Pillar of Yita

The air was silent for a moment, white mist rose gradually from the mouth of the teacup on the desk, shifting in shape, as if one could hear the distant clanging sound of a ship’s bell outside the window, a white sail raised as the ship was leaving port.

Su Changfeng looked at Fang Hong, who was standing there in a daze, and continued: ”Both your father and mother were eligible to be Invokers, they stayed in Eteliria for quite some time. Simply put, they were Invokers. Do you still remember the hospital where you were born?”

Fang Hong stood there, experiencing a sensation of quietness in his head, as if he was detached from his own perspective, listening to a story that was unrelated to him through another identity. Memories before the age of six were fragmented, and impressions of his parents were long vague, yet he had heard the name of his birthplace from his uncle and aunt:

Central Hospital, Qionghua City District 1.

”You’ve never looked up that place, have you? It’s not far from Wenchang, and before the Space Elevator was constructed, it was home to the previous generation’s orbital launchers, one of the several emerging cities that rose with the space trend in the mid-last century. But the era is too far gone, your history books might mention it. Since Stargate Port was built, the mass projectors there retired and sealed, the place slowly transformed from a talent reserve base to a return port for Invokers...”

Su Changfeng spoke calmly, while Fang Hong listened quietly. Some people suddenly get curious about their origins and birth, but his uncle’s family took care of him through childhood. He heard some things about his parents, though not in detail. In silent moments, he sometimes wondered why his parents were so irresponsible, abandoning him and never returning. It wasn’t until much later that he truly understood the meaning of that departure.

Regarding the death of his parents, he only knew it was due to an air crash. Considering his emotions, his uncle and aunt seldom mentioned it. However, he could still find details of that air crash online, of the airline, time, and flight number. The plane went missing near Moscow, vanished at the Kyrgyzstan border, a week later the wreckage was found, with no survivors among the passengers.

He didn’t know why they went there, perhaps work-related, but his uncle and aunt never mentioned a word about his parents’ work. He could only guess some reasons, and that’s why he got interested in the world at a young age.

Guessing and verifying are separated by a vast gap; he never thought his parents were Invokers. Since its inception, the Stargate has created countless related jobs, and those in Super Competitive sectors were not necessarily Adventurers from another world.

”...The Central Hospital of Qionghua City District 1 was actually a psychological counseling and rehabilitation center for Invokers. The so-called District 1 is the Airport District; only such emerging cities have such administrative planning, at least until they were dismantled about ten years ago.”

”Due to confidentiality agreements, we only found information about your parents from your birth records. Your father was part of the second batch of Invokers, Fang Zi, born July 9, 2082, male, Han nationality, entered the Stargate at age fifteen. Your mother was part of the third batch to enter the Stargate, He Xiyue, born June 12, 2086, female, Han nationality, entered the Stargate at age fourteen as a reserve talent for the Stargate Program.”

”Tracing this information, we found your parents’ last departure from the Starport was around November 2112. They returned because the woman was pregnant; the Starport Medical Center suggested treatment on Earth. The assigned psychological guidance and rehabilitation center was precisely the Central Hospital in Qionghua City District 1. And about half a year later, you were born there.”

Su Changfeng paused, ”About seventeen years ago to be exact.”

Fang Hong opened his mouth.

Inside, he felt neither turbulent waves nor peacefulness but rather a calm surprise, as if listening to a story from a past era.

Compared to ordinary people, it was a legendary experience. He pictured his parents in his mind: bold, venturesome, gambler mentality, and extraordinary courage—all descriptions of that generation of Invokers. What kind of people were his parents, Fang Zi and He Xiyue? These names always felt unfamiliar every time he saw them, yet oddly familiar.

The white mist from the teacup rose higher, transforming into the shape of a sail.

In the swirling fog, Su Changfeng seemed to have guessed his reaction, calmly said: ”If circumstances allow, we wouldn’t mind talking to you about your parents. But regarding their experiences After the Star Gate, we actually don’t know much. Human understanding of the world After the Star Gate, in the face of this complex configuration, remains as naive as a child...”

”...But we did at least find your parents’ IDs in the records.” Slowly reaching into his pocket, he drew out a paper slip and handed it to Fang Hong. ”Your father’s ID was Sword Hong, a bird flying to afar, and your mother’s ID was part of her name, Xiyue, so you might have guessed, that’s where your name comes from.”

Fang Hong quietly accepted the paper, on which were portraits of his parents, much younger than he had ever imagined. He resembled his mother, without inheriting his father’s tall and handsome traits, appearing somewhat quieter and composed. The paper had those IDs written in a hasty handwriting.