Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 131: The Black Mirror

The passage Ao Shun led them through descended steeply, contrary to what Grim had expected. Unlike the ornate corridors they’d traversed earlier, this tunnel was perfectly round and smooth, as if bored through the ice by some massive creature.

Ao Shun’s dragon form filled nearly the entire space. Despite his size, he moved silently, scales occasionally scraping against the ice walls with a sound like distant wind.

After several minutes of descent, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber unlike anything Grim had seen before. Where the throne room had been empty and austere, this space was filled with shimmering pools of different sizes, each glowing with a different hue of blue or green. The pools were arranged in concentric circles around a central depression that contained a pool of water so dark it appeared black.

The temperature here was marginally warmer than the throne room, though still well below freezing.

As they entered, Ao Shun reverted to his humanoid form. He gestured toward the central black pool.

"The Deep Mirror," he said without preamble. "It shows me all that occurs within my realm."

He passed his hand over the dark surface, and immediately images appeared—different sections of the North Sea realm, from the frozen surface to the deepest trenches. The images shifted rapidly, as if Ao Shun was searching for something specific.

"Your brother did come into my realm," Ao Shun continued, the images focusing on a particular deep trench. "He did not announce himself, nor did he request an audience."

The water showed an image of Jiaolong in his dragon form, swimming through the darkest depths of the North Sea.

"Directly to the eastern boundary of my realm, where the North Sea meets the Abyssal Trench."

"The Abyssal Trench?" Grim asked. "Is that significant?"

Ao Shun’s gaze flicked to him, "The Abyssal Trench marks the boundary between my domain and the South Sea, ruled by my brother Ao Qin. It is not a casual crossing—the pressures there would crush most beings, and the guardians that patrol it are... unforgiving."

"Yet Jiaolong crossed it," Bi’an observed.

"Indeed," Ao Shun replied. "Which tells me your brother is alot stronger than last time I saw him."

He waved his hand again, and the images in the pool shifted to show Jiaolong approaching what appeared to be a massive wall of ice that stretched into the crushing darkness of the deep sea.

"He lingered here for nearly a day," Ao Shun continued. "Then he vanished from my sight—which should not have been possible."

"Uncle," Bi’an said carefully, "we seek only to understand Jiaolong’s actions and prevent further harm. If there is knowledge you could share—"

"Knowledge," Ao Shun interrupted, his voice suddenly sharp enough to form ice crystals in the air. "My nephews can never respect the way things are. You must always know more."

The temperature in the chamber plummeted. The pools surrounding them began to freeze over, ice forming on their surfaces with cracking sounds. Even the Deep Mirror at the center began to glaze with frost at its edges.

"Uncle," Suanni began, but Ao Shun silenced him with a gesture.

"Your father believes all knowledge should flow freely," Ao Shun said, his voice deceptively calm despite the evidence of his anger. "He sees no harm in sharing ancient secrets with the Eastern Sea, with the West, even with—" his eyes moved to Grim, "—humans."

With a casual flick of his wrist, Ao Shun sent a spray of water from one of the pools arcing through the air toward the wall. Before it hit, the water transformed into dozens of ice needles, each as long as Grim’s forearm and sharper than any blade. They embedded themselves in the wall with enough force to crack the thick ice.

"Boundaries exist for protection."

"What was Jiaolong seeking there?" Bi’an asked.

Ao Shun’s expression tightened. "That is what troubles me. It is accessible only to those of royal dragon blood who know its location and the rituals to enter. Jiaolong should not have been able to find it, let alone access its contents."

"Unless someone told him," Suanni suggested.

"Precisely," Ao Shun agreed. "And the list of those who possess such knowledge is... limited."

The implication hung in the frigid air between them. Someone with access to closely guarded secrets had helped Jiaolong—someone from within the dragon royal family or their inner circle.

"Uncle," Bi’an said, treading carefully, "could this have any connection to the... disagreement... between you and our father?"

