Rain fell in cold sheets across the training yard, turning the packed earth to mud. Kira stood in formation with twenty other disciples, all of them soaked to the bone, their breath forming white clouds in the chill morning air. Master Jin stood before them, his grey robes dark with water but his posture as straight as ever.
"Today you face your first collective trial," he called out, his voice cutting through the drumming rain. "The Test of Stones. You will work in pairs to carry a stone block from the quarry at the base of the mountain to the top of Whispering Ridge. The block weighs two hundred pounds. You will not use internal energy to lighten the load—only your strength, your balance, and your ability to work as one."
He gestured to a row of rough-hewn stone blocks lined up along the yard's edge. "Choose your partners. The first pair to reach the ridge top and return will earn the right to train with our senior warriors. The last pair will clean the entire training complex for a month—and run the ridge climb twice daily for the next week."
Kira turned to find Ren already walking toward her. "I was hoping we'd be paired," he said, pushing wet hair from his eyes. "You've got good balance, and I've got the upper body strength to help with the lift."
They made their way to the blocks, each one as tall as Kira's waist and wide enough to span both their shoulders. Together, they bent down and slid their hands beneath the rough stone. On Master Jin's signal, they lifted.
The weight hit Kira like a physical blow, driving the air from her lungs. Her legs trembled, and she felt herself tipping backward before Ren adjusted his grip, shifting the balance.
"Steady," he grunted. "Bend your knees more—use your legs, not your back."
Kira followed his advice, straightening slowly as they found their rhythm. Each step was a struggle—mud sucked at their feet, the stone dug into their shoulders, and the rain made every surface slick and dangerous. They moved in slow, careful unison, their breath synchronized.
"Look ahead," Ren said as they reached the steep path up the ridge. "Focus on the top—one step at a time."
Halfway up, they passed another pair of disciples who'd stopped to rest, their stone block sitting in the middle of the path. The two were arguing—one wanted to keep going, the other insisted they needed to catch their breath.
"Keep moving," Kira said to Ren as they carefully stepped around the block. "If we stop, we'll lose our momentum."
But the delay had cost them time. When they reached the ridge top, three pairs were already waiting, their blocks set neatly beside the stone marker. Kira and Ren lowered their block with a heavy thud, both of them gasping for air, their shoulders raw and bleeding beneath their robes.
"Good work," Master Jin said, appearing beside them unexpectedly. "But you still have much to learn about trust. When you passed the stalled pair, you could have stopped to help them. A true warrior does not just seek to win—they ensure their companions can keep moving forward."
Kira looked down at her hands, muddy and scraped raw. She'd been so focused on finishing first that she hadn't thought about the others. Her father's words echoed in her mind: "Honor is not about winning battles—it is about doing what is right."
"Can we help them?" she asked.
Master Jin's lips curved in the faintest of smiles. "That is for you to decide."
Without another word, Kira and Ren lifted their block again and carried it back down the ridge to where the stalled pair sat, exhausted and defeated.
"Let us help you," Kira said to the two disciples—a boy named Tao and a girl named Lin. "We'll carry your block together."
Tao looked up, his face pale with effort. "We'll slow you down. You were almost first."
"Winning means nothing if we leave others behind," Ren said, already positioning himself beside their block.
The four of them worked together, two on each side, lifting the combined weight of both blocks. It was heavier than anything Kira had ever tried to move, but with four sets of hands and four pairs of legs working in unison, they found a rhythm. They took turns leading, calling out steps and warnings about slick spots on the path.
By the time they reached the ridge top again, the rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds. All the other pairs were waiting, their blocks lined up in a neat row. No one had left—they'd all waited to see if Kira's group would make it.
"Time is not the only measure of success," Master Jin announced, walking along the line of blocks. "Speed shows strength. But cooperation shows wisdom. Today, every pair who finished did so with honor. But Kira, Ren, Tao, and Lin have shown us what it means to be part of a sect—a family bound by more than just training."
He gestured to the four of them. "You will all train with our senior warriors. And as for the penalty—there will be none. The Test of Stones was never about being first. It was about remembering that we are stronger together than we are alone."
That afternoon, as Kira sat in the healing hall while Master Mei cleaned and bandaged her raw shoulders, Ren joined them, carrying a bowl of hot vegetable stew.
"Tao and Lin wanted me to thank you," he said, handing her the bowl. "They've been training together for months but never really trusted each other before today."
