When heaven and earth first took shape, an ancient stele stood atop Kunlun Ruins. It bore no words, only patterns, and was called the Chronicle of the Years. The stele divided into twelve branches, corresponding to the twelve divisions of time and taking the form of twelve creatures, known to the world as the Chinese zodiac. Zi marked the beginning, Hai the end; the Six Harmonies linked them, the Three Harmonies formed rings, and the Six Clashes stood opposed. Together, they maintained the order of heaven and earth. But disaster struck once every thousand years: the patterns were eaten away, the stele eroded, and time fell into disorder as the twelve branches broke apart. From then on, those meant to be in harmony were separated, while those meant to clash turned on one another. And so a secret buried deep in the years began to unfold, slowly, from a single ember of rat-fire on the verge of going out.
