The first vision materialized with unsettling clarity—a tranquil mountain lake surrounded by ancient pines, its surface perfectly still under moonlight. The peaceful scene shattered as the water suddenly churned, and a figure emerged from its depths—a boy with golden eyes, his form wreathed in darkness, water cascading from his body as he moved with inhuman grace toward the shore. There, a group of robed cultivators waited, their expressions shifting from reverence to horror as they realized something was wrong.