The cabin door creaked, and Tan Kai froze.
The woman's silver-green hair caught the moonlight—exactly like the Lina in his visions, the one who'd held the jade under the lotus tree. Her eyes were warm, like sunlight through leaves, and when she smiled, it felt like a memory.
"Lina?" Yara breathed, her hand tightening around Tan Kai's. The jade in his palm blazed, as if recognizing her.
Lina nodded, stepping aside to let them in. "Come. Before the judge finds this place. Agus told me you'd be here."
"Agus—how do you know him?" Tong asked, his hand still on Lila's shoulder.
Lina laughed, soft and sad. "We've been together since the valley was young. He didn't die. We just… hid. Heaven's been hunting us for years."
She led them into the cabin. A small fire crackled in the hearth, casting golden light over wooden walls lined with herbs and maps. A kettle simmered on the stove, and on the table, there was a half-eaten bowl of berries. It felt like home—warm, lived-in, nothing like the caves and tunnels they'd been hiding in.
Bright made a beeline for the table, eyeing the berries. "You guys have actual food? No offense, but rock dust and dried herbs get old."
Lina smiled, handing him a basket of wild mangoes—smaller than the valley's, but bright orange. "Wild ones. Agus picked them this morning. He said someone in your group would appreciate them."
Bright whooped, biting into one. "Agus is my new favorite person. Sorry, Tan Kai."
Tan Kai rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He stepped closer to the table, where a map was spread out—marked with a red X near a place labeled "Lotus Spring."
"What's this?" he asked.
Lina tapped the X, her finger brushing the paper. "That spring birthed the jade," she said. "Its water binds souls—and if you reach it before the judge, even Heaven's steel won't cut through." She pulled a small, glowing stone from her pocket—same color as the jade—and set it on the map. "This will call Agus. If he's alive, he'll find us. He always does."
Lila stepped forward, staring at the stone. "Grandma had one of these. She said it was a 'bond stone'—for finding the people you love."
Lina reached out to brush Lila's hair back, her thumb brushing a smudge of dirt from Lila's cheek. "Your grandma was my sister. She stayed in the valley to protect the jade's secret. I'm sorry we couldn't protect her from Nagasith."
Lila's breath caught. For a second, she didn't know whether to cry or run into Lina's arms. She settled for a shaky smile, wiping her eye with the back of her hand. "It's okay. You're here now."
Tong squeezed her hand, and for a minute, the cabin was quiet—just the fire crackling and Bright's happy munching.
Then the silver token in Tan Kai's pocket pulsed. Hot, sharp, like it had before.
He grabbed it, his heart sinking. "He's coming. The judge."
Lina's face tightened. She grabbed the map, folding it quickly. "We need to go. The spring's an hour's walk from here—through the woods behind the cabin. No trails, but the stone will guide us."
Nam stuffed her herb pouch full of Lina's dried herbs. "These are stronger than mine. They'll help if we need to hide."
Bright finished his mango, wiping juice from his chin. "Lead the way. But if we pass any more mango vines? We're stopping. Pure curiosity," he said solemnly. "For the sake of discovery."
Lina laughed, grabbing a lantern from the hearth. "No mango detours. But I promise—there are more at the spring."
They filed out the back door, into the woods. The lantern's light cut through the dark, and the bond stone in Lina's hand glowed soft, pointing toward the east.
The trees were thick, branches tangling overhead, but Lina moved like she knew every root and rock. Tan Kai walked beside her, the jade warm in his hand.
"Agus said the judge can break the jade's seal," he said.
Lina's jaw tightened. "The judge's blade is Heavenly steel—forged to burn Naga magic. If it pierces the jade… the corruption under the valley wakes. And Heaven blames us. Burns everything."
Tan Kai's stomach dropped. "We can't let that happen."
"We won't," Lina said, firm.
A branch snapped behind them.
Nam spun, fire herbs in hand. "Who's there?"
