Moments later, Eqihr finished speaking with one of the armored men about the scaled swords. He then walked over to the group and explained what he had learned. According to him, the visitor from earlier—the man named Tiun—was the very one responsible for both him and another warrior losing their swords. His expression hardened as he scolded Manny for acting out of rage.
"Listen," Eqihr said gravely, his voice steady with contemplation. "I'll be clear with all of you. This war isn't going to be easy. It will be brutal. Understand?"
Honestly, I wasn't even focused on the war at that moment. My mind was locked on Manny. He hadn't lashed out like that since back when we were home, and something about him seemed off.
"Manny, are you okay?" I asked cautiously.
He just stared out the window, silent. I reached a hand toward his head to clear his thoughts, but he slapped it away.
"Don't," he snapped. "That doesn't do anything for me. You're just wasting energy." His tone was sharp, forceful. His behavior was shifting into something unfamiliar.
From across the room, Eqihr's eyes narrowed. Sammi, Qui, and Kalen sat upright, tense. Then Manny's voice cut through the silence.
"I just wish it would all burn."
His words chilled the room. A dark aura seeped from his body, spreading like a suffocating mist. Objects began to levitate and rattle. The atmosphere grew heavy and violent.
"Manny, don't do this again," I said, my voice trembling.
But he didn't listen. The aura thickened, swirling like a storm. A powerful gust of wind blasted across the room, sweeping Eqihr back. I summoned my aura shield, bracing against the violent current, and forced my way toward him.
"Manny, stop it!" I shouted.
He turned, eyes burning with aggression, and his aura flung me across the room like a rag doll. My back slammed into the wall. The impact shocked him back to reality. His aura flickered and vanished, his eyes going wide as he realized what he'd done.
He rushed over, panicked. "Goshi, are you okay?"
My back was already knitting itself together, healing on its own. I struggled to speak, but I managed to nod. "I'll be fine."
The others weren't convinced. Fear clung to them. Even Mai's father kept his distance.
"Guys, I didn't mean it," Manny pleaded.
Mai's father's voice cut in, firm but uneasy. "We need to do something about his powers. He could destroy this town."
Eqihr shook his head. "I don't know how to restrict them. Not Yin. Not Yang."
Sammi, Qui, and Kalen shifted into guarded stances. Mai's brothers positioned themselves behind their father. The whole room was braced for Manny to snap again.
But Manny laid me gently on the floor, then backed away slowly. His eyes were full of guilt. He opened a portal behind himself.
"Manny, don't!" I cried, forcing myself up.
He didn't listen. He leapt through, and the portal snapped shut before I could follow.
It felt like my chest had been hollowed out. I collapsed, paralyzed by the ache of loss.
"Goshi!" Mai rushed to help me up, but I shoved her hand away.
"Stop! Don't leave!" I screamed. My voice broke into a screech, more beast than human. I thrashed uncontrollably as the others tried to pin me against the wall.
"This is like last time," I thought bitterly. The memory clawed back—years ago, when Manny lost control and vanished.
I saw it clear as day: Manny, Amoi, our mother, and I living in that broken home. The E.T.U. Came, threatening him, pressing for blood because of some grudge tied to a tuition rivalry. Manny snapped that night—slaughtered them all—and fled, leaving us behind.
The memory seared me, and I couldn't control myself.
"He won't stop!" Mai's father growled, straining to hold me down.
"Eqihr! How do we stop this?!" Mai shouted, clutching my arms.
Then everything went black. My eyes shut on their own, and I sank into my mind.
Yanu stood before me. His presence was steady, commanding.
"I wanted to wait until you were under attack to do this," he said, "but I have no choice now."
I frowned, lost. "What are you talking about?"
He stepped closer, calm but heavy with purpose. "My essence is bound to you. And I can see what you struggle with—your commitment." His words hit like a knife. "So I'll give you what you lack."
In his hand, he held a jewel—an enormous amethyst, glowing faintly.
"This stone will link your mind to your power," Yanu explained. "It will grant you knowledge, control. But it won't be easy. You're taking it all in at once."
I swallowed hard. "Will it… change me?"
"Over time," he admitted. "But it will make you what you're meant to be."
Before I could speak again, he pressed the stone into my forehead. Light burst, searing through my mind.
And then I woke.
But I wasn't where I had been.
I was in a cage. Cold iron bars surrounded me, the air damp and unfamiliar. From a narrow window, I could see Haru's town hall.
The door creaked open. A man in a trench coat walked inside, a ring of keys jingling at his belt.
"Not even one day," he said with a smirk. "And you're already causing destruction. Guess that's the local government's problem, not mine."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
He waved a hand lazily. "Someone assigned to watch you. And before you ask—no, you're not a prisoner. You're here to hide. Out of sight, out of mind. Safer for everyone."
His casual tone left me uneasy, but it made sense. Still, his words rang hollow.
"Honestly," he continued, fumbling with his keys, "you should be more careful. We're at war. And around here, losing people? That's breakfast."
The cage door unlocked with a click. I stood, but as I moved to leave, he stopped me.
"Wait for your escort." He left through the main door, leaving me alone.
I scanned the room. Another door caught my eye—a small office. Its window was narrow, but I peered through. Inside sat a desk, a filing cabinet, and an armor stand with a sword in its holster.
Eqihr's suspicions… Mai's doubts… maybe this is the proof.
The office door was locked, but I wasn't helpless. Years of stealing food had taught me how to pick locks. I searched the room until I spotted a thin nail lying in the corner. Perfect.
Moments later, the lock clicked open.
Inside, I rifled through the filing cabinet first. Nothing—just records of supplies and goods headed to the war effort. The desk was next. There, tucked under a pile, I found a letter marked Top Secret. It contained strategies, troop movements—intel the townsfolk shouldn't have.
But it was the sword that froze me.
The holster gleamed with blue and gold. My stomach sank.
The handle… a scaled dragon handle.
My blood ran cold.
Someone in Haru had found Eqihr's sword.
Or worse—someone here was already allied with Nazo and the Scaled Battalion.