The rain had long stopped, but the Lin compound still carried its scent — damp stone, blood-soaked earth, and the faint hum of something that had changed.
Inside a dim chamber lit only by flickering candles, Lin Dong lay motionless. His body was wrapped in bandages, chest rising slowly, each breath scraping like gravel.
Beside him sat Lin Xiao, eyes hollowed from sleepless nights. He'd barely moved since the fight, save to change the boy's bandages or wipe the sweat from his brow.
When Lin Dong finally stirred, it was with a soft gasp. His fingers twitched, then his eyes fluttered open — revealing a faint golden shimmer that vanished as quickly as it came.
"Father…?"
Lin Xiao leaned forward instantly. "Dong'er." His voice trembled. "You've been asleep for three days."
Lin Dong blinked at the ceiling, trying to recall. Lightning. Shouts. The smell of burnt earth. And then — power.
The memory hit him like thunder in his skull. He sat up too quickly, wincing.
"The Lei Clan—?"
"Gone," Lin Xiao said. "Driven off. For now."
Silence filled the room, heavy and thick. Outside, faint voices carried — guards changing shifts, whispers of the villagers. The word monster was starting to drift through the walls like smoke.
Lin Dong's hand went to his chest, to the spot where the rune had burned. The skin there was smooth, but beneath it, a faint heat pulsed — steady, alive.
"It wasn't a dream," he murmured. "That light… it came from inside me."
Lin Xiao exhaled, rubbing his temple. "The elders are frightened. They say no such rune should exist — that it's tied to the ancient sects, the kind of power that once tore kingdoms apart."
He paused, voice dropping lower.
"And they say the Lei Clan will return. With others."
Lin Dong's fingers clenched around the bedsheet. Fear coiled in his stomach — but beneath it, something else stirred. Not dread. Resolve.
"Then I'll be ready next time."
His father's head snapped up.
"You don't understand what you're saying. This isn't training in swordplay or hunting beasts. Whatever you've awakened, it's beyond our clan's reach. You could—"
"Lose control?" Lin Dong interrupted quietly. His gaze met his father's. "I already did. And people nearly died for it."
He swung his legs off the bed, grimacing as his feet touched the cold floor. "If I don't learn what this power is, I'll just bring more danger. But if I do…"
He looked toward the window — beyond it, the mountains stretched into mist, their peaks catching the faint morning light.
"Maybe it won't control me next time."
Lin Xiao stared at him — the stubborn set of his jaw, the fire in his eyes. It was like looking at his younger self, back before time and war had carved the hope out of him.
After a long silence, he stood.
"If you're truly set on this path…"
He reached into his robe and drew out a black iron token, its surface carved with faded sigils.
"This belonged to your grandfather. It's a passage mark — a token to enter the Yan City Martial Hall. You'll find masters there… or enemies. Maybe both."
Lin Dong took it reverently, the cold metal thrumming faintly against his skin.
"I'll return stronger, Father. Strong enough that no one ever threatens our family again."
Lin Xiao smiled faintly — the kind of smile that carried both pride and fear.
"Then make me one promise."
"Anything."
"Don't lose yourself to power. Promise me you'll remain my son — not a weapon."
Lin Dong hesitated, then nodded, the oath binding itself into his chest like another heartbeat.
"I swear it."
As dawn bled through the window, a shaft of light struck the rune's mark beneath his collarbone. It shimmered — not with gold this time, but with a quiet, silver glow.
A response.
The path ahead was awakening.