"No one can escape destiny and reincarnation."
Inside the classroom, an elderly teacher picked up a piece of chalk and slowly wrote these words on the blackboard.
"Class, since this is your first lesson at this school, I need to explain what's written on the blackboard. It's an adage passed down from Dream Island, though it has always been questioned. After all, destiny can be actively resisted... As for reincarnation...? When people die, not even their memories remain. Even if some so-called reincarnation really exists, wouldn't we just end up doing the exact same things we did before?"
The teacher turned around to face the students below. "Just take these words as a casual thought; there's no need to take them too seriously."
Actually, the teacher didn't really need to say that, because almost none of the students were paying attention anyway.
While the first class of the semester usually didn't cover core material, they certainly hadn't expected the very first lesson to kick off with total nonsense.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, gently stroking the students' dark hair like a warm hand, and before long, a few students couldn't help nodding off.
Seeing this, the teacher shook his head with a helpless sigh and was just about to resume the lecture when an abrupt voice cut in.
"Teacher, since these words are questioned, why are they still called an adage?"
The speaker was a young man. One hand supported his cheek against the desk while the other twirled a pen absentmindedly. His eyes weren't on the teacher; instead, he glanced sideways at the sentence on the blackboard, looking as though he had casually asked an exceptionally boring question.
"Ah, well..." The teacher smiled. "Because these words come from a stone tablet, an important historical artifact of this island. No one knows how long it has existed, as if it just appeared on this island one day out of nowhere."
Yuanchu found this rather strange. He had been born on this island, yet he had never heard anyone mention it before. Twirling the pen in his hand, the boy continued to question, "Teacher, why is this island isolated from the rest of the world?"
"Alright, Yuanchu," a little girl beside him gently poked the boy's arm with her pen. "The teacher still has a lecture to give. It's not good to keep asking questions."
"It's fine, Han Xinnian." The teacher smiled, looking at Yuanchu. "If you're interested, go ask Elder Gu, because I'm not entirely clear on this matter either."
Yuanchu nodded and turned to look at the little girl holding a pen, her face blushing slightly. He couldn't help complaining inwardly: *This kid is way too easily embarrassed. It's just talking during class and getting caught by the teacher.*
"Since there are no other questions, I'll continue with the lecture." The teacher raised his voice, attempting to wake up the semi-conscious students.
***
"Han Xinnian, tell me, why is this place called Dream Island?" After class, Yuanchu pulled on Han Xinnian's collar as they walked outside.
"I don't know. I heard that back when the cataclysm happened, the villagers suffered countless casualties, and it was Elder Gu who stepped in to save the day and wiped out the threat to human lives."
"Because the outside world was too dangerous, Elder Gu set up a barrier to separate this island from the original world. They say that out of gratitude to Elder Gu, the people asked him to name the island, and that's how we got Dream Island today."
The young girl followed closely behind the boy's footsteps, her face flushed with a faint blush.
Hearing this, Yuanchu's body stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"Hmph, why doesn't that old man ever tell me anything..." Yuanchu muttered under his breath.
"Huh? What did you say?" Han Xinnian hadn't caught Yuanchu's words and asked softly.
"Ahem, nothing." Yuanchu shook his head.
"Say, Yuanchu, are you in a good mood today?" Han Xinnian asked with a puzzled look, still being dragged by the collar.
"Why do you say that?"
"Look, there are no clouds in the sky today. I heard Elder Gu say recently that whenever you're unhappy, the sky is always covered in dark clouds. I was wondering why it poured so heavily that one time—did you and Elder Gu have a fight, Yuanchu?"
Han Xinnian looked at Yuanchu with a cheeky smile, completely unaware that Yuanchu was already cursing Elder Gu ten thousand times in his heart.
*Damn old fogey, stop blabbing about everything to outsiders. Why does he always do things that favor others at my expense?*
Yuanchu continued pulling Han Xinnian's collar as they headed home. The setting sun cast long, elongated shadows of the two figures.
