The forest's trees blurred past as Lin Che, Su Qing, and Xiao Ya ran, their breaths ragged. The shouts of the Zhao family's men echoed behind them—loud, angry, and growing closer. The Shadow Shard in Lin Che's pouch pulsed cold against his hip, its darkness seeming to leach warmth from his body, while the light shard in his pocket glowed bright, a faint silver heat pushing back the chill.
"The men are gaining!" Su Qing gasped, glancing over her shoulder. Through the trees, Lin Che spotted flashes of brass badges and the glint of clubs—dozens of thugs, fanning out like a net to trap them.
Xiao Ya suddenly skidded to a stop, yanking Lin Che's arm. "The ivy!" she shouted, pointing to a wall of thick, twisted ivy covering a rocky slope. "It says it can hide us! Hurry!"
Lin Che didn't hesitate. He grabbed Su Qing's hand, and the three of them ducked behind the ivy. Xiao Ya pressed her palms to the vines, murmuring quickly—her hands glowing vivid green. The ivy twisted and curled, weaving itself into a tight barrier, concealing them completely.
A moment later, the thugs burst into the clearing. Lin Che held his breath, his ear pressed to the ivy. He could hear their boots crunching on leaves, their voices sharp with frustration.
"Where did they go?" one thug snapped.
"Old Man Zhao said they had the Shard! It should be glowing—can't you track it?" another yelled.
"The damn forest's messing with the detector!"
The thugs searched for minutes, kicking at bushes and shouting Lin Che's name. Then, a deep voice cut through the noise—Zhao Hu's. "They can't have gone far! Spread out! Check every cave, every thicket! If you find them, don't kill the boy—Old Man Zhao wants him alive for the next ritual!"
The sound of their footsteps faded as they moved deeper into the forest. Lin Che let out a shaky breath, leaning back against the rock. The ivy slowly unwound itself, revealing Xiao Ya's pale face.
"They're not giving up," she said softly.
Su Qing nodded, brushing dirt from her jacket. "The Shadow Shard's energy is faint, but their detectors can still pick it up—especially if they get close. We need to put more distance between us… and find a way to hide the Shard's signal."
Lin Che pulled the Shadow Shard from his pouch. It sat in his palm, black and cold, pulsing faintly red. The light shard in his other pocket glowed brighter, and the two crystals seemed to repel each other—like magnets with the same pole. "What if we use the light shard to cover it?" he suggested. "The light and dark are opposites. Maybe the light can muffle the Shard's energy."
Su Qing's eyes lit up. "That might work! My grandmother's notes said light and dark shards 'neutralize' each other's auras when they're close. Let's try it."
Lin Che placed the light shard next to the Shadow Shard in his palm. The moment they touched, the Shadow Shard's red pulse dimmed, and the light shard's silver glow softened—both fading to a faint, warm hum. The cold from the Shadow Shard vanished, replaced by a gentle heat.
"It worked!" Xiao Ya exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Lin Che slipped both crystals into a single pouch, tying it tightly to his belt. "Good. Now we need to keep moving. The thugs will be back if they don't find us."
They set off again, this time heading east—away from the village, deeper into Black Stone Forest. Xiao Ya led the way, pausing often to talk to the plants. "The ferns say there's a river ahead," she said after a while. "If we follow it, we'll reach a valley. The plants there are thick—they can hide us for a while."
The forest grew wilder as they walked. The trees grew taller, their trunks wider, and the underbrush thicker. The air smelled of damp earth and pine, and the only sounds were their footsteps, the rustle of leaves, and the distant trickle of water.
They reached the river an hour later. It was narrow but fast-flowing, its water clear and cold. Xiao Ya knelt by the bank, dipping her hand in. "The river says the valley is just around the bend," she said, standing up. "And… it says there's someone else there. A traveler. Not a thug—someone with 'kind energy.'"
Lin Che tensed. A stranger? In the middle of the forest? It could be a trap. But after days of running from the Zhao family, the thought of a friendly face was tempting.
"Be careful," he said to Su Qing and Xiao Ya. "Stay behind me."
They followed the river around the bend, and the valley opened up before them. It was a small, lush space—sunlight filtering through the trees, wildflowers blooming on the banks, and a small campfire burning in the center. Sitting by the fire was a woman—tall, with silver hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a leather jacket and boots. She held a metal cup in her hand, and when she heard them, she turned—her eyes sharp, but not hostile.
"Lost travelers?" she asked, her voice calm.
Lin Che stepped forward, his hand resting on the pouch with the crystals. "We're hiding from the Zhao family," he said, keeping his voice steady. "Do you know them?"
The woman's eyebrows lifted. "The Zhao family? The ones who've been tearing up the forest looking for a boy with a birthmark and a crystal?" She nodded to Lin Che's wrist, where the Star Marrow's faint glow was visible under his sleeve. "That's you, then."
Su Qing stepped beside Lin Che, her hand going to her knife. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The woman smiled, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. "Name's Mo Ying. I'm a scavenger—collect old starship parts from the forest. I've seen the Zhao family's thugs too—they've been scaring off my prey. I don't like them. And I don't like people who hurt the forest." She nodded to Xiao Ya. "You're the one who talks to the plants, aren't you? I saw you earlier—talking to the ivy that hid you from the thugs."
Xiao Ya nodded, her eyes wide. "You saw us?"
Mo Ying laughed. "I was watching from the trees. Figured you'd need help. The Zhao family's got more men coming—Old Man Zhao called in reinforcements from the city. They'll be here by nightfall."
Lin Che's heart dropped. Reinforcements? They'd barely escaped the first group. "We need to get out of the forest," he said. "But where? The slums aren't safe, and the village is now watched."
Mo Ying stood, grabbing a backpack from the ground. "I know a place," she said. "An old starship graveyard—hidden in the mountains north of here. The Zhao family doesn't go there—too many rusted parts, too easy to get lost. We can hide there until the heat dies down."
Su Qing glanced at Lin Che, her eyes questioning. Could they trust Mo Ying? She was a stranger, but she knew about the Zhao family, and she seemed to hate them as much as they did.
Lin Che thought of the crystals in his pouch, of the thugs closing in, of the darkness waiting for the Shadow Shards. They had no other choice.
"Okay," he said. "Lead the way."
Mo Ying grinned, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Good. We'd better move fast—nightfall's only a few hours away."
They followed Mo Ying toward the mountains, the river flowing beside them. The sun began to set, painting the sky orange and pink, and the forest grew darker. Behind them, the distant shouts of the Zhao family's thugs faded, but Lin Che knew they weren't safe—not yet.
He glanced at Mo Ying, walking ahead of them, her steps sure and steady. Who was she, really? And why was she helping them?
Only time would tell. But for now, they had a new ally—and a chance to breathe.
The hunt for the Shadow Shards would continue. But first, they had to survive.