No one answered. But the token in Tan Kai's pocket pulsed faster, hotter.
"He's close," Yara whispered.
Lina held up the bond stone. It glowed brighter, pulling them forward. "Hurry. The spring's just ahead."
They ran, the lantern bouncing in Lina's hand. The trees thinned, and soon, they saw it—a small clearing, with a pool of water in the center. Moonlight spilled over it, and the water glowed faint green, like the jade.
"The Lotus Spring," Lina breathed.
Bright skidded to a stop, staring at the pool. "Whoa. That's… not mangoes. But still cool."
Tan Kai stepped to the pool's edge. The jade in his hand blazed, matching the water's glow. He reached down, dipping his finger in—it was warm, like the jade.
Then the air thickened. The moonlight dimmed as the Judge stepped out, his mask cracked, every breath leaving a trail of frost. His silver blade glinted, and when he spoke, his voice was ice cracking.
"End of the line."
Agus sprinted into the clearing behind him, his shirt torn, a cut on his cheek. "Get to the water!" he yelled. "The jade needs it—now!"
The judge swung his blade at Agus. Agus dodged, but the blade grazed his arm, drawing blood that turned dark in the cold air.
"Tan Kai!" Yara yelled.
Tan Kai grabbed her hand, pulling her into the pool. The water glowed brighter, wrapping around them like a shield. The jade in his hand pulsed, merging with the water's light.
The judge lunged, blade aimed at Tan Kai's chest.
Lina threw the bond stone at him. It hit the mask, shattering it into shards.
The judge screamed—a loud, terrible sound. His face was scarred, half-covered in silver scales, like Naga magic had burned him long ago.
"You," he snarled, staring at Lina. "You broke the Heavenly Oath. You and Agus—traitors."
Agus stepped beside Lina, his arm around her. "Heaven broke its promise first. We just fought to protect what's ours."
The judge roared, swinging his blade at the pool. The steel hit the water's shield—and bounced off, sending sparks flying that died in the frost around him.
"What?" he gasped.
Tan Kai smiled, the jade glowing brighter. "The spring's water. It binds us. Your blade can't touch us."
Yara raised her hand, green light surging from her palm. Venom shot toward the judge, hitting his arm. He hissed, stepping back, the venom turning his skin black.
Nam tossed fire herbs at his feet. Flames burst up, wrapping around his legs. He stumbled, dropping his blade into the dirt.
Bright grabbed a rock, throwing it at the judge's chest. "Take that, frost face!"
The judge fell to his knees, gasping. The fire died, but the venom spread, his arm trembling.
Agus stepped forward, his hand glowing with the same light as the jade. "Surrender. Tell Heaven we won't let them hurt the valley."
The judge laughed, bitter. "Heaven won't stop. More soldiers. More judges. You can't hide forever."
He pulled a small, silver horn from his pocket—same as the soldiers'—and blew it. A loud, sharp sound echoed through the woods, making the pool's water ripple.
"They're coming," he said, grinning. "And this time, you won't escape."
Lina's face paled. "We need to go. Now. The spring's shield won't hold against an army."
Agus nodded, helping Tan Kai and Yara out of the pool. "Cave behind the spring—leads to old Naga tunnels. Heaven doesn't know about them."
They ran toward the cave, the judge's laughter fading behind them. Even as they ran, the echo of the horn clung to the trees—like something alive, following.
Bright panted, keeping up. "Hey—you said there were mangoes at the spring. I didn't see any mangoes."
Lina smiled, glancing back. "They're by the cave entrance. I'll let you pick one on the way."
Bright perked up, speeding up. "Now you're speaking my language."
The cave mouth closed behind them, blocking the horn's echo. The tunnel was dark, but the bond stone's light showed the way.
Tan Kai held Yara's hand, the jade warm in his other palm. Outside, Heaven's army was coming. The corruption still waited under the valley.
But for now, they were together. Agus and Lina were alive. And they had a plan.
For now, the spring glowed. For now, they ran.