be tired from wandering and helping people. You can rest here for the night. You can sleep here."

The mother, seeing the genuine plea on her daughter's face, also spoke, her voice hesitant but sincere. "She is right, Great Being. Please, honor us by staying until the morning."

More than two hundred years had passed in silent observation. Yet the source of that warm, familiar energy remained a mystery. It knew only that it was drawn to it, that it felt a deep, instinctual need for it. It was a hunger it had never known in the dark void of space. Among all the living beings on this vibrant planet, humans possessed the most of it. It knew it needed to be closer to them to understand it, to perhaps even get it. But it also knew its presence instilled fear. It had seen it time and time again.

Shall I try with them? It wondered.

“I. Will. Stay.”

---

“That’s how I met her and entered her small life,” Fate said.

Su Kang was listening silently. He lay on his bed, staring into the darkness. His face held a mix of surprise and thoughtfulness, a faint wry smile tugging at his lips.

“So you were treated as a god,” he murmured softly.

His curiosity stirred. "So… what happened after that?" he asked within.

But Fate did not answer. The silence stretched, and its weight spoke louder than words. Just as Su Kang was about to speak again, he sensed faint spiritual fluctuations approaching. Someone had entered his courtyard.

He rose from the bed, pushing aside his lingering questions. Straightening his robes, he stepped into the main hall.

Su Chen was sitting at the table, a cup of tea steaming gently before him. He looked up as Su Kang entered.

Su Kang stopped and bowed deeply. "Father."

"Sit," Su Chen said, his tone even.

Su Kang did as he was told, taking the seat opposite his father. He waited.

"I have just come from a conversation with the Ancestor," Su Chen began, his gaze steady and serious. He set his teacup down with a soft click. "He has informed me of his decisions. Both regarding the secret realm… and regarding Bai Yunxi."

“His eyes lingered on his son. “You have permission to participate in the exploration. I will not stop you. But your mother will be worried. I will speak with her, though I cannot promise I can ease her heart.”

"I understand, Father," Su Kang replied, his voice quiet but firm.

"As for your wife," Su Chen continued, the words feeling slightly formal on his tongue, "since the Ancestor has no objection, you can begin to let her interact with the core family members. However, I would still suggest you keep the true nature of your relationship a secret, at least until you are both completely settled and comfortable with everything."

Su Kang nodded. "Yes, Father. I understand. We will keep it hidden. I will not let many people know about her and me for now."

"Alright." Su Chen seemed to relax slightly, a measure of the tension leaving his shoulders. "If you need any assistance with the preparations for the realm exploration, let me know.”

Su Kang bowed his head once more. “I will let you know if I truly need something.”

“Good.” Su Chen rose to his feet, his expression composed once again. “Then I will take my leave.”

With those words, he stood up and walked toward the courtyard.