***
"Elder Gu, what on earth happened with that comet back then?"
At the Elder Council, a white-haired old man looked at the man untouched by the passage of time. He never expected that after all these years, this man would still remain so young, while he himself—who had been a child then—was slowly growing up and aging. The old man sighed softly.
"The time is not right."
Elder Gu sighed and gently shook his head. "It is not yet time to reveal the truth."
With a look of guilt on his face, Elder Gu looked at the old man before him. "Elder Han, I'm sorry, I cannot tell any of you about this."
Although Elder Han had many doubts, he ultimately nodded. He felt a nameless trust toward this Elder Gu—not just gratitude for saving his life, but another, much deeper kind of trust.
He couldn't quite put it into words; it felt just like trusting himself. It was strange, but that was simply the fact of the matter. That was why he could so trustingly let his granddaughter be taken into his care.
"*Yuanchu*... huh."
Elder Han silently repeated the name in his heart. He always felt there was an intricate, invisible connection between the boy and the comet. In the end, he shook his head with a sense of resignation. *Whatever. What matters now is protecting this island.*
***
After parting ways with Han Xinnian, Yuanchu began walking home alone. His intuition told him he shared some unknown connection with this island—for instance, what Han Xinnian had just mentioned about "the island having clear blue skies whenever he's in a good mood." Such a claim was bizarre.
When he was little, Elder Gu had told him it was because he enjoyed some kind of divine blessing. Back then, he had foolishly believed it, and the matter hadn't really been brought up much since.
Yet today, upon hearing it again, he couldn't help harboring a trace of doubt. He even wondered if this world was somewhat fake.
However, Yuanchu immediately dismissed the thought. If this world was fake, what could possibly be real?
Before long, Yuanchu arrived home. Seeing the man inside flailing about in a frantic battle of wits with the food in the pot, he couldn't help letting out a breath of relief.
*At least this world is still normal, right? As for moods affecting the weather and all that nonsense, it's just a coincidence.*
Thinking this, Yuanchu pushed open the front door and walked in to find an old man holding a pot with both hands, frantically stirring the vegetables inside.
"Old man, go rest on the side. I'll cook."
Unable to watch any longer, Yuanchu called out with a tone of exasperation.
Elder Gu jumped, nearly dropping the pot in his hands. He turned back to look at Yuanchu with an awkward expression. "Haha, little Chu, you're back..."
"Give it here."
Yuanchu rolled his eyes and took over the iron wok. Ever since he learned to speak, this immortal old codger had made him learn how to cook, offering the reason that whatever Yuanchu cooked would definitely taste better than his own. When Yuanchu asked why, the old man had replied:
"Because you have the beginner's protection period."
Thinking of this, Yuanchu angrily cranked up the heat to stir-fry the vegetables, glaring resentfully at the man who couldn't do anything else except stare at him—no, to be precise, stare at the food in the pot...
Yet...
Yuanchu withdrew his gaze and asked casually, pretending to be indifferent: "I heard Elder Gu fought ten thousand men alone back then, trading that for nearly a hundred years of peace on this island?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuanchu immediately looked up to meet Elder Gu's eyes, hoping to catch some subtle change in his expression.
But there was none... Elder Gu's expression was as calm as still water, his eyes reflecting Yuanchu's figure.
"Where did you hear that from again?" Elder Gu smiled. "I'm no Superman. How could I be that powerful?"
"Fine." Yuanchu turned his head back to continue stir-frying, sinking into self-reproach: *How could he be so stupid as to take a joke from Han Xinnian so seriously?*
Yet Yuanchu didn't notice at all that the expression of the Elder Gu beside him was slowly growing solemn:
*The time is not right yet. At least until he sees that person, I cannot tell him the truth of these matters.*
*Elder Han, oh Elder Han, stop blabbing everything to your granddaughter. Don't let your loyalties sway outward!*
With completely different thoughts on their minds, the air in the room lapsed into silence.