Two weeks before Don Fernando's deadline, a drought struck the region. The rivers began to dry up, and rice fields in nearby villages—including those owned by Don Fernando—started to wither.
"Word from the city," Carlos reported urgently. "Don Fernando is blaming us. He says our cultivation is draining the land dry, and he's already convinced the mayor to send soldiers to evict us."
Miguel looked out at the parched fields, then down at his ring. The black stone was growing dark, almost solid. "The book says droughts are a sign that the land's cycle is blocked. We need to activate the Grand Cycle now—even if it's not fully complete."
That night, under the full moon, the entire community gathered in the center of their formation. Miguel stood at the heart, the ring glowing with soft light, the necklace pulsing against his chest.
"Lakan of the earth," he chanted, his voice joined by dozens of others. "Flow through us, feed us, and be renewed."
The ground began to tremble. Water bubbled up from beneath the stones, spreading out in thin streams that wound through their fields and beyond. The black stone in Miguel's ring swirled again, and he could feel the blocked energy of the land beginning to move.
By morning, the rivers were flowing once more, and green shoots were pushing through the dry soil. But as Miguel looked toward the city, he saw Don Fernando's men already on the move.