Jalen stirred.
His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the soft glow of spirit lanterns lining the guest chamber walls. The air was warm, faintly laced with flame qi. He sat up on his bed, wincing slightly as his muscles protested.
"How long was I out?" he asked, voice rough.
"Two days," came a familiar voice.
He turned.
Rana stood near the window, arms crossed, her silhouette framed by the late-afternoon light filtering through a lattice of flamed glass. Her expression was unreadable—somewhere between concern and irritation.
"I see," Jalen murmured.
Internally, he noted the strain in his body, the faint ache in his bones. It seems I overdid it… But at least I achieved what I was striving for.
His thoughts drifted briefly to the voice in the Ridge—the one that had tried to claim the origin shard. The tracker mark it left still pulsed faintly above his heart, hidden beneath his robe. He didn't dwell on it. When that bridge comes, I'll cross it.
He focused inward.
His qi was different now—more volatile, more alive. It reminded him of the ridge's wild energy, but tempered and refined. His body could handle it. Barely.
The Origin Shard hummed faintly within him but remained unresponsive like his second spirit core. No matter how he tested them—spirit sense, resonance, even subtle qi harmonics—they gave nothing back. Dormant again.
Then Rana's voice cut through his thoughts.
"What happened to you?" she asked. "Why were you unconscious? Did you run into trouble?"
Her tone was sharp but not unkind. She didn't believe for a second that someone had bested him. Not easily.
Jalen glanced at her. "Let me guess—your mother sent you here."
She blushed. "Um," she stammered. "I… I just wanted to check on your well-being."
He smirked. "Are you sure you don't want to kill me for what happened at the lake… instead of trying to get close to me?"
"You shameless bastard," she snapped, clenching her fists.
Jalen chuckled. "You're so easy to anger."
"I think you just enjoy making people mad."
"Maybe," he said. "But I also notice things. Like your spirit seed."
Rana blinked. "What?"
"You have a Flaming Spirit Seed," Jalen said. "And if nurtured properly, it could bloom—transform your body into a true flaming physique."
Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know this?"
"Your aura. Your qi signature. It's obvious—if you know what to look for."
"And what? You think you know how to cultivate it better than I do?"
"I think," Jalen said calmly, "that its potential is wasted on you."
Rana bristled. "Excuse me?"
"Not only are you cultivating it incorrectly," he said, "but you're suffering vicious side effects because of the cultivation method you're using."
"The cultivation method I use has been in my Flare family for generations," she snapped. "It's one of the best flaming techniques on the Ruona Continent."
"Then your ancestors were either blind or stubborn," Jalen said. "Because judging from your aura, something's missing. Something that would make it complete."
"You think you know better than the founder of the Flare family?"
"I think," he said, "you all suffer severe backlash from using your flaming aura. And I think you rely on spirit pills and herbs to relieve the symptoms—but they don't cure it."
Rana's eyes widened. She didn't answer.
Because he was right.
"…What are you, some kind of doctor?"
"I wouldn't say that," Jalen replied. "But I've read enough books. And I've been to your family library. I haven't seen your technique directly, but I've read enough about it. And from watching you fight, I saw the flaws."
"Are you insulting me right now?" she snapped.
"On the contrary," he said. "I'm trying to help. Consider it a thank-you—for the shelter. And for watching over me these past few days."
Rana looked away. "I guess you're not as ungrateful as you sound."
Jalen smirked. "If you keep being rude, I'll start stripping."
"You wouldn't dare."
He reached for his robe.
Rana bolted from the room.
The door slammed behind her.
Jalen exhaled, amused. "So easy to provoke."
Then, without turning, he spoke again.
"Are you going to come out of hiding now, Aunty?"
A ripple of qi shimmered near the ceiling. Jana Flare stepped into view, arms folded, eyes sharp with amusement.
"You're one scary little boy," she said. "And you even figured out the flaw in my family's flaming technique just by watching my daughter. Are you sure you're not the reincarnation of some old monster?"
Jalen smiled faintly. "Surely you jest, Aunty."
She stepped closer. "I assume you'll be leaving soon?"
Jalen raised an eyebrow. "Are you throwing me out after saying I could stay as long as I want?"
Jana smiled faintly. "On the contrary—I'd like for you to stay here."
Jalen tilted his head. "Why? Because I'm useful?"
"Because you're interesting," she said. "And because I think this place could benefit from someone like you."
"Power, prestige, and a phoenix-carved bed?" he said dryly. "Tempting."
"You'd be surprised how many have sold their souls for less."
"I'm not most people."
"No," Jana said, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not.
"But on a serious note, why not stay?" she asked. "Here, you'd have power. Status."
"Will you give me your daughter too?" he asked dryly.
Jana raised a brow. "You think I'm the kind of mother who'd sell her daughter for power?"
"Are you?"
She smiled. "I would never force that girl to do anything against her will."
"Good," Jalen said. "That's all I needed to hear."
Jana studied him. "Would you have her if she were willing?"
"I'm merely a child," Jalen replied, tone serene. "I'm not ready for such adult relations."
Jana nearly choked on her own qi. Child?Did this little monster just call himself a child?
She stared at him, her expression caught between disbelief and the urge to throttle something. "Younger than you are are already married and having children."
"And younger than me are also dead in ditches," Jalen said mildly. "I prefer not to follow trends."
Jana's eye twitched. This boy…
He looked like a youth, yes—barely past his first growth spurt—but his standoutblue eyes held storms. His words were too precise, too deliberate. He didn't speak like a child. He spoke like someone who had seen too much and decided to laugh at the world's expectations.
"My focus right now is cultivation," he added, as if that settled everything.
Jana exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. "You're impossible."
"I've been called worse."
"But you can do both, right?" she said. "Cultivate and build a family."
"I'm tempted," he admitted. "But no."
Jana nodded. "I won't press. But if you ever decide to settle down… you know where to look first."
Jalen inclined his head. "If you'll excuse me, Aunty—I'd like to meditate."
"Of course." Jana smirked. "Rest well, little monster."
Then she vanished.