Xu Wang's palms burned, his fingers tingling with the raw pulse of the Anahata Qi Technique. He could feel it coursing through him, a current of power that surged and recoiled, refusing to bend to his will. His vision blurred as he steadied his stance, feet rooted in the training courtyard, sweat soaking through his robes.
"Focus," Zhu Sun's voice was calm, firm, echoing through the still air. The Sun Clan leader watched him with piercing eyes, arms crossed behind his back, his presence a heavy weight pressing down on Xu's shoulders. "Feel the rhythm of your heart. Let it guide the flow of Qi."
Xu tried. He closed his eyes, seeking the steady thrum of his heartbeat, willing the energy to follow its cadence. But the Anahata Qi was wild, untamed—each beat sent it lashing out like a serpent, breaking his focus. A crackle of light burst from his fingertips, scorching the ground.
His eyes snapped open, breath ragged. "I... I can't control it."
Zhu Sun's expression softened, a rare flicker of empathy breaking through his stern facade. "You were chosen for this. The Anahata Qi responds only to the one who holds the potential to reshape this world. You must master it, or it will consume you."
Chosen. The word lingered in Xu's mind, heavy and cold. Chosen to fulfill a prophecy he barely understood, to bear the weight of a destiny thrust upon him without his consent. But Zhu Sun's gaze offered no room for defiance, only expectation.
A shadow shifted at the edge of the courtyard. Xu's heart skipped as he turned, finding Li Wang standing silently beneath the archway, her face half-hidden in the shade. She watched him, her eyes distant, unreadable. Since his private training had begun, she had grown more withdrawn, her laughter faded, her presence a whisper on the wind.
She stepped forward, her movements graceful, almost fluid—as if she were gliding rather than walking. "You're pushing yourself too hard." Her voice was soft, carrying an undertone of worry she tried to mask. "If you break yourself trying to master that power, what good will it do?"
Xu forced a smile, though his chest tightened. "I don't have a choice. Zhu Sun—"
"Zhu Sun expects too much." Her interruption was sharp, her gaze hardening. "You're not a weapon to be forged. You're..." She stopped herself, eyes flickering with hesitation before she looked away. "You're more than that."
The silence between them grew heavy, laden with words unspoken. Xu opened his mouth to respond, but a low hum filled the air, faint yet piercing. Li flinched, her body stiffening as her eyes lost focus, pupils dilating. Her breathing grew shallow, her lips parting as if she were about to scream—then she was still, face blank, expression hollow.
Xu reached for her, panic flaring. "Li! Li, what's wrong?"
She blinked, her eyes clearing. She looked at him, confusion clouding her face. "I... I heard them again. The voices... they were calling my name."
A chill ran down Xu's spine. "Voices?"
Li nodded, her fingers brushing her temple as if trying to soothe a lingering pain. "They whisper... no, they chant. In a language I don't understand. But it feels familiar, like... like a memory I've forgotten." Her eyes grew distant again, haunted. "They called me by a name I don't know... but it felt like mine."
Xu's heart pounded. Li's visions were getting worse. Since touching the Qi Resonance Crystal, she had changed. Her movements were faster, sharper—almost inhuman. And the visions... they were growing more vivid, more consuming.
"Maybe we should tell Zhu Sun," Xu said, but the words tasted bitter. Trusting Zhu Sun felt dangerous, yet he was the only one who might understand.
"No." Li's voice was cold, her eyes hardening with a resolve that made Xu's blood run cold. "Zhu Sun knows more than he says. I feel it. I see it... in the visions. We can't trust him."
The weight of her words pressed down on Xu, and the courtyard seemed to darken, shadows creeping along the stone walls. He glanced at the palace beyond, its golden spires gleaming under the sun's light, a beautiful facade hiding deadly secrets.
Zhu Sun's voice echoed in his mind. *You must master it, or it will consume you.*
But whose will was truly being imposed? The Qi's... or Zhu Sun's?
He looked back at Li, her figure delicate yet unyielding, her face pale but fierce. Whatever darkness awaited them, they would face it together.
The prophecy loomed, heavy and ominous, its truth still shrouded in mystery. But Xu swore he would not become its pawn.
Not without a fight.
To be continued....