For a moment, the cold intensified to a degree that made even breathing painful. Grim felt his lungs burn with each inhalation as the moisture in his breath froze instantly.

"You refer, I assume, to what your father dismissively calls ’the steam bun incident,’" Ao Shun said, his voice like cracking ice.

"We’ve heard little of the details," Suanni admitted. "Only that there was a dispute over... food."

Ao Shun’s laugh was entirely without humor, a sound that reminded Grim of icebergs colliding.

"Food. Is that what he tells his offspring?" The Dragon King shook his head, frost forming on his horns. "Your father’s talent for trivializing anything significant is unmatched in all the seas."

Aftera a moment Ao Shun continued, but he had changed the subject, ignoring the comment about steam buns. "The Deep trenches where your brother was contains information that would let him travel to any of the four seas."

"To what purpose?" Suanni asked.

"That," Ao Shun replied, "is what I intend to discover. Maybe this human can be useful."

"Useful how?" Grim asked.

"You faced Jiaolong in the human realm and survived. That speaks to either unusual skill or unusual luck—perhaps both. And you bear the Celestial Mist techniques, a technique that shouldn’t even be in the human realm."

Ao Shun moved back to the central black pool, the Deep Mirror. "I will continue to search for signs of Jiaolong. In the meantime, you will remain here as my... guests."

The way he said "guests" made it clear they weren’t being given a choice in the matter.

"How long do you intend to keep us here, Uncle?" Bi’an asked.

"Until I determine whether you are truly pursuing your brother out of duty, or whether you are part of whatever scheme he has set in motion," Ao Shun replied bluntly. "Trust between our seas is in short supply these days."

He made a subtle gesture, and a section of the wall slid open, revealing another ice passage. "Xu Wu will show you suitable accommodations. Do not attempt to leave them without escort. The consequences would be... unpleasant."

As if summoned by his name, Xu Wu appeared at the new opening, his face as impassive as ever.

"One last thing," Ao Shun said as they turned to leave. "Be wary in your dreams while you stay in the North Sea. You may not like what you see."

With that cryptic warning, he turned back to the Deep Mirror, clearly dismissing them.

They turned around and Xu Wu was just standing there waiting for them.

Xu Wu led them back through winding passages, ascending once more toward the upper levels of Ao Shun’s palace. No one spoke until they were well away from the chamber of pools.

"That went better than I expected," Suanni finally murmured to Bi’an.

"Did it?" Bi’an replied quietly. "We’re now prisoners, albeit comfortable ones, and no closer to catching Jiaolong."

"But we’re still alive and unfrozen," Suanni pointed out. "With Uncle, that counts as a warm welcome."

Xu Wu led them to a section of the palace that felt almost warm in comparison to the areas they’d previously visited.

"You will remain here until Lord Ao Shun summons you," Xu Wu informed them. "Food and other necessities will be provided. Do not attempt to leave these chambers without escort."

"How long does the Dragon King intend to keep us here?" Grim asked.

Xu Wu’s cold eyes fixed on him. "Time moves differently in the deep waters, human. What feels like imprisonment to you may be merely a moment’s consideration to Lord Ao Shun."

With that less than reassuring statement, the minister departed, leaving them alone in the corridor.

"Well," Suanni said with forced cheerfulness, "at least we have accommodations befitting our station. Uncle could have thrown us in much less comfortable cells."

"Don’t mistake decoration for freedom," Bi’an warned. "These chambers will be as secure as any dungeon, just less obviously so."

"What do we do now?" Grim asked.

"For the moment, we play the dutiful guests," Bi’an replied. "Ao Shun is actively searching for Jiaolong now, which is more than we could accomplish on our own in his realm. If he finds our brother’s trail, he’ll be more inclined to let us join the pursuit."

"And if he doesn’t?" Grim pressed.

Bi’an and Suanni exchanged glances.

"Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that," Suanni said. "Remember Uncle’s warning about dreams. In the North Sea, even thoughts can be dangerous. Rest, but remain vigilant, even in sleep."