A FIRE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Amidst the roaring sky of heaven, flashes of fire split the darkness. The sound of clashing swords and the cries of the gods echoed through the clouds. The Immortal Sky was on fire.

Zhao Ming, the god of fire, held back the blood flowing from the wound on his temple. His normally gleaming red robe was now tattered and charred in places. Breathless, he stood on a throne of clouds, gazing at the chaos unfolding before him. Magnificent palaces that had stood for thousands of years were now collapsing one by one, struck down by the fury of Ying Feng and his army.

"There are too many of them," Mei Lian whispered beside him, her voice barely audible in the storm. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind of destruction, and her eyes that were as beautiful as jade gems radiated a fear that Zhao Ming had never seen before.

"We must endure," Zhao Ming replied with a deep voice that showed no hesitation. His hand tightly grasped Pilu Feng Huang, the legendary sword given by the Jade Emperor that could only be controlled by a fire god.

As if hearing his challenge, a golden beam of light pierced through the storm clouds. Guan Yu Xian, the Jade Emperor, descended in his white dragon chariot. His normally calm face was now full of tinges of sadness.

"Zhao Ming, you must leave," he commanded sternly, his voice like a thunderclap that made the entire sky tremble.

"Your Majesty, I can't leave this battle," Zhao Ming refused, his red eyes flashing. "I am your commander. My place is here."

Guan Yu Xian shook her head slowly. "This isn't just a battle, my son. This is the end of everything. Ying Feng has released a power that shouldn't be released. The Heaven Immortal is dying."

"Then why should I go?" asked Zhao Ming, confusion filling his heart.

The emperor took out an old map that glowed bluish. "The Nine Flame Mirror," he said. "Only that artifact can restore the balance of the universe. Only you can find it."

"Where?" asked Zhao Ming, accepting the map with trembling hands.

"In the mortal world. In the center of the Tang Dynasty that was reaching the peak of its glory." Guan Yu Xian looked at Mei Lian who stood beside Zhao Ming. "And you can't go with him, Mei Lian. The wind must still blow in the Eternal Sky, even when dying."

Tears flowed down Mei Lian's cheeks. "But, Your Highness..."

"There is no time!" the emperor exclaimed. In the distance, Ying Feng's winged army was getting closer, bringing destruction with every flap of their wings. "Zhao Ming, you should leave now."

Zhao Ming looked at Mei Lian, despair radiating from both of their eyes. "I'll be back," he promised, his voice breaking. "I'll find that mirror and save us all."

Mei Lian shook her head, tears glistening on her pale cheeks. "There's no guarantee you'll remember me," she whispered. "Traveling to the mortal world will erase most of your memories."

Before Zhao Ming could reply, Mei Lian removed her jade necklace and placed it around her lover's neck. "Keep this. Maybe one day, you'll remember where it came from."

Guan Yu Xian raised her hand, and a portal glowed under Zhao Ming's feet. "Go, god of fire. The fate of the two worlds is in your hands."

Zhao Ming tried to resist, but the Emperor's strength was unmatched. His feet began to sink into the portal. The last thing he saw was Mei Lian's face screaming his name, before everything went dark.

The Gobi sun was merciless. The golden sand reflected the light with an intensity that could blind ordinary eyes. A caravan of silk merchants moved slowly along the edge of the desert, the wheels of their wagons squeaking against the heat.

"Look at that!" shouted an old merchant, pointing to the sky.

Just above their heads, the normally bright blue sky suddenly cracked like broken ceramics. A black hole appeared and from within it, a human figure fell at a terrifying speed.

"A shooting star in broad daylight?" a young merchant asked in amazement.

"It's not a star, idiot. It's a person!" the caravan leader shouted, immediately directing his horse towards where the mysterious figure fell.

Zhao Ming lay half-buried in the sands of the Gobi, his burnt red robe moving softly in the desert wind. Around his neck, a jade necklace emitted a strange soft luster. There were no wounds on his body-a miracle, considering the height from which he fell.

"He's alive," the caravan leader said after checking his heartbeat. "Help me lift him onto the wagon."

Among the rows of merchants, a well-built man with a scar on his face eyed Zhao Ming suspiciously. His name was Lang Fei, a former bandit leader who joined the caravan to cover his identity. There was something unusual about this man who had fallen from the sky, and his keen instincts told him that his presence would bring about great change.

"You can't just take a stranger," Lang Fei protested. "What if he's a dangerous person?"

The caravan leader shook his head. "We don't leave anyone behind in the desert, Lang Fei. That's an unwritten law of the silk merchants."

When they transferred Zhao Ming to the carriage, his jade necklace sparkled even brighter. His lips moved, uttering a name that no one in the caravan understood.

"Mei... Lian..."

In Chang'an, the magnificent capital of the Tang Dynasty, a young woman named Xiao Ying woke up with a gasp. Her heart was beating fast as if she had just run for miles. Cold sweat soaked his sleeping clothes.

He got up from the bed and walked to the window of the palace observatory tower. The night sky was filled with flashing stars, as if whispering the secrets of the universe. Xiao Ying, the palace astronomer, knew the pattern of the stars well. But tonight, something was different.

"The fire star has shifted," she murmured, her finger tracing the constellation patterns on her old sky map. "The sky has changed."

Without realizing it, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Tears for someone she did not know, yet somehow, felt so close.

In his luxurious private room, Crown Prince Li Chen looked into an ancient gold-framed mirror. The mirror did not reflect his face, but instead displayed a scene of clouds and burning palaces. His lips curved into a cold smile.

"So, he has arrived," he said to the void. "Let us see how formidable the god of fire is without his powers."

The mirror shimmered once, then returned to being an ordinary mirror. Prince Li Chen turned around, his black eyes momentarily turning golden like an eagle's, before returning to normal.

Outside the palace walls, the Chang'an night breeze carried the scent of change. Two worlds that should have been separate were now beginning to collide. And in the middle of the Gobi desert, a god who lost his memory was embarking on a journey that would decide the fate of the universe.