*Chapter 10: When Shadows Wake*
Night pressed thick around Jade Spirit Academy, swallowing up all the laughter and comfort of Wandering Day. Sleep was a rare luxury—most students tossed, uneasy under strange dreams. The dorm halls buzzed in the dark, a tangle of nervous whispers and rustling blankets.
Then a roar, deep as thunder and wild as monsters, crashed through the campus. Windows rattled, lanterns quivered, and for one breathless moment, it felt like the very foundations of the school shook with old magic. Bao Yu's seedling shrank into its pot, leaves trembling. Jin Ming, spooked and wide-eyed, grabbed his pillow like a shield. Li Wei sat bolt upright, mind ablaze with every panicked thought screaming across campus. Chen Xiulan cursed softly, heart pounding.
Racing to the window, the friends saw ghostly lights swirling in the night. The marble dragons in the statue garden were moving—teeth bared, eyes glowing, slowly circling into a perfect ring. Other students, guided by teachers holding blue lanterns, streamed outside, huddling in terrified clusters as an icy wind whipped the grass flat.
Amid the chaos, Madam Zhou's figure emerged, robes swirling, her expression grave as she beckoned everyone closer.
> "The ancient contract has awakened," she called, her voice sharper than steel. "Tonight, Jade Spirit demands answers. Each of you holds secrets; each of you was chosen to break the pattern or become a part of it. Five trials await, chosen by your greatest fears and your deepest hopes. If you succeed, you may rewrite your fate. If you fail, even the moon will forget your names."
All at once, five glowing runes cracked across the garden, each threatening to swallow anyone who stepped through. Even the bravest flinched, unsure—except for Li Wei, whose calm was like a beacon.
Jin Ming forced a shaky grin. "Come on, boss. If I have to face certain doom, I'd rather not do it alone." Chen Xiulan rolled her eyes, "After you, fearless leader."
They stepped forward, hands almost linked—just barely brushing as the world changed around them. The air grew heavy, colors swam and melted, and one by one, they were plunged into darkness.
Li Wei heard only his heartbeat…and faintly, the whispered fears of his friends. Bao Yu gripped his seedling tight, recalling every lesson of courage and gentleness. Chen Xiulan tucked a lucky charm into her sleeve. Mei Fen muttered a joke about illusions never biting, and Jin Ming, for once, was silent—determined, eyes alight with hidden fire.
Together, they walked into the unknown—each step echoing with fate, friendship, and the promise that some things are worth facing, shadows or not.