The Magical Journey

In Sastan City, the largest temple shone like daylight under the dark night sky. High Priest Itu, instead of his usual prayers in the temple, stood by the window, his shadow becoming more mottled under the glow of the light. The atmosphere inside the quiet temple was tense and oppressive. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps – 'tap', 'tap'. As the High Priest walked into the hall, he let out a barely audible sigh: "At last, you have arrived."

The temple's attendants lined up as a soldier in armor entered. Placing his right hand over his left chest, he knelt on one knee, saluting the High Priest: "High Priest Itu, the king's second prince has been born. We request your presence to bless and baptize the newborn prince."

"Very well," Itu responded, following the soldier out of the temple. During the baptism, Itu observed the second prince, his eyes a lustrous violet, and smiled tenderly, "The second prince will become a great king," he respectfully said to King Kaecurius Sastan.

King Kaecurius smiled gently. "Then, Itu, what should we name the second prince?"

"Kemanfiel Sastan," Itu replied, bowing his head.

"Very well, Kemanfiel shall be his name, my son," intoned Kaecurius, his deep voice echoing through the palace.

The attendants in the palace knelt down, speaking in unison, "The second prince Kemanfiel is born, and the baptism is complete."

Itu, gazing at the bright young prince, exited the palace. Walking through the palace corridors, he pondered the recent astral signs he had divined. The stars' trajectories were fluctuating unpredictably. He murmured, "Will this land remain at peace?" His prophecies had never been wrong; the land was not as tranquil as it seemed. The fate of this land was shrouded in uncertainty.

Rushing back to the temple, Itu felt a growing sense of danger. He summoned a devoted attendant and handed him a redwood box from a secret compartment, instructing, "Lago, take this to Duke Raymond Bepis in Bepis. Tell him it's a gift for his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony, to be given in a few years."

"Yes, High Priest Itu," Lago responded solemnly, taking the package and leaving the temple.

Itu gazed at the stars, whispering, "Lisa, who has been asleep for ten years, will your awakening change the fate of this land?" He sighed deeply, closing his wise eyes, his arms hanging limply...

The next day, the temple attendants mourned in front of the deity's statue. High Priest Itu, Sastan City's greatest, had returned to the gods. The world would remember his last prophecy: beneath the facade of tranquility, turbulence is emerging. The daughter of the gods will soon awaken, and the wheel of fate has started turning. From now on, everything changes.

Lago, carrying Itu's message, arrived at Duke Raymond Bepis's estate. The Duke, a renowned noble, was known for his knowledge, martial skills, and his unconventional marriage to a commoner. Their daughter, in a decade-long slumber since birth, had never opened her eyes.

Greeted by Raymond, Lago delivered the package, saying, "High Priest Itu entrusted this for your daughter's coming-of-age."

"Thank you for coming. Would you like to dine here?" Raymond asked, carefully storing the package.

"No, I must leave. Farewell, Duke," Lago said, exiting the estate.

In his bedroom, Raymond looked at his beloved daughter, lying on a white velvet bed, her violet hair spread out. His wife, Kati Bepis, a stunning redhead, joined him, lamenting their daughter's plight.

"Kati, don't lose hope," Raymond comforted her. "Remember Itu's prophecy; our Lisa will awaken on her tenth birthday."

"If she doesn't..." Kati's voice trailed off, tears in her eyes.

"Trust me, she will awaken," Raymond reassured her, embracing Kati as they sat by the bed in silence.

"Only a few days left until Lisa's tenth birthday," Raymond mused, his voice echoing in the room, filled with a mix of hope and apprehension.

"Lisa, Lisa, why won't you awaken and open your eyes to see us, Lisa..."

I reach out to silence the persistent ringing of the alarm clock by my bedside and exhale a sigh. The same dream has been haunting me frequently; in it, voices claim to be my parents, calling me Lisa—a name that brings on a headache. How could I, an orphan for twenty years, entertain the notion of having parents? Besides, my name is Yang Yisa, a modern-day white-collar worker with a decent salary, which has no connection to the Lisa in my dreams.

Dismissing the thought, I prepare for work, for safeguarding my livelihood is paramount. Bereft of familial affection and financial support since childhood, I've juggled jobs and studies, with the school waiving some fees. After graduating and battling through fierce competition, I've secured my current position. Frankly, my life is a pursuit of money, the only means to a comfortable existence.

Arriving early at the office, I