The first light of dawn painted the smoldering remains of the old factory in sickly oranges and grays. Lin Che stood on a hill overlooking the ruin, the light shard in his palm glowing softly—its silver warmth a stark contrast to the cold, ash-filled air. Below, fire crews from the city's outer districts sprayed water on the rubble, their shouts mixing with the crackle of dying embers.
Su Qing joined him, wrapping a tattered cloak around her shoulders. "Li Wei talked to the firemen," she said, her voice quiet. "They found bodies—Syndicate enforcers, Zhao family thugs. But no sign of Old Man Zhao. He's gone."
Lin Che's jaw tightened. He'd hoped the collapse had trapped the man—ended his threat for good. But Old Man Zhao was slippery, always one step ahead. "He'll be back," he said. "He won't let this go. Not after we destroyed his ritual."
Xiao Ya, who'd been sitting in the grass beside Li Wei, stood and walked over. Her hands were glowing faintly green, and her face was somber. "The plants by the factory say something's wrong," she said. "The darkness… it's not all gone. There's a small piece of it—hiding. Like a seed."
Lin Che frowned. A small piece? He pulled the pouch with the Shadow Shard from his belt— the one they'd taken from the Cave of Whispers. It lay quiet inside, no trace of its red pulse. "The Shards we destroyed—were they all of them?" he asked Su Qing.
She shook her head, pulling her Arcane Manual from her pocket. She flipped to a page marked with a torn corner, her finger tracing a faded sketch of a crystal. "My grandmother's notes say there are seven Shadow Shards total. We destroyed six at the factory. One's still missing."
"One left," Lin Che murmured. The last Shard. If Old Man Zhao—or the Syndicate—found it, they could start the ritual again. Smaller, maybe, but still enough to wake the darkness.
Li Wei walked up, wiping ash from his face. "I heard rumors in the slums," he said. "The Syndicate's been asking about a 'lost Shard'—one that went missing during the Great Storm, twenty years ago. They say it's hidden in the old lighthouse on the coast. No one goes there—too remote, too many stories about ghosts."
"The coast?" Su Qing said, her eyes widening. "That's a two-day walk from here. If Old Man Zhao's already on his way…."
Lin Che closed his hand around the light shard, its glow brightening. "We have to get there first," he said. "Before he finds the last Shard. Before he has a chance to try the ritual again."
Xiao Ya nodded, her fear fading into determination. "The plants will help us," she said. "They'll show us the fastest path. And they'll warn us if Old Man Zhao's men are ahead."
They packed quickly—gathering what little food and water they had, Li Wei adding a map of the coast to their supplies (stolen from a scrapyard vendor, he admitted with a grin). By mid-morning, they were on the road, heading east—toward the coast, toward the old lighthouse, toward the last Shadow Shard.
The journey was quiet at first. They walked through empty fields, where tall grass swayed in the wind, and small villages, where farmers stared at them with curious eyes but said nothing. Xiao Ya talked to the plants along the way—asking for directions, for news of Old Man Zhao.
"He's ahead," she said on the second day, as they walked along a dirt path leading to the coast. "The dandelions say he has a small group—five men, all with Arcane energy. They're moving fast. They'll reach the lighthouse by nightfall."
Lin Che glanced at the sun—it was low in the sky, painting the clouds pink. "We need to hurry," he said, picking up his pace.
The coast came into view an hour later. A stretch of rocky shoreline, where waves crashed against the rocks, sending sprays of foam into the air. And at the end of the shore— the old lighthouse. Its stone walls were weathered, its glass windows shattered, its light long extinguished. Vines crawled up its sides, and seagulls circled overhead, their cries echoing.
"That's it," Li Wei said, pointing to the lighthouse. "The Shard's inside—if the rumors are true."
They approached cautiously, sticking to the rocks to avoid being seen. As they got closer, Lin Che saw it: footprints in the sand, leading to the lighthouse's entrance. Fresh footprints.
"Old Man Zhao's already here," Su Qing whispered, her hand going to her knife.
Lin Che nodded, signaling for them to stay low. He crept toward the entrance— a wooden door, rotted and splintered, hanging off its hinges. He peeked inside, his heart racing.
The lighthouse's ground floor was empty, save for piles of debris and broken furniture. But stairs wound up the wall, leading to the upper levels—and Lin Che could hear voices, faint but clear, coming from the top.
Old Man Zhao's voice.
"…the Shard is in the light chamber," he was saying. "Find it. And be quick—Lin Che and his little friends will be here soon."
