The guard hit the ground, helmet clattering like a loose pot. Bright grinned, rummaging in his sack. "Next one! Who's volunteering for mango target practice?"
Tan Kai spun, the Lotus Spear slicing through the air with a soft whoosh. A guard's corrupted sword crashed into the spear—green light and black sludge hissing like a scalded snake. The corruption oozed down the spear's blade, trying to crawl onto his hand.
"Yara!" he yelled, shaking the spear.
She was there in a heartbeat, fire herb blazing. She blew a stream of orange flame, searing the sludge off the metal. "Don't let it touch your skin—burns like acid!"
Nam ducked under a guard's swing, tossing a fire trap at his feet. It exploded in a cloud of glowing orange smoke, making him cough and stagger. "Three more on the right! Bright, cover me!"
Bright grabbed a mango, winding up like he was throwing a rock. "Mango power—level two!" The fruit sailed through the air, hitting the guard square in the temple. He stumbled, and Nam tackled him, pinning his arms behind his back.
Lila's red stone blazed bright, nearly burning her palm. "Left! Behind the crates—they're circling us!"
Tong's hand tightened around hers, yanking her behind a stack of rusted metal barrels. "Stay down." He drew his knife, its edge glinting in the Forge's red glow. A guard rounded the crates, sword raised, and Tong lunged—slashing the guard's wrist. The sword clattered to the ground, and Tong knocked him out with a punch to the jaw.
Agus parried a guard's strike, his sword ringing. "We need to get to the spirit! The chains—they're feeding it corruption!"
The robed man stood by the molten pit, arms raised. His hood fell back, revealing a face scarred by black veins—corruption that had dug deep. "Foolish children. You think freeing one spirit stops what's coming?" He laughed, cold and hollow. "The Shadow Council feeds on corruption. This Forge is just a drop in the bucket."
Tan Kai's chest tightened. Shadow Council—Lina's diary had mentioned them, a secret group within the Heavenly Court that weaponized corruption. "You're working for them."
"Working with them," the man sneered. "They promise power. Immortality. All you have to do is let the corruption take root." He gestured to the big spirit, its light dimming by the second. "This spirit was once a guardian of the mountains. Now it's fuel. Soon, every spirit in the world will be the same."
The spirit's chains rattled, and its voice echoed in their minds—louder now, desperate. Help me… the corruption… it's poisoning the earth…
Yara's fire herb flared. "We're not letting that happen."
Agus sheathed his sword. "Tan Kai, Yara—hold off the guards. Tong, Nam—help me with the chains. Lila, keep watch—your stone's our early warning."
Tan Kai nodded, planting his feet. The Lotus Spear's green light surged, pushing back the corruption in the air. "Come on!" He charged, spear slicing through a guard's armor like it was paper. The corruption hissed, retreating from the light.
But the robed man raised his hands, and the remaining guards' armor glowed dark. They roared, moving faster—corruption giving them strength. One swung at Tan Kai's legs, and he jumped, landing hard on his knee. The guard lunged, and Tan Kai rolled, stabbing the spear into the ground. Green light burst outward, knocking the guard off his feet.
Yara's fire herb sputtered. "I'm running low on herbs!"
Nam tossed her a bundle of golden lotus leaves. "Chew these—they'll recharge your fire!" She turned to Tong, who was trying to hack through a chain with his knife. "The metal's too thick—we need fire. Hotter than Yara's herb."
Lila's stone pulsed, and she pointed to the robed man. "He's chanting! It's making the chains stronger!"
The man's lips moved, muttering words that made the air vibrate. The chains glowed black, and the spirit's light dimmed further—fading to a sickly yellow.
Bright rummaged in his sack, panic creeping into his voice. "I'm out of mangoes! We're doomed!"
Lila dug into her pocket, pulling out a small clay jar—Nam's salve. "Use this!" She tossed it to him. "Nam said it burns corruption!"
Bright caught it, yanking the lid off. He hurled the salve at a guard's face. The man screamed, clawing at his skin as the salve hissed, burning away the corruption. "Yes! Salve power!"
Tan Kai fought his way to the spirit, spear clearing a path. The robed man saw him, sneering. "You think you can stop this? The Council has three more Forges—each bigger than this one. You'll never find them all."
"I don't have to," Tan Kai said. He raised the Lotus Spear, its light merging with the spirit's glow. "We just have to stop you."
He drove the spear into the ground at the base of the chains. Green light exploded, wrapping around the metal like vines. The corruption hissed, retreating, and the chains began to glow.
Yara ran over, her fire herb reignited. "I've got this!" She pressed the herb to the chain, and flames erupted—orange and green, mixing with the spear's light.
The chain cracked. Then another.
The robed man screamed, lunging for Tan Kai. "No!"
