(Continued from Part 1)
A small scale, dark gold, embedded in his skin. Warm to the touch. New.
He turned on his phone's flashlight. There it was—under his skin, like an ancient tattoo. He touched it. Warm. Raised.
He ran to the bathroom. Scrubbed his hand with cold water. Rubbed until the skin turned red, almost raw. The scale stayed.
He looked up at the mirror.
Pale face. Red-rimmed eyes. Cracked lips. A normal kid who'd had a nightmare.
But his eyes.
Around his pupils, a thin ring of gold.
Not a trick of the light. Not his imagination.
Something was waking up.
Lin Yuan stepped back, hit the bathroom door. The motion light in the hallway flickered on, then off. He stood there, staring at the stranger in the mirror.
Who the hell was he?
(End of Part 2)