Dawn broke gray and windy, the mountain air sharp enough to sting cheeks. The camp was alive with rustling packs and clinking jars—Bronze Drum Clan members loading supplies onto horses, Old Drum muttering instructions to his warriors.
Tan Kai strapped Lina's diary to his belt, the small drumstick and token pressing against his chest. The Lotus Spear leaned against his leg, its green-and-gold blade glowing faint in the overcast light. He flipped the diary open for a quick look—one line from Lina's handwriting jumped out: "The warmth in my chest… the Lotus Heart. It's not just magic. It's a promise." He closed it, heart racing. Lotus Heart—whatever it was, it mattered.
"Mangoes repacked! Emergency, snack, and 'storm day' rations!" Bright yelled, hauling his bulging sack over one shoulder. His hair was sticking up, and he'd tied a strip of cloth around his forehead like a warrior. "Ready for wolves. Or storms. Or wolves and storms. As long as there's mangoes."
Nam tossed him a waterproof wrap, then leaned in to whisper to Yara—slipping her a tiny pouch of rare fire herb. "Save this. It's the last of the golden lotus. You'll need it for the Forge." She turned to Bright, raising her voice. "Wrap the sack—mountain snow soaks through everything. And stop calling mangoes 'rations.' They're fruit. Not survival gear… even if you did waste three on wolves."
Bright grinned, tucking the wrap around his sack. "Fruit that saves lives. Remember the salve mango? Total hero move."
Agus led Kael over, the man's hands bound with lotus vine—corruption couldn't break through it. Kael kept scratching at the black veins on his cheek, his jaw tight with pain. His face was pale, the veins throbbing like they were alive.
"Eastern Pass is steep," Agus said, nodding at the map. "Old Drum says we'll hit snow by noon. Kael—you know the pass. Any traps?"
Kael sneered, but his voice wavered. "Traps? The Council doesn't need traps. The pass has its own guards—corrupted wolves, ice that gives way. You'll die before you reach the Forge." He glanced at the snow-covered trees, eyes flicking away like he was remembering something unpleasant.
Old Drum tapped his drumstick on Kael's shoulder. "Talk. Or we leave you here for the wolves. They love corrupted flesh."
Kael's jaw tightened, but he swallowed hard. "Fine. There's a bridge—wooden, halfway up. It's rotted. The Council cut the support beams, but left it standing. Looks safe. Isn't." His hand drifted to his chest, where a dark vein pulsed.
Nam noted it down on a scrap of bark. "We'll check it. Any other surprises?"
"Just the storm," Kael muttered. "Mountain storms come fast. Blinding snow. You'll get lost if you don't stick to the path."
Lila held up her red stone—still plain, but warm in her palm. "It'll help. It sensed corruption before. Maybe it can sense danger too."
Tong nodded, adjusting the pack on his back. He pulled out an extra blanket, folding it small and tucking it into Lila's pocket. "For when it gets colder. Grandma always said layers save lives."
They said their goodbyes to the clan. Kip hugged Lila tight, pressing a handful of dried berries into her hand. "For snacks. Better than mangoes? No. But still good."
Lila laughed, tucking the berries into her pocket. "I'll share with everyone. Promise."
Old Drum clapped Tan Kai on the back. "Stay on the path. Follow the drum beats—my warriors will signal from the hills if danger's near." He handed him a small wooden whistle, carved like a lotus. "Blow this if you need help. Loud."
Tan Kai nodded, tucking the whistle into his pocket. "Thanks. For everything."
The group set off—Tan Kai, Agus, Yara, Nam, Tong, Lila, Bright, and Kael, who stumbled along behind Agus. The path wound upward, rocky and steep, with pine trees clinging to the mountainside.
The wind picked up, howling through the trees. Bright's hair whipped around his face, and he pulled his cloth tighter. "Cold! Why did it have to be cold? Mangoes grow in warm places. We should've gone there instead."
Tong laughed, grabbing his arm to keep him from slipping. "Quit complaining. The snow'll be fun."
"Fun?" Bright yelped. "Snow's wet. And cold. And it doesn't taste like mangoes. Zero fun."
Yara walked beside Tan Kai, her fire herb glowing soft in her palm. It cast a small circle of warmth, chasing away the chill. "You thinking about Lina?"
Tan Kai nodded, staring at the path ahead. "The spirit said she's trapped. And the diary—she mentioned a Lotus Heart. Kael will know what it is. What if we're too late?"