Kira took a spoonful of stew, the warmth spreading through her cold body. "I should be thanking you. You taught me that winning isn't everything."
"Master Jin taught us both that today," Ren replied. "He says the Iron Phoenix Sect doesn't understand that—they train warriors to be solitary and competitive, to see every other warrior as an enemy. That's why they're so powerful, but also so fragile. When one part fails, the whole structure crumbles."
Master Mei finished wrapping Kira's shoulders and patted her gently on the back. "Your internal energy is growing stronger every day, Kira. I can feel it when I treat your wounds—it helps you heal faster, recover more quickly. But remember—energy without control is like fire without a hearth. It will burn whatever it touches."
She opened a small cabinet and pulled out a vial of clear liquid. "This is Moon Dew—collected from the leaves of the night-blooming moonflower that grows on Whispering Ridge. It will help calm your energy, keep it from becoming too wild."
Kira took the vial, its contents cool and shimmering like watered silver. "When can I start learning to use my energy in combat?"
"Not yet," Master Mei said firmly. "You must first learn to control it in daily life—to move it through your body at will, to calm it when you're angry or excited. Many young warriors rush to use their energy and end up hurting themselves—or others. Your father would not want that for you."
That night, Kira climbed Whispering Ridge alone, carrying the vial of Moon Dew. She wanted to see the moonflower for herself, to understand the source of the liquid that would help her master her power.
At the top of the ridge, in a small clearing sheltered by rocks, she found it—a single flower, its petals white as snow, glowing with a soft silver light. It bloomed only in the light of the full moon, its scent sweet and sharp like pine and honey.
She sat beside it, pulling out the Scroll of the Twin Moons and opening it to the second page. This time, she could read the ancient script more clearly, as if her growing energy was helping her understand the words:
"The moonflower blooms in darkness, drawing strength from the night. So too must the warrior draw strength from their struggles. But like the flower that closes at dawn, they must know when to rest, when to let their power lie dormant. For even the brightest light will burn out if left unchecked."
Kira uncorked the vial and poured a few drops onto the scroll. The liquid spread across the parchment, and the ink seemed to glow, the twin moons on the page appearing to move and swirl in an endless dance. She felt her internal energy rise in response, warm and steady, but now it was calm—no longer the wild flame it had been in the ruins of her home, but a controlled fire that she could feel flowing through her veins at will.
She closed her eyes and focused, moving the energy from her core to her shoulders, where the bandages covered her raw skin. She could feel it soothing the pain, knitting the torn flesh together. When she opened her eyes again, the ache was gone, and the bandages were already loosening from healed skin.
Footsteps crunched on gravel behind her. Master Jin stood at the edge of the clearing, watching her with approval.
"You are learning," he said. "Not just how to be strong, but how to be wise. That is the mark of a true warrior."
He sat beside her, looking out over the valley below. "Your father used to come here to meditate. He said the moonflower reminded him that even in the darkest times, there is beauty—and strength to be found."
"Master Jin," Kira said quietly. "Why did the Iron Phoenix Sect really attack my clan? It can't just be about the scroll."
Master Jin was silent for a long moment. "There are forces at work in the martial world that you cannot yet understand. Lord Vex claims he wants to unify all sects, but his true goal is control. The Scroll of the Twin Moons is just one piece of a much larger puzzle—a puzzle that could either bring peace to our world, or destroy it completely."
He turned to look at her, his eyes serious. "That is why you must be patient, Kira. Why you must master not just your body and your energy, but your mind and your heart. The day will come when you must face the Iron Phoenix Sect, when you must decide the fate of not just your clan, but all the martial world. When that day comes, you must be ready to choose wisely."
Kira looked at the glowing moonflower, at the scroll in her hands, at the valley spread out below. She was no longer the scared girl who'd fled her burning home. She was a warrior in training, carrying the weight of her clan's legacy and the hopes of the Silent Cloud Sect.
The path ahead was long, and the choices she would have to make would not be easy. But she was ready to walk that path—to learn, to grow, and to honor her family's memory by becoming the kind of warrior the world needed.
She stood up, rolling the scroll and tucking it into her belt. Together with Master Jin, she began the walk back down the ridge, her steps light and sure, her heart calm and clear.
The Test of Stones had taught her more than just how to work with others. It had taught her that true strength was not about standing alone—it was about knowing when to reach out and help someone else stand beside you.