I had barely closed the curtains when morning came with pounding at my door. Still groggy, I stumbled downstairs and opened it. Manny and Eqihr stood on the threshold, rain-damp and stern.
"Let us in," Eqihr said.
They entered quickly, and Manny wasted no time. "The war's worse than we thought. Entire fronts are burning."
I frowned. "How did you finish your training so quickly?"
Manny exchanged a glance with Eqihr. "Katon Lunar came to me. Like Yanu came to you. But his vision… it was darker. Destructive."
Eqihr folded his arms. "The townsfolk already whisper about you. They say the Yang spirit healed their soldiers with miracles."
I nodded slightly. "I did what I could."
Manny leaned forward. "I discovered something too. I can call down meteors."
The thought churned uneasily in my stomach, but another question pressed harder. "Eqihr—yesterday I saw a man with a sword that had a scaled handle. What does that mean?"
He stiffened, then spoke carefully. "There are four. Dragon for flame. Lizard for truth. Pangolin for sanctuary. Skink for concealment. They are ancient markers of power."
I remembered Chief Lunar's weapon. "What about the snake? His sword had a serpent hilt. That's scales too."
Eqihr's expression hardened. "Where?"
"He was holding Mai's family hostage," I said. "The man claimed to be Katon's descendant."
Eqihr fell silent, but the worry in his eyes said enough.
Before Manny could speak again, another knock rattled the door. Eqihr opened it, and a group of armored men and a single woman stood outside. The woman, with short black hair framing her sharp face, stepped forward.
"Is this the residence of the YinYang users?" she asked.
"It is," Eqihr answered.
"The head of Yuki requests your presence."
The hall of the town leader was gilded with pillars and guards lining the walls. Activity buzzed everywhere. Inside, Eqihr was told to wait outside—privacy, they said. Manny and I stepped in alone.
The leader stood near a bookshelf, tall and deliberate in his movements. His eyes scanned us with a faint scowl.
"What a pleasure to meet you… boys?"
Manny introduced us. "I'm Manny. This is my brother, Goshi."
The man's lips tightened. He expected more than two teenagers. Still, he gave a shallow nod. "Unexpected. But the great ones deserve respect, no matter their age."
He folded his hands behind his back. "I assume you've heard of the war?"
"We know," I said.
"Then answer me this." He stepped closer, gaze piercing. "Will you fight with us?"
I thought the question would be harder. But that was why we'd come. "Yes," I answered without pause.
Manny hesitated, but Eqihr had told us to commit. He gave a reluctant nod.
"Good," the leader said. Yet something about his words unsettled me. He had started with us. Ended with I. As though someone else pulled the strings behind him.
We were dismissed quickly.
Outside, one of the soldiers from before approached, bringing along his younger brother.
"I told you I'd bring him," he said nervously.
I knelt. "What's wrong?"
"He has Dragon Death," the man whispered. "The deadliest disease in Pansen."
The boy stepped forward, trembling. I pressed my hand to his head. Energy surged from me, glowing green this time, and the ground shivered faintly underfoot. When the aura faded, I asked, "How will you know?"
The older brother checked his sibling's back. His eyes widened. The spreading mark was gone.
He turned to me in awe, speechless.
Manny murmured, "Incredible."
Before relief could settle, light split the air. Two flashes clashed in the courtyard—Eqihr and a masked figure wielding a pangolin-handled sword.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
The stranger's voice rasped from behind the mask. "A visitor. Which means, Eqihr, the five scales are revived once more."
Their swords cracked together, beams of energy whipping out like ropes. Blue against gold, lashing across the square. Townsfolk screamed and scattered. Manny, the boy, his brother, and I scrambled for cover.
The beams swung dangerously close. One strike arced toward the child. Instinct carried me forward.
"Goshi, wait—" Manny lunged ahead of me, shielding the boy.
He couldn't heal. He'd die.
I shoved him aside, taking the blast myself.
The world tore open. White fire across my chest. My vision went black at the edges.
I heard screaming. The ground shook as buildings cracked. Smoke filled the air. Manny was gone. Eqihr too, though his sword lay discarded in the rubble.
I pushed to one knee, coughing blood.
"That's him," a voice snarled.
A shadow slammed down, crushing me into the stone. The ground caved beneath the impact. Pain ripped through me as blood spilled from my mouth.
Through the blur, two figures loomed. Chief Lunar, snake-sword gleaming, and beside him the masked wielder of the pangolin blade—revealed now as a man no older than Manny.
Chief Lunar pointed the serpent's edge at my chest. His words were cold, final.
"Goodnight."
Black chains erupted from the blade, wrapping me tight. They constricted, crushing, dragging the air from my lungs.
My vision dimmed. The last thing I felt was the chains squeezing until the world went silent.