The valley air still tasted like lotus—sweet, warm, but under it lingered a faint sharpness, like leftover venom. The lotuses bloomed bright in the lake, their petals glowing soft green, but Tan Kai's eyes stayed fixed on the tunnel mouth.
He pulled the blue cloth from his pocket. It fluttered in the breeze, brushing his knuckles like a light touch. "We need to find him," he said, voice quiet but firm. "Agus can't be stuck in there alone."
Yara nodded, her fire herb dimming to a soft orange. "The judge ran that way, but Agus's voice… it sounded like he was hurt. We have to be careful."
Bright kicked at a small stone, sending it skittering into the lake. "Great. Back into the dark. No mangoes, no dry shoes, just… more tunnel." He paused, then sniffed the air. "Wait—do I smell something? Like… no, definitely not mangoes. Just damp rock. Figures."
Nam slung her herb pouch over her shoulder, already walking toward the tunnel. "The corruption's still here, faint. We'll need fire herbs to keep it back. Lila, can you hold this?" She handed Lila a small bundle of dried herbs, tied with twine.
Lila nodded, clutching the herbs to her chest. Tong walked beside her, his hand hovering near her elbow—ready to steady her if she stumbled.
Tan Kai's token pulsed in his pocket. Not hot, not sharp—just a slow, steady throb, like it was pointing the way. He followed it, stepping into the tunnel first. The jade in his other hand glowed, casting green light over the mossy rocks.
The tunnel was quieter now. No judge's footsteps, no horn. Just the drip of water and their own breathing. Tan Kai's boots scraped over loose gravel, and he kept his eyes peeled for marks—any sign Agus had passed through.
"There," Yara said, pointing to the wall. A small lotus carving, fresh—chips of rock still dusted on the ground. "He made this. To show us the way."
Bright leaned in, squinting. "Looks like a mango pit, if you squint. Kinda. Not really. But hey, at least it's a mark."
They followed the carving—up a slight slope, around a bend, until the tunnel widened into a small chamber. The air here was colder, and the moss on the walls had turned brown, like it was dying.
"The corruption's stronger here," Nam said, pulling a fire herb from her pouch. She crushed it in her palm, and a faint orange smoke curled up, chasing away the sharp smell. "Stay close. Don't touch the walls."
Tan Kai's token pulsed faster. He held it up—silver light seeping through his fingers, pointing toward a narrow passage at the back of the chamber. "This way."
The passage was tight—so tight, Lila had to walk sideways. Tong went first, his hands brushing the walls to check for traps. "Clear," he said, after a minute. "But there's something on the ground."
Tan Kai squeezed through next. The jade's light fell on the floor—and his breath caught. A small silver hairpin, bent at the tip. The same one Agus had given him earlier.
"He was here," Tan Kai said, picking it up. The metal was cold, but there was a faint brown stain on the end—blood. "He's hurt."
Yara's fire herb flared brighter. "We have to move faster."
They hurried through the passage. The tunnel opened up again, and this time, Tan Kai heard it—a faint groan, far off.
"Agus?" he called, his voice echoing.
The groan came again, closer. Tan Kai ran forward, the jade glowing bright. The tunnel turned, and there he was—Agus, leaning against the wall, his arm pressed to his side. Blood seeped through his coat, dark and sticky.
"Agus!" Tan Kai's voice cracked. He skidded to a stop, the gravel scattering, and dropped to his knees beside him. His hands hovered over the bloody coat, unsure where to touch without causing more pain. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the venom's sharpness filled his nostrils. "How bad is it?" he asked, his voice lowered, the question meant for Agus alone.
Agus's smile was a frail thing, but it reached his eyes. "Judge got me. Nicked my side with that venom sword." He drew a sharp breath as Nam moved to examine the wound. "But I slowed him down. He won't be back for a while." He looked at the hairpin in Tan Kai's hand. "You found it. Good. It's… it's a key. To Lina's last hiding spot."
Nam knelt down, pulling her herb pouch open. She pulled out a small jar of green salve, dabbing it on Agus's wound. "This will stop the venom. But you need rest. You're pale."
