There was two parts to the Thousand Year Tournament: the first part was where the contestants all gathered stars from various labyrinths. The second part was a grand melee between the teams with the most stars. Only one person could win. As for the prize…
Enlightenment? Ming Ran tilted his head. Cang Mu shook his head.
"Not quite enlightenment, but opening channels inside your mind or body that would otherwise be impossible. In other words, something that could give you an advantage to thrive in the world around you." Cang Mu sat cross legged on the grass. The sky above was littered with stars and the vastness of even this strange dimension seemed too great for them to comprehend. Ming Ran looked at Cang Mu,
…and you want this prize?
"Why wouldn't I? Your siblings also want this prize." Cang Mu shrugged. Ming Ran nodded slowly. His eyes ventured over to the stone walls that hid them from view from the rest of the valley. When they had walked through the door back at the cavern, they had walked onto a beach. Waves crashed back and forth, sending them into a lull. After walking a while they ended up chancing upon a giant shell, abandoned on the shore by some enormous crustacean. Another labyrinth. That had been a month ago. The deadline for the second part of the tournament was fast approaching. They had defeated more than a few labyrinths, however, there was something that had been nagging at Ming Ran for a while. A strange feeling that bordered on comfort that could not be afforded to them.
Even now, in the very scarce remains of this temple, something clawed at the back of his mind, begging for his attention. There was one thing that kept his attention from focusing on it: Cang Mu's mission. Ming Ran still hadn't gotten the full story from his husband. He was well aware of this fact. Hoping to bring true justice to this world was vague. However, Ming Ran was well aware now that the two of them had shared a connection in their last lives. They both stared at the fire with troubled expressions. To pursue a world where the innocent could live in peace was a noble dream. Ming Ran followed Cang Mu on this path, and felt a sense of pride at this mission he had embarked on.
"Whatever happens, we cannot allow Wen Quinn to get his hands on the prize." Cang Mu said. Ming Ran started and looked up at him. The sparks of the fire they had created rose into the air, unsaid conflict rising with the smoke.
Why not? I mean, you want to win, but…
"Do you think he will make a great emperor?" Cang Mu asked. Ming Ran stared into the fire, gathering his thoughts. He had originally known Wen Quinn as Billy. Billy was the youngest (and underappreciated) son of a major conglomerate. He had fought tooth and nail to fit in with his family. Nothing he had ever done made his father proud. There was a craving that still existed even once he had left his family home for college. The group that he had been a part of in his last life were all people with their own troubles and stories. They had scars and had worked together to overcome them. The problem was: Elle couldn't overcome them. He had lost sight of everything in his last life. It was because of that… because Elle couldn't find her path, that was the reason she died. Did any of them find their paths? Billy, Lulu, Ren, Cass, and Theo all died early too. The prime of their youth.
The feeling of Cang Mu's gaze on him brought Ming Ran back to the original question. Would Wen Quinn make a good emperor? Yes. He would. He had been training for this, hadn't he? He had implemented laws already that had helped the common citizen find jobs. Poverty had gone down. This was something that Fa Lin had been pleased to boast during their tea time at the sect.
I think Wen Quinn would be—Ming Ran paused. Would he be fine? He thought back to the scene with Khan Qing. Wen Quinn had looked down on her and often treated her poorly. He was kind when she helped him, but cold and rude should she make a mistake.
Back at the Ming Manor, Ming Ran sat by the koi pond, staring at the fish circle below the surface. A few workers bowed and greeted the crown prince. Wen Quinn would wave them off casually, allowing them to stand. He would approach Ming Ran and lift him up. His smile filled his thoughts. A gentle smile—one that sometimes made Ming Ran wonder if he recognized Elle within Ming Ran.
Ming Ran could only fall silent, replaying all the times that Wen Quinn visited the manor, all the times they went out to play together; how did he treat the common folk? Cang Mu allowed him to ponder, and when he was given no answer, he pushed no further on the matter. Raising his gaze to the stars above, he murmured, "Without a balance of power, no one will be able to stand up for themselves." The two of them looked for answers in the night sky—answers that would not be delivered until their dying day when all of the universe's knowledge became one complete existence again. Tomorrow the second part of the tournament would begin; Ming Ran had to wonder if they had gathered enough stars to gain entry to the melee.
She ran through a concrete labyrinth like a rabbit. It was a lawless sort of place, a true concrete jungle. This was once a place where people thrived. Big, burly men stinking of sweat and high on the thankless, endless toils of manual labor would lumber about. They'd wear safety helmets, goggles she had seen only in science labs, and their muscles would cry out as they lifted bricks, climbed scaffolds, and forced the elements of nature to bend to their will. This place had lost this life and the obviousness of its time as a husk of its former self was obvious. Leftover dust and debris, half-finished cubicles where the stereotypical office drone would work endlessly during the day once this place was completed, there were rooms that were obvious when you stopped to think about what they would be used for, there were rooms that you'd need to stop and think. She didn't have the time to stop and think. Her lungs burned as she shoved down air, her eyes stung, her bare feet were bleeding and slick on the concrete floors. This place was no longer a husk of its former self either. The master of this place had given it new purpose. The abandoned technology and equipment watched her with a sadistic interest. Wires were held taut on stairwells. The echoes of a monster that chased her through this hell bounced off the walls. She looked back and saw it leap at her and vaguely realized as she stared at her reflection—saw the fear and determination in her eyes—that this place no longer existed.
Ming Ran sat up quickly, heart racing. He looked around and saw the peaceful twinkling of the stars above. Cang Mu lay asleep at his side. The fire had all but died. Ming Ran stood up and made his way to the forest edge to find some kindle to feed the tiring flames. The night was cold and it wouldn't do to fall ill here. Cang Mu had his heart set on winning, and Ming Ran had come to a realization: he had come this far to walk this path with Cang Mu. He should be supportive. He added more wood to the fire and stopped to admire the mural on the faded temple walls. Or at least what was left of said temple walls. There was a massive cluster of stars and they all existed together. A giant, white wing had unfurled against the wall, but whatever had been connected to it had been broken off by some unknown force.
They're gone… Ming Ran thought to himself. There was a person here before. Ming Ran blushed and turned away. Pushing away his embarrassment, he looked around for something to entertain himself with until it was time to move. The time for sleep had long since passed. There was a slight glow that rose and fell across the broken wall that drew Ming Ran's eye. It was soft and peaceful like the push and pull of waves on the beach. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip somewhat into the Spring of Origins.
"The bracelet is glowing." Cang Mu's voice interrupted his fall into the Spring. He looked down at the jade bracelet that glowed upon his wrist. A bright light washed over them like a tidal wave and soon they found themselves at the foot of a very large gate.