Pov Author
Morning sunlight slipped quietly through the thin curtains of Anna's bedroom, painting pale gold across the wooden floor and the edge of her bed.
Anna lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
The house was quiet. Somewhere downstairs a cabinet door closed softly, followed by the faint clatter of dishes. The normal sounds of an ordinary morning.
Yet something inside her chest felt heavier than usual.
Her fingers drifted slowly over the blanket until they rested against the center of her chest. She pressed lightly there, feeling the faint warmth that had been lingering beneath her ribs ever since yesterday.
The golden energy.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
She had almost forgotten.
Almost.
When she came back from that world… she hadn't come back empty.
Something had followed her.
Something forbidden.
But it didn't feel evil.
If anything, it felt strangely calm. Like sunlight trapped beneath her skin.
Anna sat up slowly, the blanket sliding down her legs. The morning air was cool against her arms as she swung her feet onto the floor.
Her eyes drifted toward the small table beside her bed.
The necklace rested there.
The stone at its center caught the sunlight softly, glowing faintly red.
Anna reached for it without thinking.
Her fingers wrapped around the pendant and for a moment she simply held it there in her palm.
Her chest tightened.
Images surfaced in her mind before she could stop them.
Shou Feng standing behind her beneath a sky filled with drifting cherry blossoms, his hands guiding hers as she struggled to steady the bow.
"Relax your shoulders," his voice had said quietly near her ear.
Anna had groaned in frustration, the bow wobbling slightly in her grip.
"This thing is impossible."
A quiet chuckle had followed.
"Impossible?" Shou Feng had raised an eyebrow. "You faced a dragon without trembling, yet a bow scares you?"
"That dragon was trying to kill me," Anna had shot back. "This bow is humiliating me."
He had stepped closer then, gently adjusting her elbow with careful fingers.
"Breathe first," he had murmured.
Anna could still remember the warmth of his hands.
The calm in his voice.
And the way the arrow had finally flown straight when he stood beside her.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"Only if you were here," she whispered softly.
Another memory followed before she could stop it.
A wooden table under lantern light.
Kiyoshi leaning back lazily in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head.
Yuvan arguing loudly with Mong over something ridiculous while Mong repeating the word or sentence Yuvan said cause he couldn't find a come back .
And Shou Feng sitting beside her quietly, watching the chaos with that faint amused smile he doesn't wore often.
Anna had laughed so hard that night her stomach hurt.
For a moment it had felt like she belonged somewhere.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the necklace.
The room was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Anna exhaled slowly and slipped the necklace into her bag.
She hesitated for a moment before zipping it closed.
Better to keep it close.
Just in case.
Thirty minutes later the house was empty.
The soft creak of Anna's bedroom door broke the silence.
Zara stepped inside.
Her pale eyes swept across the room calmly, taking in every detail.
She walked toward the small table beside the bed and stopped.
The necklace wasn't there.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
"Fuck!"
Black smoke curled around her fingers.
A second later she vanished.
—
Anna leaned her head against the car window as the city rolled past outside.
Beside her, Lily talked.
And talked.
And talked.
"And then Jessica said my flip wasn't synchronized," Lily continued, gesturing dramatically with her hands. "Like hello? I've been practicing that move for weeks!"
Anna nodded quietly.
"Mhm."
Lily glanced at her.
"You're not listening."
"I am."
"You're not."
Anna smiled faintly.
The truth was her mind was somewhere else.
Somewhere far away where dragons flew over mountains and cherry blossoms drifted through warm spring wind.
She cleared her throat suddenly.
"Lily?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think about Alex?"
Lily froze.
Completely froze.
Then slowly turned her head.
A blush spread across her cheeks.
"Oh my god."
Anna raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
Lily suddenly burst into excited laughter.
"I LOVE HIM, ANNA."
Anna blinked.
"That was fast."
Lily clasped her hands together dramatically.
"He's sophisticated. Respectful. Funny. And have you SEEN his jawline?"
Anna stared at her.
"…Since when?"
Lily leaned back in the seat with a dreamy sigh.
"Seven months."
Anna's eyes widened slightly.
Seven months.
Her stomach twisted.
"Oh lord," Lily groaned happily. "How do I even describe this feeling?"
Anna turned her head slowly toward the window again.
Seven months.
So Lily had loved Alex from the beginning.
Then who betrayed who?
Was it Lily?
Was it Alex?
Or both?
The car slowed.
They had reached the school.
As they stepped out, Anna glanced toward Lily again.
"Is Alex okay?"
"Of course," Lily said, adjusting her bag strap. "He said he had the weirdest dream though."
Anna's stomach tightened slightly.
"What dream?"
"He said you had wind powers and there was a man with you," Lily said with a laugh. "But the face was blurry."
Anna exhaled slowly.
"Anyway," Lily said quickly, clapping her hands together. "I have cheer practice. Have you seen Jayred?"
"The basketball guy?"
Lily grinned.
"Yes. He is yum."
Anna burst out laughing.
"Lily!"
"What?" Lily shrugged dramatically. "I can try things."
Anna shook her head.
"You're impossible."
"Oh my god," Lily said, pointing at her accusingly. "You sound like mom right now."
They split up in the hallway.
Anna walked toward her locker, sliding her bag off her shoulder.
The hallway buzzed with energy. Sports Day decorations hung from the walls while students rushed past in groups.
Anna opened her locker and placed her books inside.
She didn't notice the woman standing at the far end of the hallway.
But someone else did.
William.
He had been leaning casually against the lockers, surrounded by a small group of girls laughing at something he had said.
Then his eyes lifted.
And landed on Zara.
His smile vanished instantly.
His body went rigid.
Zara's pale gaze swept across the hallway calmly as she searched the students.
William quickly looked away.