Agus shook his head, a grimace of pain or perhaps memory twisting his features. "No time. The judge's not the only one coming. The Celestial Court sent more soldiers—they're bringing a 'Purge Cannon.'" He saw the confusion on their faces and forced out the words, "An old weapon, from the same war where the corruption first spread. It was designed to scorch everything, to burn the land itself to ash. It can burn this valley to the ground, even with the lotuses."
Bright's eyes widened. "Burn the valley? But the lotuses just grew! And what about mangoes? If the valley burns, there'll be no mangoes ever."
Tong frowned. "Purge Cannon? How do we stop it?"
Agus pushed himself up, leaning heavily on Tan Kai's shoulder. "Lina's hiding spot. She has a weapon—something to fight the cannon. But we need to get there first. The soldiers will be here by sunset."
Tan Kai helped Agus stand. The jade in his hand glowed, wrapping around Agus's arm like a green bandage. "The jade will help. It can heal you, a little."
Agus nodded, wincing as he took a step. "The hiding spot's through that passage." He pointed to a dark opening at the back of the chamber. "It's hidden behind a rock. You'll need the hairpin to open it."
They moved toward the passage, Agus leaning heavily between Tan Kai and Yara, their steps a synchronized, careful shuffle. Lila walked a step ahead, her fire herb held aloft like a miniature sun, its light deliberately washing over Agus as if to warm him. Bright followed, still muttering about mangoes and burning valleys, but his complaints now seemed a familiar, almost comforting background noise. When Agus stumbled, it was Bright who swiftly wedged a shoulder under his other arm, grumbling, "Steady there, don't squash the mangoes before we find them," his action belying his words.
The passage was short. At the end, there was a wall of rock, smooth and unmarked. Tan Kai held up the silver hairpin, pressing it to the rock.
The hairpin glowed—silver light spreading across the rock like a web. There was a soft click, and the rock slid aside, revealing a small cave.
Inside, the cave was lit by glowing moss—bright green, like the jade. On a stone shelf, there was a wooden box, and next to it, a weapon—long, thin, made of wood and lotus petals, with a blade of glowing green light.
"Lina's Lotus Spear," Agus said, his voice gaining a thread of reverence. "She theorized about weapons like the Purge Cannon. She said the lotuses didn't just heal the land; they could transform energy itself. This... this was her answer. It can absorb the Cannon's fire, turn their own destruction into pure lotus energy."
Tan Kai walked to the shelf, picking up the spear. The blade hummed in his hand, warm like the jade. He held it up, and the light reflected off the walls, casting lotus shadows everywhere.
The token in his pocket pulsed—soft, calm. Like a worry finally laid to rest.
Agus smiled, leaning against the cave wall. "We can stop them. The soldiers, the cannon. We can save the valley."
Yara nodded, her fire herb glowing bright. "Together."
Lila walked to the box, opening it slowly. Inside, there were small lotus seeds—more than the ones they'd planted. "We can plant these," she said. "All over the valley. Make it even more beautiful."
Bright leaned in, looking at the seeds. "Do they grow mangoes? No, right. Just lotuses. Fine. Lotuses are cool too. I guess."
Nam laughed—soft, relieved. "Come on. We need to get back to the valley. Set up defenses. The soldiers will be here soon."
They walked out of the cave, the Lotus Spear in Tan Kai's hand, the seeds in Lila's pocket. Agus was still weak, but he walked taller now, like a weight had lifted.
The tunnel was quieter on the way back. No more corruption smell, no more shadows. The jade's light was warm, and the token's pulse was slow—steady, like a heartbeat.
When they stepped out of the tunnel, the valley was still there. The lotuses bloomed in the lake, the sun was low in the sky, painting the clouds pink.
Tan Kai held up the Lotus Spear. The blade glowed, and the lotuses in the lake seemed to glow with it—bright, strong, alive.
"We're ready," he said, looking at his friends.
Agus nodded. "Let's fight."
Bright grinned, finally putting aside his mango complaints. "Yeah. Let's fight. And if we win? I'm gonna find a mango. Even if I have to dig up the whole valley."
Everyone laughed—loud, happy, like they hadn't laughed in a long time.
The sun set, painting the sky orange. And in the distance, the sound of hoofbeats echoed—soft, but getting closer.
The soldiers were coming. But this time, Tan Kai and his friends weren't running.
They were waiting.