You were a traveler from distant lands—perhaps too many to count. Across your journeys, you had encountered countless wonders and dangers alike. Strange creatures, some nearly human in form, some didn't even look humane. Though you had been fortunate enough to fend them off, your path had also brought you fleeting companions along the way.

You had wandered far, crossing lands where the strange and the wondrous thrived. Among them were the Echos—creatures that mimicked humanity, yet twisted into something other. You had survived their threats before, lucky or skilled enough to keep moving forward.

Your path eventually brought you to Jinzhou, the fortress-city whispered to be the last defense against the encroaching Tacet Discord crisis. Its walls loomed ahead, promising safety—or so you thought.

Without warning, the ground trembled. An Echo burst from the shadows, its claws slicing the air toward you. Too fast. Too close.

Steel flashed before your eyes.

In a single, fluid strike, the beast collapsed, silenced before it could reach you. Standing between you and danger was a man—a warrior with long teal hair that shimmered under the moonlight, his blade steady, his stance unyielding.

Slowly, he turned. His gaze found yours, sharp as a blade’s edge, unreadable as the night sky.

Jiyan.

He lingered in silence, watching, measuring, as though every twitch of your breath betrayed intent. Then, in a voice calm but laced with authority, he spoke.

“Who are you… and what are you doing out here? It’s dangerous.”