Agus tackled him, slamming him to the ground. The man struggled, black veins bulging, but Agus held him down. "It's over."
The last chain snapped.
The big spirit's light exploded, filling the chamber with a warm, golden glow. The corruption in the air shriveled, turning to ash. The guards collapsed, their armor losing its dark glow, the corruption leaving their bodies.
The robed man went limp, his scarred face paling. "You don't understand… the Council will come for you. They'll burn your valley. Kill your friends."
The spirit hovered above the molten pit, its light softening. Thank you… It looked at Tan Kai, its glow wrapping around him like a hug. Lina sent me a vision… she's alive. Trapped in the Eastern Forge.
Tan Kai's breath caught. Lina—alive?
The spirit's light faded, drifting toward the ceiling. Find her… stop the Council… Then it was gone, leaving only a faint glow that settled on the Lotus Spear.
The Forge's fires dimmed, the smokestacks falling silent. The black vines outside shriveled, turning to dust, and green grass sprouted in their place.
Bright collapsed onto a crate, panting. "That was… way more intense than mango picking." He patted his sack, then froze. "Wait—" He dug into his pocket, pulling out a small mango. "Found one! Emergency backup mango. I'm a genius."
Lila laughed, wiping sweat from her forehead. Her red stone dimmed, now just a smooth, cool rock. "It worked. The corruption's gone."
Nam knelt by the unconscious guards, checking their pulses. "They're alive. The corruption left them weak, but they'll recover."
Agus hauled the robed man to his feet, pinning his arms behind his back. "We're taking him with us. He's got answers."
Tan Kai stared at the Lotus Spear, its blade now glowing with a mix of green and golden light. Lina was alive. Trapped. He'd find her.
They stepped outside, the evening air clean and cool. The valley was quiet, no more smoke, no more corruption. And in the distance, they heard drums—slow, steady, joyful.
Old Drum led the Bronze Drum Clan down the hill, Kip running ahead. "You did it!" Kip yelled, throwing his arms around Lila.
Bright held up his backup mango. "Mango power helped. Obviously."
Old Drum's eyes widened when he saw the robed man. "That's Kael—he was a blacksmith from the Northern Clan. Disappeared years ago. Everyone thought he was dead."
Kael sneered. "Dead? No. Reborn. The Council gave me purpose."
Old Drum shook his head. "They gave you corruption. Fool."
They set up camp in the valley, the Forge's cold stone behind them. The clan built a fire, and they ate mangoes and stew, talking softly. Kael was tied to a tree, silent, his eyes fixed on the flames.
Tan Kai sat by the fire, Lina's diary open in his lap. He wrote:
Bone Forge freed. Spirit saved. Kael says the Shadow Council has three more Forges. And Lina's alive—trapped in the Eastern Forge.
He closed the diary, his fingers brushing the small drum槌 in his pocket. Lina was alive. That changed everything.
Agus sat next to him, sipping lotus tea. "What's next?"
"Eastern Forge," Tan Kai said, his voice firm. "We find Lina. We stop the Council."
Yara nodded, her fire herb glowing softly. "We'll need more supplies. More herbs. More mangoes," she added, grinning at Bright.
Bright perked up. "More mangoes? Count me in. But next time—no more corrupted guards. Or Shadow Councils. Just mangoes and easy adventures."
Tong laughed, clapping him on the back. "Easy adventures aren't fun."
Lila held up her red stone, now just a plain rock. "Kip says magic leaves when it's done its job. But maybe… maybe there's more magic out there. For when we need it."
Old Drum joined them, tapping his drumstick on the ground. "The Bronze Drum Clan will help. We know the Eastern Pass—shortcut to the Eastern Forge. But it's dangerous. Mountain storms. Corrupted wolves."
"We've faced worse," Tan Kai said.
Kael spoke up, his voice hoarse. "You'll never make it. The Eastern Forge is guarded by the Council's best warriors. And the corruption there— it's worse than here. It's alive."
Tan Kai ignored him, looking at his friends. Their faces were tired, but their eyes were bright. Determined.
The fire crackled, and the drums thumped in the distance. The night was calm, but Tan Kai knew it wasn't the end.
Tomorrow, they'd rest. They'd question Kael. They'd gather supplies.
Then, they'd head east. To find Lina. To stop the Shadow Council. To end the corruption once and for all.
Bright took a bite of his backup mango, juice dripping down his chin. "Best victory mango ever. Worth all the corrupted guards."
Everyone laughed, the sound echoing through the valley.
And somewhere in the dark, a wind blew—carrying the faint glow of the Lotus Spear, and the whisper of a spirit's thanks.
The fight wasn't over. But this time, they had a new purpose.
And they had each other.
And mangoes. Always mangoes.