Lin Che pulled back, turning to the others. "He's looking for the Shard too," he said. "We need to get to the light chamber first. Li Wei, you and Xiao Ya stay here—keep watch. If his men come down, stop them. Su Qing, you're with me."
Li Wei nodded, gripping his crowbar. Xiao Ya's hands glowed green, her eyes fixed on the lighthouse entrance. "Be careful," she said.
Lin Che and Su Qing slipped inside, closing the door behind them. The stairs were narrow and steep, their stone steps slippery with moss. They climbed quietly, the voices growing louder as they ascended.
The light chamber was at the top— a circular room with a large, broken lens in the center. Old Man Zhao stood there, his back to them, along with two Syndicate enforcers. On the floor, beneath the lens, was a small, black crystal— the last Shadow Shard. It pulsed with faint red energy, its darkness making the air feel cold.
"There it is," Old Man Zhao said, reaching for the Shard.
"Stop!" Lin Che shouted.
Old Man Zhao spun around, his eyes narrowing when he saw them. "You're too late," he sneered. He grabbed the Shard, holding it up. "With this, the ritual can begin again. The darkness will wake— and this time, there's nothing you can do to stop it."
The enforcers lunged, their hands glowing with red Arcane energy. Su Qing tackled one, slamming him into the wall, while Lin Che dodged the other, swinging his knife. The enforcer grunted, falling to the floor, and Lin Che turned to Old Man Zhao— who was already heading for the stairs.
"Su Qing, the Shard!" Lin Che shouted.
Su Qing nodded, grabbing the enforcer's club and chasing after Old Man Zhao. Lin Che knelt beside the other enforcer, tying his hands with rope, then ran to help Su Qing.
He found them on the stairs— Old Man Zhao had pushed Su Qing, and she was lying on the steps, her ankle twisted. Old Man Zhao was halfway down, the Shadow Shard in his hand.
"Su Qing!" Lin Che shouted, kneeling beside her.
"I'm okay," she said, wincing. "Go—stop him. Don't let him get away with the Shard."
Lin Che nodded, kissing her forehead, then ran down the stairs. He burst through the entrance— and stopped.
Old Man Zhao was standing in the sand, surrounded by Li Wei and Xiao Ya. Li Wei had his crowbar raised, and Xiao Ya's hands were glowing bright green— vines wrapping around Old Man Zhao's legs, trapping him.
"Let me go!" Old Man Zhao snarled, trying to break free.
Lin Che walked toward him, the light shard in his hand glowing brighter. "Give up," he said. "You're outnumbered. The Shard's not yours."
Old Man Zhao laughed, a bitter, desperate sound. He raised the Shadow Shard, his eyes glowing red. "If I can't have it… no one can!"
He slammed the Shard into the ground.
A burst of red energy exploded outward, sending Lin Che, Li Wei, and Xiao Ya flying. The ground shook, and the waves crashed against the rocks, sending sprays of water over the shore. Old Man Zhao screamed as the Shard's darkness wrapped around him— like a snake, coiling tighter and tighter.
Lin Che stood, staggering, and ran toward the Shard. He held up the light shard, its silver glow flaring, and pressed it to the Shadow Shard.
The two crystals collided— silver and red light exploding in a blinding flash. The darkness faded, the Shard shattering into dust, and Old Man Zhao collapsed to the ground, his body limp.
The light faded, and silence fell.
Lin Che knelt beside Old Man Zhao, checking his pulse.
"He's dead," he said, standing up.
The last Shadow Shard was gone. The ritual was over. The darkness was stopped.
Su Qing, limping, joined them. Li Wei and Xiao Ya stood beside her, their faces pale but relieved.
"We did it," Xiao Ya said, her voice trembling. "The plants… they're happy. The darkness is gone."
Lin Che looked at the ocean, where the sun was setting— painting the sky in shades of purple and gold. He held the light shard in his hand, its glow soft now, almost peaceful.
The journey had been long. Hard. They'd lost friends, fought enemies, faced their fears. But they'd done it. They'd saved the city. Saved the forest. Saved the world.
But as he looked at his friends— Su Qing, Li Wei, Xiao Ya— he knew it wasn't over. There would be other threats. Other battles. But they'd face them together.
Lin Che smiled, holding out his hand. "Let's go home," he said.
They took his hand, and together, they walked along the shore— toward the village, toward the slums, toward a future free of darkness.
The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed faintly, a silent promise.
The awakened one's journey would continue. But for now, they could rest.
And that was enough.