A familiar voice pulled Lang from his deep thoughts. He raised his head slightly, his expression calm but curious, then turned to confirm who it was.
Master Sin Su stood close by, his yellow and orange robes glowing faintly under the light from the courtyard lanterns. A brown cloth with strange, beautiful patterns wrapped around his waist, and red prayer beads hung loosely around his neck.
Lang bowed slightly.
"You know you don't have to do that every time, my boy," Sin Su said with a gentle smile.
Lang straightened, saying nothing, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Sin Su folded his hands behind his back.
"You've truly made yourself stand out from everyone here. When you were first brought to me, you barely spoke a word. Most of the monks thought you couldn't even talk until Mika came along. Her spirit connected with yours so easily that, before you knew it, you had started to laugh again. You almost forgot your past."
He paused, eyes softening. "It's a feeling common among us humans, a strong desire for one another. We call it love."
Lang's thoughts drifted for a moment. Memories of Mika surfaced, her smile, her stubbornness, her warmth. Those were good times. But when Mei was rescued and brought to the temple, everything changed. His sense of duty doubled. He had to protect both of them, Mika and Mei.
Sin Su continued, his voice slow and calm.
"In the search for the stars, we learn that even the shadows are needed for the light to shine. But most people, when they see the dark, think it's the end of the road. They forget the reason they chose their path in the first place. Mei is a strong girl, but if you keep watching her every step, you'll lose focus on your own."
Lang lowered his eyes. "What do you want me to do, Master? What if I'm not strong enough to protect them?"
"Protect them from what, exactly?" Sin Su asked.
Lang turned his gaze toward the far end of the temple. The Chen Sect was vast, protected by towering stone walls and endless rows of guards. He'd spent nearly his whole life here, and not once had he heard of an intruder breaching its grounds. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe the nightmare he had days ago was just that, a dream.
His chest eased for the first time in days.
"Maybe I think too much," he admitted. "I just… I feel like I have all this power, and I need to use it. I feel like I should do something with it."
Sin Su nodded slowly. "You feel you're finding your purpose. That's good. But every man faces this same storm. It's what we call the crisis of self. Your purpose will reveal itself in one of two ways, through pain, or through sweat. The end may turn out bad, or even worse, but it's the road you walk that shapes who you are. I only hope you learn compassion before vengeance."
Lang sighed softly, then smirked faintly. "That's if no one decides to mess with me, sensei. All I want is for them to be safe. That's all."
Sin Su chuckled quietly. "And that is why I worry about you, Lang."
Lang said nothing, his expression calm but distant. At least now, the tension in his chest had lightened. Sin Su had always been good at calming the restless beast inside him.
"What now?" Lang asked.
"I think you should rest. You have a session tomorrow at the arena, you'll need your strength."
Lang nodded, then stepped away from the pillar. A small smile crossed his face as he walked down the quiet hall, his footsteps echoing faintly against the wooden floor.
---
Hours passed.
Midnight came quietly over the temple.
Mei stirred in her sleep, her small body twitching at the faint sound that broke the silence. It had been going on for minutes now, a strange, soft hum coming from outside her room. She lay still beside Mika, who was fast asleep.
The room was dark, except for the dim moonlight that slipped through the paper windows.
Then Mei noticed it, a faint light flickering from the far corner of the room.
She sat up slowly. A butterfly, glowing faintly blue, rested on one of the carved stones near her bed. Its wings shimmered like tiny stars. Mei's eyes widened, filled with wonder.
The butterfly lifted off gently, fluttering toward the window. Mei gasped softly. She tried to move, but Mika's arm was still wrapped around her. Carefully, she lifted Mika's arm away and slid off the bed, her small feet making no sound on the floor.
The butterfly hovered by the window, glowing brighter for a second before it slipped through the narrow opening and vanished outside.
"Wait up…" Mei whispered under her breath, pushing the door open.
The temple hallway was silent, the only sound coming from the faint whistle of wind through the paper walls. She looked around, heart beating fast, then spotted the faint glow again in the distance.
She followed.
Her steps were small and quiet. She moved past the corridor, across the courtyard, and through a wooden gate where the light seemed to dance just ahead of her. She smiled, chasing it further.
When she reached the edge of the temple's boundary, she saw the butterfly again—this time perched on a wooden post near the fence.
"Got you," she whispered, creeping forward.
But when she reached out, the butterfly darted away, deeper into the woods.
Mei didn't stop. She ducked under broken planks, crawled through a gap in the fence, and continued chasing it. The forest air was damp and cool. She followed until she finally caught it, cupping her small hands around the light.
