The Dawn of the New World

It was coming from a 3-meter-long pure white shard of light that was hovering in the middle of a giant glass cylinder attached to some kind of a strange machine.

Jin Wang stepped closer to inspect it and after a few seconds, he was able to see the true source of the white light. It was coming from a prismatic crystal that was perfectly symmetrical with twelve sides.

The crystal was pulsating with bursts of white light every two seconds and was the source of the humming noise.

The machine it was attached to took up most of the space in this room. Black pipes connected to gold tubes which in turn joined with various pumps and siphoning apparatus to make a very complicated and messy scene.

These pipes and tubes were spread out around the entire room which didn't seem to have an exit to speak of. They were coming out of the walls almost like a ventilator, pumping whatever kind of light that was being emitted by the crystal into the room itself.

On the ground in front of the cylinder was a 1.5-meter-wide circle carved out of the same kind of glass.

Jin Wang had yet to examine each and every little detail when a voice from behind interrupted his thoughts.

"What is this place?"

He looked back to see Mr. Hyde standing not too far from him. His gaze quickly shifted over to the stone pedestal that still held the disk in its center.

"How did you get out?" Jin Wang asked cautiously, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

But Mr. Hyde was just as confused as him and could only shrug in response while looking at his hands.

"It feels strange in here," he mumbled under his breath.

Jin Wang approached Mr. Hyde and tried to touch his shoulder but his hand went through the ethereal form as if it was made from concentrated air particles.

"A soul projection!? But how is it possible that you could physically manifest without a conduit or a physical tether?"

His brow was locked in a tight furrow.

'Surely he hasn't reached such a realm of cultivation that he wouldn't even need those things? Only True Gods that belong to one of the first pantheons would be capable of something of this caliber...unless the conduit is here?'

Both Jin Wang and Mr. Hyde came to the same conclusion at almost the same time and turned towards the white crystal.

"It has to be that crystal!" Hyde exclaimed in his excitement.

But Jin Wang was much more educated in the studies of extra-planer soul projections than he. Mr. Hyde was existing outside of the stone disk which was specially made to hold him. Without a physical body to hold him down or an energy source to power this out-of-body experience it was next to impossible for this to be achievable.

"It can't be," he rebutted, "Even if it was made of pure spiritual energy it would not be possible to still exist within our universe and allow two completely different forms of matter to co-exist in the same space. The entire place would implode unless-" Jin Wang suddenly paused, afraid to even think along those lines.

But Mr. Hyde needed answers so he urged him, "Unless what?!"

"Unless...we are not in our universe anymore and...the same laws do not apply here."

*Clap*Clap*Clap*

"Very impressive, just as father said," a third voice joined their conversation forcing both of them to put up their guards.

They turned towards the source and saw a figure standing on the 1.5-meter-wide glass plate.

It was a young man in his late twenties or early thirties. Short blond hair, eyes so sharp that they could cut into a person's soul, and a smile so sweet that would make them forgive him right after.

He was tall and well-built with sturdy muscles all over. And anyone could tell at first glance that they were not for decoration. He was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, almost as if he was lounging in his house just before.

Jin Wang had never seen him before but Mr. Hyde could barely believe what he was seeing.

"Albus?! B-Brother is that really you!?" he stutteringly whispered with a quivering voice.

Albus smiled even more brightly upon meeting his brother's gaze.

"Tragon, it has been a while, hasn't it? How are you, little brother?"

There were tears in Mr. Hyde's eyes as he slowly walked towards him.

"I...how could this be?! I saw you...I was there when they brought back your body," and then suddenly his expression turned vicious as he lunged towards him.

"YOU DARE USE HIM AGAINST ME?!"

The room began to shake as Mr. Hyde's form began to change.

But the crystal shone bright enough that its light covered everything within the room. And by the time it receded Mr. Hyde was on the floor.