I pressed my back against the lone tree in the open grassland, heart pounding. Mai and her family were chained, dragged by nearly a hundred warriors. Thirty yards. Too close to run, too far to save them cleanly.
Teleport? No—I might bring soldiers with me. My control was sloppy. Eqihr hadn't taught me enough. No choice but to face them head-on.
I stepped out from cover, straight into their path. Mai's wide eyes locked on mine. Her father and brothers froze, tied and helpless.
One of the commanders sneered at me. "Who are you, and why shouldn't I kill you where you stand?"
I glared back. "You're going to hand those people over."
He barked a laugh. "Do you know who I am? I am Chief Lunar, descendant of Katan Lunar."
The name hit me like a blow. Katan—the original Yin holder. My brother's alignment.
Chief Lunar grinned. "My bloodline is power itself. You don't stand a chance."
Behind him, Mai shouted, voice cracking with fear. "Goshi, run! You can't fight him!"
I turned my glare back on the chief. "Do you know who I am? I'm the current holder of—your life."
His smirk fell to disgust. "You've made a grave mistake." His hand gripped the serpent-handled blade at his hip. He drew it in one smooth motion. Light flared along the edge, coiling into a beam that shot at me.
I raised my hand, and the orb of light snapped into place, deflecting the blast. Sparks showered the grass.
"That," he said coldly, "was my weakest attack."
I pulled my right arm back, energy surging through me, and slammed it into the air. The ground shuddered violently, shaking the warriors. When the vibrations faded, I said flatly, "That was mine."
His eyes flicked to the ring on my hand. "Your totem?"
I ignored him. My focus snapped to Mai's family. Levitation. I opened my palm, lifted my arm, and their bodies rose into the air, floating toward me. Soldiers shouted, reaching for weapons. I raised my other hand, and light shimmered.
"Try me again," I warned, "and you won't walk away."
The world folded. A snap of light, a rush of vertigo—then we were standing on a mountain ledge a hundred yards toward my destination.
The silence was heavy. All eyes were fixed on me until Mai's father finally broke it. "We'll speak later. For now, shelter. The sun's nearly gone."
He led us to a cave on the far side of the ridge. We scraped together dead sticks and stones, sparked a fire, and sat in its glow.
Mai's voice cut through the crackle. "Goshi… what happened to you?"
I exhaled. "After the incident, I went home. Found my brother—he has the Yin spirit. He told me the Tree of Life could be used as a rift to Pansen. We returned, found your village empty, then met someone named Eqihr. He trained me in natural forces. That's how I ended up here again."
Her father leaned forward. "Your brother… he holds Yin?"
"Yes," I said. "His power is destructive. He nearly killed people with a single strike."
They flinched at the thought, Mai paling.
Thunder rolled. Rain pattered against the rocks, seeping into the cave. "Why does it rain so much here?" I asked.
Mai's voice was quiet. "After the last war, they burned the bodies of the fallen. The smoke scarred our skies. Now it rains four times a week."
Her father's voice rumbled low. "Another war over power… shameful. But word of you is spreading. Villages are sending their strongest to capture the Yang."
I nodded. "Eqihr told me to head to Yuki. Said they still follow the spirits."
"They do," he admitted. "But they're poor, with little to give."
"Still, I'll be there. Five days."
Rainwater trickled across the stone, pooling near my foot. A vision pulsed in my mind—water bending back, obeying. I rose and walked to the mouth of the cave. Raising my palm, I pushed the rain skyward. It parted, falling in reverse.
Gasps echoed behind me. I turned. Their faces were filled with awe and unease.
"I have to keep moving," I said. "Stay safe."
Mai ran after me. "Wait—take these." She held out folded clothes.
I shook my head. "No."
"They were my grandfather's," she insisted, pressing them into my hands. "Please."
I couldn't refuse. The leather top clung like a tank shirt, the bottoms loose like the village men's. Strange, but hers.
I pulled them on, nodded once, and turned away.
The road to Yuki stretched long, but a thought sparked: I still had my old clothes. Two sets now. I switched quickly, opened a portal, and jumped.
The world folded and spat me out fifty yards from a quiet town.
By the looks of it, I'd made it.
Yuki.