The cave mouth exhaled a gust of damp, metallic air—like rust mixed with the faint tang of old blood. Lin Chen switched on his flashlight; its beam sliced through the darkness, revealing walls glazed with slimy moss and etched with faint, weathered carvings. Each step sent his boot heels echoing off the rock, the sound bouncing too loudly in a space that felt as if it had lain silent for decades.The bronze key in his pocket suddenly warmed, thrumming against his thigh like a tiny, anxious heartbeat. He gripped it tighter, glancing back at the cave entrance—vines now swaying gently in a wind that shouldn't have reached this deep, their shadows coiling across the ground like living snakes."Stop being a coward," he muttered, though his voice trembled. His luck had never failed him before, but here, in this suffocating dark, it felt thinner—like a thread stretched to its breaking point.The tunnel curved sharply left. Around the bend, Lin Chen froze: low, gruff voices drifted toward him, sharp with impatience. The men in black. He flattened himself against the mossy wall, clamping a hand over his flashlight to dim its glow to a faint, trembling pinpoint."…the boss said the bone's in the main chamber," one man snapped, his voice bouncing off the rocks. "Said it's been sealed since the villagers vanished—some stupid 'ward' or whatever."Another scoffed. "Wards are just old wives' tales. We've got the key, don't we? Break the seal, grab the bone, and get out. I'm sick of this creepy mountain."Lin Chen's breath caught. The villagers' disappearance wasn't an accident—it was tied to the dragon bone. And their "boss"—could he be the one who'd killed his parents? His father's diary had warned, "They're starting to notice…" Had "they" been these men?A sudden crash echoed from deeper in the cave. The men cursed. Lin Chen peeked around the corner, his heart hammering. The flashlight's dim glow showed three black-clad figures staring at a collapsed section of tunnel—rocks and dirt piled high, blocking their path completely."Great," the first man snarled, kicking a stone. "Now what? We can't dig through this with just the shovels in our bags."As they bickered, Lin Chen's boot nudged something hard. He glanced down: a narrow crevice in the cave wall, hidden by a thick mat of moss. He brushed it away; the gap was just wide enough for him to squeeze through—if he held his breath.There it was. His luck, finally showing itself.He slipped into the crevice, his shoulders scraping against the rock. Dirt rained down on his hair, and his flashlight jostled, nearly going out. The men's voices faded behind him as he inched forward, his lungs burning. After a minute, the rock walls fell away, and he stumbled into a small, domed chamber.Lin Chen's flashlight beam shot upward—and he gasped. The chamber walls were covered in murals, their colors faded but still legible. They told a story:First, a village—Suolong Village, he realized, recognizing the stone stele—its people smiling, tending fields, and gathering around a group of robed figures carrying a large, bone-like object into the cave. Then, the scenes turned dark: the village in flames, people screaming as shadowy figures with glowing eyes dragged them into the woods. The final mural showed a man—his face blurred beyond recognition—hiding the bone-shaped object behind a stone altar, then carving a dragon into a bronze key."The dragon bone," Lin Chen whispered. It all clicked: his father's diary, the two keys, the village's empty houses. The villagers hadn't vanished—they'd been killed. And the dragon bone… it was what the robed figures had guarded. What the men in black wanted.A soft, mournful whisper filled the chamber, like a dozen voices speaking at once, too faint to understand. Lin Chen spun around. The flashlight beam landed on a stone altar in the room's center. On top lay a long, curved object wrapped in tattered brown cloth—something pale, smooth, and bone-like peeking through the frayed edges.The dragon bone.As he stepped closer, the whispers swelled, clear enough now to make out snippets: "Guard it… don't let them take it… the wakeful one hungers…" His jade pendant suddenly turned icy, then blazed hot against his chest. He grabbed it, and the whispers cut off, as if smothered."Who's there?"Lin Chen whirled. The men in black stood at the chamber entrance, their flashlights blazing directly at him. One gripped a shovel, another a rusted knife. The third—taller than the rest, a jagged scar slicing across his left cheek—stepped forward, a sneer twisting his lips."Found the little spy," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Hand over the key, kid. And maybe we'll let you walk out of here alive."Lin Chen's hand flew to the bronze key in his pocket. Luck had gotten him here, but luck alone wouldn't fight off three armed men. He glanced at the altar; the cloth covering the dragon bone fluttered, as if stirred by an invisible breath.The scarred man lunged. Lin Chen ducked, and the man crashed into the cave wall. A rock dislodged from the ceiling, slamming into his shoulder. He roared in pain, spinning around with his knife raised. The other two men charged, their boots thudding against the stone floor.Lin Chen ran for the altar, his flashlight swinging wildly. He grabbed the cloth covering the dragon bone—and the chamber shook. The murals on the walls seemed to twist, the shadowy figures in them stretching toward the men. His jade pendant burst into bright, white light, searing the air. The men screamed, clamping their hands over their eyes."What the hell is this?!" one yelled, stumbling backward.Lin Chen tore the cloth off the dragon bone. It was enormous—longer than his arm, smooth