Yara's fire flickered. "We won't be. And Lina's strong. She's waiting for us."
The token in his pocket pulsed, warm and steady. Like a promise.
By noon, the first snowflakes fell—small, fluttery, melting when they hit the ground. But as they climbed higher, the snow thickened, covering the path in a white blanket.
Lila's red stone grew warm, then hot. She yelped, dropping it. "It's burning!"
The stone rolled onto the snow, glowing faint orange. They followed it to a patch of ice—clear, but under it, dark shapes moved. Dozens of them.
"Wolves," Agus said, drawing his sword. "Corrupted. The ice is thin—they're waiting for us to fall through."
Kael's face paled, and he stepped back. "Told you. The pass guards itself." He sounded less sneering, more scared.
Nam pulled out a bundle of fire herbs, crushing them in her palm. "Yara—your fire. Melt the ice. Bright—throw mangoes to distract them. Tong—protect Lila."
Bright grinned, grabbing a mango from his sack. "Distraction duty? My specialty!" He hurled the fruit, and it hit the ice with a thud. A wolf growled, slamming its paw against the ice.
Yara held up her fire herb, blowing hard. Flames shot out, hitting the ice. It sizzled, melting into water. Most wolves yelped, scrambling back—but one, bigger than the rest, its fur matted with black corruption, didn't flinch. It leaped onto the remaining ice, jaws snapping.
Tong pulled Lila behind him, drawing his knife. He swung, slicing the wolf's paw. It howled, but lunged again—this time at Bright, who stumbled back. The wolf's teeth grazed his arm, tearing his sleeve.
"Ow! Stupid wolf!" Bright yelled, kicking it in the ribs.
Tan Kai charged, Lotus Spear glowing. He stabbed the spear into the ground, and green light burst outward. The wolf hissed, corruption smoking on its fur—but it still didn't run.
Lila picked up her red stone, holding it high. It glowed bright orange, and the wolf whimpered, its body trembling. Tan Kai drove the spear forward, and the light wrapped around the wolf—burning the corruption away. It collapsed, panting, then limped into the trees.
The other wolves followed, vanishing into the snow.
Everyone breathed out, relieved. Bright stared at his arm—blood seeping through the tear. "Great. Now I'm hurt and out of mangoes. Three mangoes gone. This day sucks."
Nam knelt, pulling out her salve. "Hold still. It'll sting, but it'll heal fast." She dabbed the salve on his arm, then glanced at Kael—who was watching the wolf's retreat, his hand over his own corrupted veins.
"Eat this," Lila said, handing Bright a handful of berries. "Kip's snacks. They'll make you feel better."
Bright took the berries, popping one into his mouth. "Meh. Okay. Almost as good as mangoes. Almost."
They kept climbing, the snow now knee-deep. The wind howled louder, and visibility dropped—they could barely see the trees ahead.
"Stick close!" Agus yelled over the wind. "Don't wander off!"
Kael stumbled, tripping over a root. He fell into the snow, grumbling. "This is stupid. You'll never find the bridge in this storm."
Agus hauled him up. "Then guide us. Or freeze."
Kael sighed, pointing ahead. "It's just over that ridge. But be careful—one wrong step, and you're dead."
They climbed the ridge, and there it was—the bridge. Wooden, rickety, spanning a deep gorge. The snow covered the planks, making it hard to see where they were stepping.
Lila's stone glowed faint. "The wood's rotted. Kael was right—traps."
Nam knelt, brushing snow off a plank. It crumbled under her finger, turning to dust. "The supports are gone. The bridge is just a shell."
Bright leaned over the edge, and the wind nearly swept him off his feet. "Whoa! That's a long drop. No mangoes at the bottom. Just rocks."
Tong tied a rope around his waist, handing the other end to Agus. "I'll check it. See if there's a way across." He turned to Lila, grinning. "Remember the signal? If I tug twice, pull hard."
She nodded, gripping the rope tight. "Be careful."
He crawled onto the bridge, moving slowly. The planks creaked, but he kept going—testing each step before putting his weight down. Halfway across, a plank broke. Tong fell, hanging from the rope. He yelled, swinging over the gorge. The rope slipped in Agus's hands, and he stumbled backward.
"Tong!" Lila screamed, yanking the rope with both hands.
Agus regained his footing, pulling the rope tight. "Hold on!" He and Tan Kai hauled Tong up, inch by inch. Tong climbed back onto the bridge, breathing hard, his hands bleeding from the rope burn.
