Pressed against the wall, I debated when to act. The truth was, I didn't know how to fight. No armor, no weapons—and powers I didn't understand. My Yang abilities felt like a stranger living in my skin.
I peeked around the corner and used my old rank 2 ability, pushing a pile of wood into the smoldering fire pit, hoping the sparks would flare. I forced my focus into the ring, and for the first time, I felt a steady current of energy flow through me. The flames roared higher, and suddenly my hands jerked skyward. Thunder cracked overhead, splitting the night open.
The sound rattled the village. Doors slammed open, people poured out, and the intruders froze, startled. Then lightning fell. Blinding, furious, it struck the attackers and set their bodies ablaze. Their screams carried into the darkness, scattering the survivors back into the trees.
When my arms dropped, exhaustion crushed me. I collapsed first to my knees, then sideways into the dirt. The villagers rushed about in confusion, scouting the square. Mai's father stood by the charred remains. His voice was low, but each word cut like steel:"The other villages know."
I didn't know what he meant, but the weight of it sank in. He'd said before that the YinYang spirits protected this land. Maybe that spirit had forced its way through me, using my body to shield this village.
I staggered upright, clutching my shoulder. My right arm ached as if the energy had torn something inside. Mai hurried over, her eyes widening. "Your hair," she whispered.
I frowned, confused. She plucked a strand from my head and held it up—it was white. My scalp tingled. Half my hair had turned pale without me realizing.
Before I could react, her father approached, his tone commanding. "What happened here?"
Breathless, I explained: strangers had come looking for the Yang spirit. His jaw tightened. He barked orders to the guards: they'd patrol by day as well as night. To the villagers, he urged calm, sending them back to their huts. To his men, he gave a darker command—dispose of the bodies.
Mai left quietly. Poe clapped my shoulder with a grin. "Looks like the Yang spirit saved us again." I forced a weak laugh and followed him toward the hut. Out of the corner of my eye, a shadow flickered—lingering longer this time. I turned, but nothing was there. Xain, Mai's youngest brother, shoved me inside. "Quit blocking the door." I stumbled, caught by someone's arm, and knew the rest of the night wouldn't be kind.
Morning came with no peace. Mai's father roused the men and herded us to the training grounds. We waited until he arrived, spear and shield in hand. He chose me again as his target.
He hurled the spear—it vanished mid-flight. My instincts screamed, and I dove aside. His clones appeared, gripping spears invisible to my eyes. They charged. I realized the trick: the spears weren't gone—they were cloaked, unseen until too late. Clever, cruel.
The ring on my finger pulsed gold-white. My arm jerked to unleash something, but I fought it down, terrified of hurting anyone. My body buckled, and I collapsed, ridiculous in the dirt. His clone jabbed me hard in the chest, knocking me back.
The spear's tip pressed against my forehead. "I would be embarrassed to be your brother," he sneered.
The world slipped away. I fell into a boundless ocean beneath a blinding white sky. I couldn't move. A voice echoed through me:"Give me control. Give me you."
Light pulled a strand from my chest—my life itself unraveling. Panic crushed me. I fought, grabbed hold, and dragged it back. With a snap, the energy rushed into me. The ocean folded inward, consumed, and I awoke.
The spear was still at my head. I smacked it away and rolled to my feet. His clones swarmed, spears flashing. I ducked, slid, rolled, every move pure desperation. They boxed me in, closing like a crossroad with no exit.
I searched—where was the real one? The clones drew tight, raising weapons. He must be hidden. Hut ahead. Boulder left. My gut told me the boulder.
The spears whistled. They vanished, but my body felt threads of energy binding me, restricting my movements. He stepped from behind the rock and hurled his spear."If you are truly the Yang holder, evade this."
I froze. I couldn't move. But then—something clicked. My body stepped through the threads, as though they were smoke. I raised my palm, and he rose into the air, helpless.
Shouts tore through the training ground: "Let him go!" But I couldn't stop. Energy spiraled around me in an endless loop, climbing higher. Villagers ran to intervene. My other hand lifted, and they were flung back like leaves in a gale.
Darkness. Inside again. The light took form this time—as a woman. She cradled a younger version of me, rocking gently. My stomach turned cold as I realized what she was doing: using that boy, that fragment of me, to consume the rest.
"Get off me!" I screamed. The ground shook. She looked up, calm, and pushed her hand into my chest. Pain exploded. Then she was gone—leaving me trembling, half-emptied, half-whole, and terrified of what was still inside.