He pretended to check his phone.
Ignored her completely.
Zara found Anna moments later.
Inside a classroom.
Anna stood near a desk, talking to Derek.
Derek looked like a nervous wreck.
His hands trembled slightly as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Derek," Anna said gently, resting her hands on the desk. "You can do this."
He shook his head rapidly.
"No I can't."
"Yes you can."
"I'm going to miss the target."
"You won't."
"You remember what happened last year?"
Anna smiled slightly.
"That was one arrow."
"I shot the judge's shoe."
Anna laughed.
"You were nervous."
Derek groaned.
Behind them, Zara lifted her hand.
Dark magic gathered silently between her fingers.
"Easy for you to say."
He gestured toward her shoes.
"You're the girl who can't even tie her own laces."
Anna blinked.
"Oh shoot."
She looked down.
One lace had indeed come undone.
She bent down quickly.
Derek stood up suddenly.
The magic shot forward.
But at that exact moment Anna bent down to tie her shoe.
The spell missed.
It struck Derek instead.
He stumbled violently.
"AH!"
His body slammed onto the hard ceramic floor.
The sharp impact echoed through the room.
Zara cursed quietly under her breath.
Anna's head snapped up.
"Derek!"
She rushed toward him, grabbing his arm.
"Are you okay?"
Derek winced as he tried to sit up.
"I—ow—I think I hurt my arm."
Anna frowned.
"What happened?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know," he said, breathing heavily. "Maybe iron deficiency or something. I stood up too fast."
He rubbed his arm carefully.
"Or maybe a strong wind just knocked me down."
Anna looked confused but helped him up.
She led him toward the nurse's office.
By the time they arrived his arm had begun to swell.
The nurse frowned after examining it.
"You won't be able to compete today."
Derek's face went pale.
"But today is the competition!"
"If I don't go our school will lose," he said desperately. "Everyone will hate me."
They tried everything.
Ice.
Bandages.
Rest.
Thirty minutes passed.
Nothing helped.
The principal finally rushed in.
"We need another shooter," he said urgently. "Anyone."
Students were called.
No one volunteered.
Then everyone looked—
At Anna.
Derek looked at her with pleading eyes.
"Please."
Anna immediately shook her head.
"I'm not good."
She was lying.
But the teachers insisted.
Minutes later Anna stood on the archery field.
The necklace rested beneath her shirt against her chest.
She could feel its warmth.
In the stands Lily stared in complete shock.
William stood nearby, surrounded by girls but not listening to a word they said.
His eyes were locked on Anna.
Anna stepped onto the field and picked up the wooden vertical crossbow.
It felt familiar in her hands.
Too familiar.
She raised it slowly.
Her fingers tightened around the grip.
Her chest rose with a deep breath.
The world grew quiet.
Anna closed her eyes.
The wind brushed softly across her face.
A little left.
The voice echoed in her mind.
Her eyes opened.
Shou Feng's voice.
She adjusted the aim slightly.
A little left.
The arrow rested perfectly against the bowstring.
Her fingers pulled back.
The tension built.
Every muscle in her arm steadied.
The wind shifted gently across the field.
Her pupils narrowed.
Release.
The arrow cut through the air with a sharp swoosh.
It struck near the target.
Gasps came from the crowd.
Anna blinked.
She shot again.
And again.
The final arrow left her fingers two seconds later than the others.
But it flew perfectly.
Straight into the bullseye.
The crowd exploded.
Anna's eyes widened.
"Oh god—"
Her eyes widen , her mouth curled up into smiles , adrenaline rushed through her instantly, She turned instantly.
As she turned around Ready to hug Shou Feng.
But there was no one behind her. Her smile faded as she saw nothing , no one .
Only the roaring crowd.
For a moment sadness flickered across her face.
Then a voice whispered softly near her ear.
"Congratulations."
Anna turned quickly.
Nothing.
Just air.
She smiled faintly.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Now I'm going crazy."
Later, inside the nurse's room, Derek stared at her like she had grown wings.
"You WHAT?"
Anna scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Accidentally won?"
"That was NOT accidental."
Lily burst into the room and threw her arms around Anna.
"WE WON!"
Anna laughed.
Lily pulled back suddenly.
"Wait."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Where did you learn archery?"
Anna froze.
Her mind filled with images of Shou Feng, Kiyoshi, Yuvan, and Mong.
The time she almost shot Yuvan in the shoulder but he caught the arrow between his fingers.
The time Mong ducked so fast .
And the time Shou Feng calmly caught an arrow she fired in panic.
Anna burst out laughing.
Derek and Lily stared at her.
"…She's lost it," Derek whispered.
That night Anna sat on her bed staring at the gold medal.
Downstairs her family celebrated.
Her mother laughed.
Her stepfather clapped proudly.
For once the house didn't feel tense.
Maybe she had misunderstood them.
Maybe she had been too focused on her father.
But one thing was certain.
She would save him.
She would free everyone trapped in that world.
No matter what.
Later that night Anna stepped onto the balcony.
The moon hung bright in the sky.
A cool breeze moved gently through her hair.
She held the necklace in her hand.
If Shou Feng were here…
She would have wrapped her arms around him and shouted, I won!
He would have hugged her back.
Right?
Click.
Click.
Click.
Footsteps.
Anna turned.
Zara stood behind her.
Her smile faded instantly.
Before she could move—
Zara's hand slammed into her chest.
A powerful shove.
Anna's body flew backward over the railing. Her eyes widen and pupil dilated and she gasped before screaming her lungs out
"AAAAAAAA!"
The ground rushed toward her. Her pupils dilated in terror. Wind roared past her ears.
Inside her chest the golden stone blazed like a rising sun. A brilliant light erupted from her body.
To be continued..