"The middle's gone," he said, wiping snow from his face. "But there's a ledge on the other side—narrow, but we can climb down to it. And another plank's loose—stay left."
Yara's fire herb sputtered. "My fire's dying. I need more herbs."
Nam pulled out the tiny pouch she'd hidden earlier, handing it to her. "Last of the golden lotus. Use it wisely."
They crossed the bridge one by one—Tong first, then Lila, who held his hand so tight her knuckles turned white. Bright went next, clutching his mango sack like it was a lifeline. When Tan Kai crossed, the loose plank snapped, and he stumbled—catching himself on the rope just in time.
On the other side, the ledge was narrow—just wide enough for one person at a time. The wind was even stronger here, and snow pelted their faces.
Kael pointed to a cave, half-hidden behind a snowbank. "In there. It's a shelter—used to be a miner's cave. Dry. Warm." He hesitated, then added, "I've hidden there before. When the corruption got too bad."
They stumbled into the cave, brushing snow off their clothes. The cave was small, but dry—with a pile of old straw in the corner and a dark alcove at the back. Yara lit a fire with her herb, and the flames cast a warm glow over the walls.
Bright collapsed onto the straw, pulling his mango sack onto his lap. "Safe. And warm. For now." He rummaged inside, then groaned. "Last one. We're officially mango-less."
Lila sat next to him, sharing her berries. "Here. Kip gave these to me. They're sweet."
Bright took a berry, chewing. "Okay. Almost as good as mangoes. Almost."
Agus tied Kael to a rock, but not tight—loose enough for him to move his hands. He sat by the fire. "We'll wait out the storm here. Tomorrow, we keep going—Eastern Forge is just a day's walk from here."
Kael stared at the fire, his voice quiet. "You don't understand what you're up against. The Eastern Forge is the Council's main base. Their leader is there—Morrigan. She's not like the others. She controls corruption. Bends it to her will." He scratched at his cheek again, wincing.
Tan Kai leaned forward. "The Lotus Heart. Lina mentioned it in her diary. What is it?"
Kael's eyes widened. "She told you about that?" He sighed. "It's the source of all lotus magic. Inside Lina. Morrigan wants it—if she takes it, she can make corruption unstoppable. Turn every spirit, every person, into her slave."
The token in Tan Kai's pocket pulsed, fast and hard. That's why Lina was trapped. Not just for her magic—for the heart inside her.
Nam leaned forward. "How do we free Lina? How do we stop Morrigan?"
Kael shook his head. "You can't. Morrigan's too strong. But… there's a back entrance to the Forge. Through a tunnel. Only the Council knows about it. I can show you. If you let me go." He looked at his corrupted hand, pain in his eyes. "I'm tired of this. The corruption's eating me alive. The Council promised power, but all it gave me was pain. I want out."
The group looked at each other. Trusting Kael was risky. But without him, they might not find the back entrance. Might not save Lina.
Tan Kai stood up, walking to Kael. "If you lie to us… if you lead us into a trap… I'll use the Lotus Spear to burn the corruption out of you. Slow."
Kael nodded, relief flooding his face. "I won't lie. I just want this to end."
Agus cut the lotus vine binding Kael's hands. "Don't make us regret this."
As the vine fell away, a faint sound echoed from outside the cave—soft, like footsteps crunching in snow. Lila's red stone glowed faint orange, then dimmed.
"Someone's out there," she whispered.
Kael's eyes flicked to the dark alcove, then back to the group. "It's not the Council. Their warriors don't move that quiet."
Bright tensed, grabbing his empty mango sack like a weapon. "Great. More company. Can't we just have a quiet night without wolves or strangers?"
The fire crackled, and the wind howled outside. Tan Kai grabbed the Lotus Spear, its blade glowing brighter. Whatever was out there, they were ready.
Bright yawned, but he sat up straight. "Wake me when the storm's over. And when we find more mangoes. Priorities."
Everyone laughed, quiet and tense, the sound echoing in the cave.
Outside, the footsteps grew fainter. But Lila's stone stayed warm.
Tan Kai sat by the fire, staring at the Lotus Spear. The green-and-gold light flickered, like it was excited. Lina was close. The Eastern Forge was close.
Morrigan was close.
The storm raged on, but Tan Kai wasn't scared. He had his friends. He had Lina's legacy. He had the Lotus Spear.
Tomorrow, they'd face the Eastern Forge. Tomorrow, they'd find Lina.
And tomorrow, they'd fight.
Inside the cave, they were warm. They were together.
And they were ready.