But when she opened her palms, it was gone.
Her excitement faded instantly. The dark trees surrounded her, whispering with the sound of wind through their leaves. Fear slowly crept in.
Back in the temple, Mika stirred awake, reaching for Mei but found the bed empty. Her heart skipped. She sat up quickly, scanning the room, then rushed to the door.
"Mei?"
Her voice was low, trembling.
She ran through the corridors, her bare feet tapping softly against the wooden floor. She reached the outer court, and there, faint footprints in the sand, small ones. Her heart raced. She followed them into the woods.
"Mei! Mei!"
The voice echoed through the trees.
Mei's eyes lit up. "Mika!" she cried, running toward her voice.
When Mika found her, she dropped to her knees, hugging her tight. Mei's small arms clung to her neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Are you alright?" Mika asked, breathing hard, her voice shaking.
Mei nodded, her tears glistening.
"Good," Mika whispered, holding her tighter. "Let's go home."
She stood up and turned toward the temple but froze instantly.
A pair of glowing red eyes gleamed from the shadows between the trees.
It was watching them.
A low growl rumbled through the air, deep and steady. The silhouette stepped forward, a massive panther, its eyes glowing like burning coals.
Mika's pulse quickened. She turned sharply, clutching Mei close, and began walking fast, then running. Branches whipped against her arms as she sprinted deeper into the forest, away from the glowing eyes.
She could hear it behind her, heavy steps, breathing, the sound of claws brushing against the soil.
She ran harder, every step pounding against the wet forest floor. But suddenly, pain.
Her foot landed on a sharp piece of broken wood. It pierced clean through. She screamed, collapsing to the ground.
Mei fell too, crying out as she hit the dirt.
Mika grabbed her foot, blood flowed fast. Her vision blurred; the pain was unbearable. She pulled Mei close, her voice trembling.
"Mei… you have to run. Don't look back. Do you hear me?"
"I don't want to leave you!" Mei cried.
"We don't have time for this, Mei! Go!"
Her voice broke into a shout.
Tears streamed down Mei's cheeks, but she obeyed. She turned and ran into the darkness, her small body trembling.
Mika stayed on the ground, clutching her bleeding foot. Her breaths were uneven. She looked up and saw it.
The panther was there, just a few meters away, crouched low, moving slowly one step at a time. Its eyes glowed brighter, its muscles shifting under its sleek, black fur.
She tried not to move, but the creature already knew she was there. It growled lowly, preparing to strike.
Then suddenly.....
"Stop!"
Mei was there again, standing between Mika and the beast, holding a stick with both hands.
"Go away!" she shouted, her small voice breaking.
The panther lunged.
"Nooooooooooooooo"
A sharp cry pierced the air. Mika screamed, watching helplessly as the beast's claws tore through.
Lang woke instantly. His eyes opened wide. Something was wrong.
He got up from his bed, heart pounding, and rushed toward the dormitory exit. His instincts screamed louder than words.
He sprinted through the temple halls, his feet gliding across the floor, his breath sharp and fast. When he reached Mika and Mei's room, the door was wide open.
They were gone.
His chest tightened. The dream, it was happening.
Lang turned and ran, faster than ever before. He focused his energy, releasing a burst of gravitational force that pushed against the ground. Dust rose behind him as he dashed into the woods like a streak of blue light.
"Mika! Mei!" he called, voice echoing through the forest.
He stopped when he saw the tracks, two small sets of footprints and one large, clawed trail beside them. His fists clenched. His body began to glow faintly, blue light radiating off his skin.
His heart beat harder. Anger filled his chest.
He sprinted forward, branches breaking, leaves scattering. And then he saw them.
Mika was kneeling on the ground. Relief hit him for a moment, then froze.
Her chest was open, marked with deep claw wounds. In her arms lay Mei - lifeless.
Lang stopped moving. His entire body shook. He stepped forward slowly, falling to his knees beside them.
"No… no, no, no…"
His voice cracked. His breathing grew wild. He reached for them, his hands trembling. It felt like the world had collapsed around him.
Something broke inside him.
The panther moved behind him, ready to pounce but Lang's body began to glow. His cosmic energy surged uncontrollably, the air around him vibrating.
Leaves rose into the air. The ground trembled.
When the beast leapt, Lang snapped.
A deafening explosion erupted. A massive gravitational wave burst from him, shaking the entire forest, tearing through trees, shattering the soil beneath. The force pushed everything away in a blinding flash.
When the noise faded, only silence remained.
Lang stood there, alone, surrounded by ruin.