The first light of dawn filtered through the starship's broken window, casting thin streaks of gold over the dusty floor. Lin Che woke to the sound of Xiao Ya's soft snores and the distant wind whistling through the graveyard. He sat up slowly, careful not to disturb her, and noticed Mo Ying was already awake—kneeling by the campfire, which had burned down to embers, cleaning a small knife.
"Morning," she said, glancing up. "Found some dried rations in one of the crates. Should hold us until we reach the scrapyard."
Lin Che nodded, stretching his stiff shoulders. The crystals in his pouch felt lighter than the night before—their energies still muted, as if they'd grown used to each other. He pulled the pouch open slightly; the light shard glowed with a steady silver, while the Shadow Shard lay quiet beside it, no trace of its red pulse.
Su Qing stirred awake a few minutes later, rubbing her eyes. "Any sign of the Zhao family?" she asked, sitting up.
Mo Ying shook her head. "The wind's clear. No one's near the graveyard. But we should still move fast—scrapyard's a two-hour walk from here, and I want to reach my contact before noon. He's skittish—won't wait around if he thinks the Syndicate's watching."
They packed quickly, rolling up the blankets and gathering the remaining rations. Xiao Ya, now wide awake, walked beside Mo Ying as they left the starship, chattering about the small flowers growing between the hulls. "The plants say the graveyard's happy we stayed," she said. "They like having people here—makes the rust feel less lonely."
Mo Ying smiled, a rare, soft expression. "Good to know we're not bothering anyone."
The walk to the scrapyard was easier than the mountain climb—mostly flat terrain, with scattered trees and rocky patches. Mo Ying led them along a narrow path, hidden by tall grass, that wound past the edge of the graveyard and into a dense stand of pines.
"The scrapyard's just ahead," she said after an hour, pointing through the trees. "It's an old one—abandoned for years, but my contact still uses it to trade parts. Name's Jax. He owes me a favor—saved his life from a Syndicate enforcer last year."
They emerged from the pines to find the scrapyard spread out before them: a vast field of rusted metal, old starship parts, and broken machinery. Piles of wires and gears towered like small mountains, and a few ramshackle sheds stood in the center, their roofs held up by wooden poles.
"There's his shed," Mo Ying said, pointing to a small, blue-painted shed with a smoke stack. "Stay here. I'll go talk to him first. If he sees three strangers, he'll bolt."
Lin Che and Su Qing nodded, pulling Xiao Ya behind a pile of metal sheets. They watched as Mo Ying walked toward the shed, her hands in her pockets, her posture relaxed. She knocked on the door, and after a moment, it creaked open. A man with a bushy beard and a patch over one eye peeked out—Jax. He said something to Mo Ying, his voice too low to hear, then stepped aside, letting her in.
"They seem okay," Su Qing whispered, squeezing Lin Che's hand.
Lin Che nodded, but his jaw was tight. He could feel something— a faint, cold energy, like the Shadow Shard's, but weaker. He glanced at his wrist; the Star Marrow glowed faintly, as if responding to the energy.
"Did you feel that?" he asked Su Qing.
She frowned, shaking her head. "Feel what?"
"Darkness," he said. "Like the Shadow Shard, but… farther away. Like someone with a small piece of it is nearby."
Xiao Ya's eyes widened. "The plants! They're shaking. They say there's someone watching us—someone with 'bad energy.'"
Lin Che's heart raced. The Syndicate? The Zhao family? He pulled Su Qing and Xiao Ya deeper behind the metal pile, peering over the top.
A figure stood at the edge of the scrapyard, hidden by a pile of gears. They were wearing a black robe—just like the Arcane expert Old Man Zhao had brought to the ritual. Their face was hidden by a hood, but Lin Che could see the faint red glow of a crystal in their hand—a small Shadow Shard.
"Syndicate enforcer," he whispered. "They're following us."
The enforcer turned, their head scanning the scrapyard. Lin Che ducked back behind the metal pile, his hand going to the knife at his belt.
