Smoke and mist hung thick over Kota Serunai (Serunai City) as the sun burned weakly through the morning fog. The air smelled of wet timber, salt, and scorched Lingqi. Sections of the harbor had already collapsed from last night's disturbances, leaving narrow walkways between stilts. Merchants scrambled, hauling what cargo they could, while children screamed as waves lapped violently at the edges of broken docks.
Hai Cheng sprinted across the stilts, Suanpan (abacus) clutched in one hand, its jade beads clicking in chaotic rhythm. The Arus Dagang (Trade Current) throbbed beneath him like a living heart, fragmented and unstable. Every pulse signaled danger.
"They've split the currents again!" Yue Lan shouted from a distant pier, spinning a Batik Lingkar (Batik Array) above her head. The array glowed turquoise, the batik patterns streaming outward like waves, weaving along fractured stilts.
Hai Cheng's eyes followed the source of the disruption—a convoy of Furnace Enforcers, mechanical arms and glowing Lingqi pulses tearing through the harbor channels. Each step threatened to collapse stilts into the foam below. The Silent Admiral walked at the front, a calm, commanding presence amidst chaos, his brass insignia gleaming.
"We can't let them reach the merchant guilds!" Yue Lan called, leaping from a collapsed cargo platform onto a swaying beam.
Hai Cheng clenched the Suanpan, feeling the Arus Alam (Natural Current) ripple beneath his feet. The Harimau Ombak (Tide Tiger) had appeared again, its translucent stripes glowing like fractured batik as it prowled along the harbor, keeping pace with the Enforcers.
Hai Cheng sprinted faster, weaving through broken stilts and scattered crates. A Furnace Enforcer swung a mechanical claw at him—he ducked just in time, sending a wave of jade light from the Suanpan that deflected the blow.
Yue Lan's voice cut through the chaos. "Hai Cheng! The currents are converging toward the central market! Civilian evacuation is critical!"
Hai Cheng nodded, projecting his Batik Lingkar (Batik Array) in a spiraling lattice. The array spread across stilts and docks, connecting broken paths and redirecting Arus Warisan (Heritage Current) energy to stabilize collapsing platforms. The tiger followed, weaving between energy threads, guiding the currents with its spectral presence.
A massive furnace pulse struck the lattice. The stilts shook violently. Hai Cheng braced, beads spinning at breakneck speed, merging Arus Dagang, Arus Alam, and Arus Warisan into a single, flowing lattice of energy. The pulse was redirected into the water, harmlessly dispersing, while stilts held firm.
But there was no time to celebrate. From the eastern docks, more Enforcers advanced. Each carried small portable furnaces, their cores glowing dangerously. Hai Cheng realized the Admiral had split his forces—every channel in the harbor was a threat.
"Yue Lan, we divide and converge!" he shouted. "I'll stabilize the northern routes—you take the southern!"
Yue Lan's Batik Lingkar expanded into twin spirals, energy threads spinning outward like tidal whirlpools. She leapt into motion, intercepting the southern convoy with precise bursts of Lingqi energy, scattering Enforcers and guiding fleeing civilians to safe stilts.
Hai Cheng turned north. Stilts cracked beneath Enforcers' weight. He extended the Suanpan array, beads spinning like mad, projecting turquoise and jade currents into collapsing platforms. The Harimau Ombak leapt through the lattice, striking at the furnaces with spectral claws. Each strike sent Lingqi pulses into the water, counteracting the Enforcers' machinery.
Above the city, the Admiral observed with sharp eyes. "Fascinating," he murmured. "He learns fast—but not fast enough."
He raised his hand. Across the central channel, a massive pulse of white-hot Lingqi shot through the air, striking the stilts like molten lightning. Hai Cheng's lattice flared, twisting into a defensive barrier. Timber splintered, water sprayed upward, but stilts held.
"Enough!" a voice shouted from behind. Hai Cheng turned. From the shadows, a squad of Orang Selindung (Veiled Folk) emerged, their green-glowing eyes scanning the harbor. They raised their hands, and currents bent subtly in their direction. The Enforcers stumbled, their furnace pulses destabilizing midair.
The Harimau Ombak growled in recognition, leaping into the mist with renewed purpose. Hai Cheng felt the Arus Warisan (Heritage Current) pulse through him, stronger with the Selindung's intervention.
"Now!" Yue Lan yelled from the southern docks.
Hai Cheng merged his lattice with hers, forming a massive interconnected web across the harbor. Beads spun, batik arrays glowed, currents aligned. The Enforcers were thrown back, their furnaces shutting down from feedback.
The Admiral's face darkened. He struck the water with a mechanical staff, attempting a direct overload of the currents. Hai Cheng focused, sending a surge of Arus Dagang, Arus Alam, and Arus Warisan through the lattice. The overload was contained, redirected into harmless turbulence.
The harbor fell silent. Water rippled gently. Stilts held. Lanterns reflected in the calm puddles like scattered stars.
Hai Cheng exhaled. Yue Lan lowered her array, sweat dripping onto her batik-patterned sleeves. The Harimau Ombak prowled the harbor one last time before dissolving into mist.
But Hai Cheng's eyes were on the horizon. The Admiral had withdrawn, but only temporarily.
"The city survived," Yue Lan said.
Hai Cheng's gaze followed the distant horizon. "For now," he replied. "But the tides are rising… and the currents won't wait for us."
Far below the strait, unseen pulses of Lingqi trembled. Something ancient stirred, watching. The balance had shifted, and the city's next test was already coming.