as polished ivory, with faint green veins running through it like frozen lightning. As soon as it was exposed, the whispers erupted into roars: "The wakeful one comes… the dragon stirs…!"The scarred man recovered, swinging his knife at Lin Chen's throat. Lin Chen jumped back, tripping over the altar's base. He fell hard, and the bronze key slipped from his pocket, skittering across the floor—straight into the scarred man's hand.The man held it up, grinning. "Perfect. Now we can—"A deafening crack split the air. The cave ceiling rumbled, and more rocks showered down. The altar shook, and the dragon bone slid off, landing with a thunderous thud. The scarred man froze, his eyes widening as he stared at the bone."Take it!" the other men shrieked, scrambling forward. "Hurry!"But the scarred man didn't move. He took a step back, his face draining of color. "Look," he whispered, pointing at the bone.Lin Chen followed his gaze. The green veins in the dragon bone were glowing—faint at first, then brighter, like liquid fire. The whispers turned to a single, booming voice: "You dare disturb the seal?"Shadows poured from the murals, coiling around the men. They screamed, flailing as the darkness pulled them downward. Their cries cut off abruptly, leaving only silence.Lin Chen scrambled to his feet. The glowing veins in the dragon bone dimmed, and the voice faded. The chamber fell quiet, save for his ragged breathing and the distant drip of water.He stared at the empty space where the men had stood, then at the dragon bone. What had he just seen? The "wakeful one" the whispers spoke of—was it the dragon the bone belonged to? And the men's boss—did he want to wake it?A soft rustle behind him. Lin Chen spun, flashlight raised.Standing in the chamber's corner was the woman in white. Her long hair no longer hid her face; Lin Chen could see her now—pale skin stretched tight over hollow cheekbones, eyes like dark pits, and a mouth that didn't move… yet he heard her voice in his head, clear as a bell."You are his son," she said.Lin Chen nodded, unable to speak."The bone is safe… for now," she continued. "But they will come back. The boss—he was one of us. A guardian who forgot his oath. He wants the bone to wake the dragon. To destroy what your father died to protect.""My father?" Lin Chen finally found his voice, rough with emotion. "He was here? He guarded the bone?"The woman nodded. "He and your mother. They hid the keys, wrote the diary, tried to keep you safe. Their 'accident' was no accident. The boss killed them to get the first key."The truth hit him like a boulder. His parents hadn't died in a random crash—they'd been murdered. For a bone. For a dragon."You have his luck," the woman said, her voice softening. "It is not luck. It is the bone's protection—passed to you, because you are the next guardian."Lin Chen stared at the dragon bone. He was just a college student. He didn't know how to guard a ancient relic. He didn't know how to fight a man who'd killed his parents."You must leave," the woman said, her form starting to fade. "Before the boss sends more men. Take the key. Keep it safe. And never return—unless the bone is in danger.""Wait!" Lin Chen called. "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"She paused, her hollow eyes locking onto his. "I was the village healer. I died protecting the bone. Now I guard it… until the next guardian is ready."With that, she vanished, dissolving into the shadows.Lin Chen stood alone. He picked up the bronze key from the floor, then stared at the dragon bone. He couldn't take it with him—it was too big, too dangerous. But he had to protect it.He wrapped the cloth back around the bone, then squeezed through the crevice into the main tunnel. The collapsed rocks were still there, blocking the way the men had come. He ran back toward the cave entrance, his boots slipping on the mossy ground.When he burst outside, the sun was setting, painting the sky in streaks of orange and purple. Suolong Village loomed in the distance, its empty houses now dark silhouettes against the dusk.He didn't look back. He ran through the village, past the well where he'd first met the woman, past the stone stele with its faded "Suolong Village" engraving. He ran up the mountain path, his lungs burning, until the village was nothing but a dark smudge on the horizon.By the time he reached the town, it was night. He stumbled into a tiny inn, paying for a room with the 200 yuan the bus driver had given him. He collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.In his hand, he clutched the bronze key and the jade pendant. His parents were gone. The boss was coming for him. And he was the guardian of a bone that held the power to wake a dragon.Lin Chen closed his eyes. His luck had gotten him out of the cave. But would it be enough to keep him alive?He didn't know. But he knew one thing: he wasn't going to run. He was going to find the boss. He was going to avenge his parents.And he was going to guard the dragon bone—no matter what.The next morning, Lin Chen woke to a knock on his door. He tensed, grabbing the bronze key. When he opened it, he froze: standing in the hallway was Su Xiao, his classmate, her backpack slung over one shoulder."Hey," she said, grinning. "Heard you were in town—some guy at the bus station said you came here. Thought you might need a hand. Oh, and I brought your math notes—you forgot them before you left!"Lin Chen stared at her. How had she found him? How had she even known he'd left the city?Su Xiao's grin faded. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."Lin Chen sighed. His luck had brought him a friend—or a new problem. Either way, his adventure was just beginning.