C16 Chapter 16

All that tension had been tossed out the window. Right now, between the three of them, there was no pressure, no uneasiness—just pure fun and enjoyment.

This was how college students were supposed to be. And yet, without realizing it, they were drifting closer and closer to one whirlpool after another.

An unknown journey. Three familiar faces. A new challenge—and a turning point in their lives. Change was happening all around them every second, and danger was never far behind. Earlier, Ten Hall had been joking with the siblings, but one thing he said wasn’t a joke at all: they had to stay alert at all times. Because everything ahead was unknown.

What happened with the shadow demon had already taught them a hard lesson. They had to stay one hundred percent focused to face whatever might happen—and whatever was about to happen. Ten Hall didn’t want to see his friends put in danger again. Now that he was a summoner, if his friends kept getting dragged into one risky situation after another because of him, he’d rather give it up altogether—if it meant they could live a little safer.

But ever since the moment they first saw the Sun Wheel tablet, he hadn’t had a choice. He could only grit his teeth and face what was coming, doing everything he could to make sure his friends wouldn’t suffer because of the risks that came with him being a summoner.

After nearly twelve hours in the air, none of them had much energy left. All the talking along the way had drained them fast, and in an effort to reset their body clocks, the three of them soon fell asleep.

As the plane was about to reach its destination in the U.S., Ten Hall was the first to wake up. The moment he did, he quickly shook the siblings awake.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Wake up, wake up—stop sleeping. We’re almost there.”

Once all three were up, they quickly straightened themselves out, shook off the grogginess, and pulled themselves together—making sure they were as sharp as possible for the unknown journey and the unknown challenges ahead.

Soon enough, the plane touched down. Professor Feng had arrived at the airport early and was waiting for the three of them, ready to pick them up.

Watching the stream of people rushing past, Ten Dian couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion. Life wasn’t easy. Everyone was hustling—chasing a living, chasing a career. Some people left home and eventually came back with something to show for it. Others weren’t so lucky. In the end, it all came down to grit. Every bit of success was earned. And wasn’t he the same?

From elementary school to middle school, to high school, to college—step by step, all the way to where he was now as a summoner—he’d made it here on his own.

“Ten Dian! Chen Rui! Chen Xinxin!” Professor Feng spotted the three of them coming down the corridor from a distance.

“Professor Feng!” The three of them hurried over to greet him. The airport was full of people of every background, though mostly Black and white travelers. Even in the crowd, the three of them stood out enough to be easy to spot.

Professor Feng quickly met up with them. “You guys must be exhausted. That was a long trip.”

“It’s nothing. If anything, we’re the ones putting you out—making you come pick us up,” Ten Dian said politely. Even though Professor Feng wasn’t exactly a stranger to them anymore, Ten Dian knew he owed him a lot. If he’d become a summoner at all, it was because of Professor Feng.

“What’s the big deal?” Professor Feng said. “I’m the one who asked you to come all the way here to help me. If I didn’t show up myself, you’d say I had no manners.”

“Exactly,” Chen Xinxin said, nodding hard.

Chen Rui quickly smacked her lightly on the side, and Chen Xinxin let out an, “Ow!”

Seeing that, Professor Feng and Ten Dian both burst out laughing.

“Professor Feng, about the Moon Stone Tablet...” Ten Dian knew the airport was crowded and noisy—not the place for sensitive talk—so he trailed off before finishing.

Professor Feng cut him off right away. “You’re tired, and it’s too loud here. Let’s head back first. We’ll talk once we’re there.”

As soon as they finished talking, the group hurried out of the airport and into the parking garage. Professor Feng found his car and insisted on driving himself, taking Shi Dian, Chen Rui, and Chen Xinxin back to his place. Being in a foreign country with no real footing yet, his home was the safest option—and the easiest place to talk. It was also their first time traveling this far, so having them stay with him would help the three of them feel more grounded here, more connected to the surroundings and to him, and simply more comfortable.

To make that happen, Professor Feng had even cleared out three separate rooms for them, doing his best to make sure each of them could settle in properly.

On the drive, he kept introducing them to everyday life in the U.S.—how society worked, how the government functioned, what the economy was like, and the culture in general—hoping they’d adjust quickly, blend in sooner, avoid culture shock, and steer clear of unnecessary trouble.

“Come on, come on,” Professor Feng said warmly as he ushered the three of them inside. “Let’s drop your bags first. I’ll get you something to eat, and we can talk while we eat.”

“Go ahead and look around, get familiar with the place. It’s a bit messy—don’t mind it,” he added. Then he headed straight into the kitchen to put something together for Shi Dian, Chen Rui, and Chen Xinxin.

Professor Feng’s home was simply decorated—no flashy lighting, no expensive display pieces. Instead, there were stacks and stacks of books and a few understated, old-fashioned accents. Most of the books were about demons and summoners.

Demons, according to the text, had been summoned in the distant past from an unknown realm by people with unusual abilities. They were once the most powerful force of war on earth, until a divine war sealed them all away. A thousand years later, they were awakened again.

Over the past few weeks, he’d gradually gotten used to being a summoner. He’d also picked up bits and pieces about summoners and demons—but most of it was just folklore. And folklore is always hazy. The only things that really counted were what he could see with his own eyes: real records, real proof, their true faces.

Shidian was slowly being pulled into a world he never would’ve had access to before. It wasn’t just a “circle”—it was a whirlpool, one that could tear him apart at any moment. He could feel that much himself. Not long ago, he’d been an ordinary college student, obsessed with history. Now he wasn’t just a student anymore—he was a summoner, a summoner for reasons he still couldn’t explain. He felt it in his bones: there was weight on his shoulders, a responsibility he’d never imagined, never had the chance to face. Now he didn’t have a choice.

People say it’s fate—that every life is written in advance. Shidian used to believe that, too. But after everything that had happened, he couldn’t help questioning it. His life had changed so drastically it felt like he’d been dropped into a completely different world.

Summoners. Demons. The kind of stuff he used to see only in fantasy novels was happening to him for real. Shidian himself was a summoner, and what he could call forth were demons. He just wasn’t strong enough yet—he was basically a newborn in the summoner world. The demons he could summon were newborns, too.

The truth was, there were plenty of summoners out there. Like Shidian, many of them hadn’t chosen this life—it had been forced on them through one accident after another. Of course, there were also people who’d always known summoners and demons existed, but never had a real chance to become one. For them, becoming a summoner was the goal.

But when you really think about it, what’s so great about being a summoner?