"We need to get to Mo Ying," Su Qing said, her voice urgent. "If the enforcer finds Jax, they'll kill him. And us."
Lin Che nodded. He peeked over the pile again—the enforcer was walking toward the blue shed, their steps slow and deliberate.
"Xiao Ya, can the plants distract them?" he asked.
She nodded, her hands glowing green. She closed her eyes, murmuring to the weeds growing between the metal piles. A moment later, the weeds began to grow—fast, twisting up around the enforcer's legs.
The enforcer cursed, swinging their hand to cut the weeds with a burst of red Arcane energy. But the weeds kept growing, wrapping tighter around their ankles.
"Now!" Lin Che shouted.
They ran toward the blue shed, Lin Che leading the way. He kicked open the door, and inside, Mo Ying and Jax were standing by a table covered in starship parts—both looking surprised.
"Syndicate enforcer outside!" Lin Che said, slamming the door shut. "They're heading this way!"
Jax's face paled. "Syndicate? Here? I told you this was a bad idea, Mo Ying!"
"Quit panicking," Mo Ying said, grabbing her knife. "We have a back door. Jax, tell us what you know about the Syndicate's Shard shipments. Where are they taking the Shadow Shards?"
Jax hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. I heard they're shipping them to the old factory in the city— the one by the river. They're gathering all the Shards there. Planning a big ritual—bigger than the one in the forest. They say it'll 'awaken the darkness fully.'"
Lin Che's heart dropped. The old factory. The same one Li Wei had mentioned in the slums.
"We need to stop them," Su Qing said, her voice firm. "If they gather all the Shards…."
The shed door slammed open. The enforcer stood in the entrance, their hood thrown back—revealing a face scarred by fire, their eyes glowing red. They held up the small Shadow Shard, and it flared.
"Hand over the Shard you stole," they said, their voice cold. "And the Star Marrow bearer. Or I'll burn this scrapyard to the ground."
Mo Ying stepped forward, her knife raised. "Over my dead body."
The enforcer laughed, raising their hand. Red Arcane energy crackled around their fingers. "Your choice."
Lin Che grabbed the pouch with the crystals from his belt. He pulled out the light shard—its silver glow flaring bright. The enforcer's eyes widened, and the Shadow Shard in their hand dimmed.
"Light shard," they snarled. "You'll regret bringing that here."
They lunged forward, but Xiao Ya screamed—unleashing a burst of green energy that sent a wave of weeds crashing into the enforcer. They stumbled back, and Mo Ying tackled them to the ground.
"Go!" Mo Ying shouted to Lin Che, Su Qing, and Jax. "The back door! I'll hold them off!"
Jax nodded, grabbing Lin Che's arm. "This way!"
They ran through a small door at the back of the shed, into a narrow alley between piles of metal. The sound of fighting echoed behind them—the enforcer's shouts, Mo Ying's grunts.
"Mo Ying!" Xiao Ya cried, trying to turn back.
Lin Che held her tight. "We have to go," he said, his voice breaking. "She'll catch up. I promise."
They ran through the scrapyard, Jax leading the way. The enforcer's shouts faded behind them, but Lin Che's heart was heavy. Mo Ying was fighting alone—for them.
They reached the edge of the scrapyard, and Jax stopped, pointing to a path through the trees. "That leads to the city's outer slums," he said. "Li Wei's there—he'll hide you. I'll go back for Mo Ying. I owe her that much."
Lin Che nodded, clapping Jax on the shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."
Jax nodded, then turned and ran back into the scrapyard.
Lin Che, Su Qing, and Xiao Ya stood there for a moment, watching him go. Then, Lin Che took a deep breath.
"Let's go," he said. "To the slums. To Li Wei. And then… to the old factory."
The Syndicate was gathering the Shadow Shards. The ritual was coming.
And this time, they wouldn't run. They'd fight.
They walked into the trees, the scrapyard fading behind them. The Star Marrow on Lin Che's wrist glowed bright, a beacon in the shadows.
The final battle was approaching. And they were ready.