Seconds later, I was back—gasping for air on the floor. Everyone stood exactly where they had been. Nazo looked down at me with cold authority. He had killed me just to prove a point: that my life, my will, was at his mercy.
I glared at him, hatred boiling in my eyes. "Nazo, you and my mother are insane. You think power is everything—but it's not."
"Power is all there is," he replied calmly.
"And family," my mother added, stepping closer. "Power and family are all that matter."
I spat back, "Not when you kill them for power."
Her eyes narrowed. She walked up to me slowly, leaned into my face, and hissed, "As your parent, I'll give you one more chance to say something smart again." Then her hand cracked across my cheek, leaving me reeling as she turned and returned to Nazo's side.
The other scaled swords entered the chamber, bowing their heads briefly before asking Nazo what the next mission was. His answer was as cruel as expected: the stolen children were to be brainwashed and trained, their minds broken for war. The remaining towns and villages? To be crushed, their leaders executed, their land absorbed.
Manny's eyes met mine, then flicked upward. I followed his gaze—an opening above us, with a rope dangling. He wanted me to pull it down, then use his strength to launch us through. We just needed a distraction.
I took the risk. "We don't want to be here," I said aloud, forcing calm into my voice. "Can we leave?"
My mother's response was sharp. "No."
But Nazo smirked. "Of course you can. It's not like you could stop us anyway."
I flicked my finger, trying to call the rope down—but Nazo cut it clean with his blade. Then, almost amused, he added, "However… only one of you can leave. Not both."
Manny didn't hesitate. "Goshi, you go."
"No," I shot back, shaking my head. "You should go."
We argued, both refusing to abandon the other. My mother chuckled darkly. "How adorable. They inherited the caring gene from your brother."
Nazo nodded, almost mockingly, and opened a shimmering portal. "Ten seconds. Choose who leaves—or you both stay."
Manny's face hardened with resolve. "Goshi, let's say our last goodbyes."
I limped toward him, whispering, "Manny, you should—"
But before I could finish, he grabbed me by the arms and hurled me through the portal. "Close it!" he shouted.
I scrambled to claw my way back, hand outstretched—but just as my fingers touched the portal's edge, it snapped shut.
I collapsed onto rough pavement, abandoned in the middle of a deserted road on Nova1c. Alone.
The only small comfort was recognizing where I was. My home was just five blocks away. With no other choice, I began walking.
When I reached my neighbor's door, something was wrong. An eviction notice was taped across it, stamped with the insignia of the E.T.U. I ripped it down, scanning the words beneath: This evacuation was under the control of the E.T.U. My chest tightened. I let the paper fall and hurried on.
My apartment door was cracked open. Inside, faint rustling echoed down the hall. Cautiously, I crept toward my room. My door creaked, and through the gap I saw something—something fuzzy—sitting on my bed.
"Who's there?" I demanded.
The figure turned its head. Two ember-dark eyes glowed back at me, like a panther's.
It leapt from the bed, low to the ground, stalking closer. I warned it to stay back. It lunged anyway.
Instinct kicked in—I swung my palm, yanking my pillow into the air to block its strike. The impact knocked me off balance. I bolted down the hall, the creature clinging to the wall and chasing me with feral speed. I barely caught its shadow before it launched, tackling me to the ground.
Its hiss rattled in my ear. I shoved it away, scrambling until it cornered me inside my mother's old room. Then, to my shock, it spoke.
"Hey. I was trying to get your attention."
Flat on my back, I snapped, "Was killing me part of that mission?"
The feline cocked its head. "Killing you? I thought you were just playing along."
I didn't believe her. "You nearly tore me apart."
She hopped back, her voice steady. "I've been looking for someone named Goshi."
"That's me," I answered warily.
Her posture shifted—attack stance. And then, in a blur, she leapt inside me. My body jolted, flooded with a new presence. Energy surged through me, a strange and overwhelming power—not unlike Yang, but sharper, older.
In the mirror, my reflection stared back with ember-colored eyes, glowing like the ancient Nekomata cats I had once studied in school.
Her voice spoke inside me. My name is Jominari. I was sent to find you by my village leader.
Her aura pulsed through me as she explained. She came from a distant land, from the Nekomata who dwelled on mountain peaks, guardians of wisdom and strength. Her leader needed me to come to Pansen—to Mount Ki Proce.
"I can't," I muttered. "I have my own war. I have to save Manny. I have to stop Nazo."
I know someone who can help you do both, she answered firmly.
I hesitated. Two reasons bound me: my brother and the chance to end Nazo. That was enough. I agreed. "Fine. Take me there."
I admitted my power was gone—no more Yang, no space-time rifts to open. But Jominari reassured me. My genus can move between spaces. Summon a portal. I'll amplify you.
Purple aura flooded through me, expanding outward in a glowing bubble. My palm lifted, trembling, as the energy shaped itself. A portal tore open before me.
I stepped through—and emerged atop a jagged peak. The air was sharp, thin, and cold.
I had arrived at Mount Ki Proce.