The dark energy radiating from ra''s small frame was suffocating. Her raised hand pointed directly at me, pulsing with an ancient power that seemed to distort the very air between us. My golden energy swirled protectively around me, but I knew instinctively it wouldn''t be enough against whatever she was about to unleash.


    "ra, don''t do this." My voice was firm despite the cold dread settling in my stomach.


    Her eyes—those weren''t ra''s eyes anymore. They were ancient, knowing, filled with memories of things no child should remember.


    "You cannot stop what has already begun, Liam Knight." Her voice carried that unsettling dual tone, like two people speaking through one mouth.


    The Man with the Mustache had retreated to what he clearly hoped was a safe distance, his face ashen with terror.


    I stood my ground, gathering more energy. "I made a promise to protect you. I''m not breaking that promise today."


    A flicker of something—hesitation perhaps—crossed her face. The mask in her other hand seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat, eager to be reunited with her face.


    "You protected a child who no longer exists," she said coldly.


    I shook my head. "She''s still in there. I can see her fighting."


    ra''s outstretched hand trembled slightly. The deadly energy gathering at her fingertips wavered.


    "I need to go," she insisted, but her voice had lost some of its otherworldly edge. "There are things I must do, ces I must find."


    "Then let mee with you," I countered quickly. "Whatever you''re facing, you don''t have to face it alone."


    She lowered her hand slowly, her eyes narrowing in calction. "You would only slow me down."


    "Maybe. Or maybe you need someone to remind you who you really are when that mask tries to take overpletely."


    The dark energy around her dimmed slightly as she considered my words. I pressed my advantage.


    "The ra I know wouldn''t threaten her friends. She wouldn''t use power to hurt people who care about her."


    For a moment, genuine conflict showed on her face—the ancient entity battling with the child I''de to know. She nced down at the mask in her hand, then back at me.


    "I need to follow this path," she said finally, her voice softening. "But perhaps... not yet. Not today."


    Relief washed through me as she lowered both hands, the deadly energy dissipating around us. The mask she slipped into a pocket rather than putting it on—a small victory, but a meaningful one.


    "Come with me for now," I said, careful to keep my tone even. "We''ll figure this out together."


    The Man with the Mustache cautiously approached, his nervousness evident in every step. "Is it... is she..."


    "I haven''t forgotten you," ra said, fixing him with a stare that made him flinch. "Your knowledge of me is dangerous."


    He swallowed hard. "I''ve kept your secret for centuries."


    I looked between them, startled. "Centuries? What are you talking about?"


    ra ignored my question. "You will continue to keep it. Or I will silence you permanently when I fully awaken."


    The threat hung in the air, crystal clear and entirely believable. The Man with the Mustache nodded frantically.


    This chapter is part of the collection on *.


    "Not a word. I swear it."


    I cleared my throat. "Now that we''ve established nobody''s killing anyone today, we need to move. This ce isn''t safe anymore."


    ra''s outburst of power had left visible damage to the Immortal Bane Sect grounds. Cracks spider-webbed across the stone pathways, and several nearby structures showed signs of structural damage.


    "Where are we headed?" ra asked, suddenly sounding more like her usual self.


    "Downton City," I replied, keeping a watchful eye on her. "There''s a rare medicinal herb there I need to find."


    She nodded, seemingly content with this n for now. As we began walking away from the Dead Lake, I noticed dark energy seeping from the cracks in the ground behind us. Whatever ra had awakened was having an effect on the entire sect.


    "The boat to Downton leaves in an hour from the eastern dock," the Man with the Mustache said, visibly relieved to be discussing practical matters. "We should hurry."


    We made our way through the Immortal Bane Sect in tense silence. Several disciples gave us curious looks as we passed, clearly sensing something amiss but wise enough not to ask questions.


    "Why Downton City?" ra asked eventually, her small steps keeping pace with mine.


    "There''s a ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herb that grows only in the caves beneath the city," I exined. "I need it to advance my cultivation."


    She studied me with those unsettlingly knowing eyes. "You''re trying to get stronger quickly. Because of Isabelle?"


    The direct mention of Isabelle sent a familiar pain through my chest. "Yes. The Veridia City Martial Guild is using her. I can''t free her unless I''m strong enough to face them."


    ra nodded thoughtfully. "Poweres at a price, Liam. Are you prepared to pay it?"


    There was something ominous in her tone that made me nce sharply at her. "What do you mean?"


    She shrugged, suddenly childlike again. "Just something I remember being told once. In another life."


    The casual reference to her "other life" sent a chill down my spine. How much did she remember now? And what exactly was she remembering?


    We reached the eastern dock just as arge passenger ship was preparing to depart. The Man with the Mustache handled the arrangements, securing us passage with remarkable efficiency despite his still-trembling hands.


    Once aboard, I found a quiet corner of the deck where we could talk privately. ra settled beside me, gazing out at the water with an unreadable expression.


    "You need to tell me what''s happening to you," I said softly. "If I''m going to help, I need to understand."


    She was quiet for so long I thought she might not answer. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.


    "I don''t fully understand it myself. It''s like... having someone else''s memories in my head. Someone powerful. Ancient." She touched her temple gently. "Sometimes they feel like my own memories. Other times, they feel foreign, like I''m watching someone else''s life."


    "The masked woman from the Huge Pit," I suggested.


    ra nodded slightly. "She''s part of me. Or I''m part of her. It''s...plicated."


    "And dangerous," I added. "That power you disyed back there—it wasn''t human."


    "No," she agreed simply. "It wasn''t."


    I waited for her to borate, but she seemed lost in thought, staring out at the horizon.


    "Will you stay with us?" I asked finally. "At least until we figure this out?"


    She turned to look at me, and for a moment, I saw the young, vulnerable ra I knew. "For now. But eventually, I''ll have to follow the call. It''s getting stronger every day."


    I nodded, epting this temporary truce. "Thank you."


    The Man with the Mustache joined us, carrying a small bundle of supplies and looking marginally calmer. "We''ll reach Downton by nightfall. I''ve arranged lodgings."


    "Good," I said. "And what about the herb? Do you know where to find it?"


    He nodded. "The Whispering Caves beneath the city. Not easy to ess, but I have... connections."


    "Of course you do," I muttered, not entirely surprised.


    As the ship pulled away from the dock, I noticed dark energy still visibly emanating from the Immortal Bane Sect. Disciples were running frantically around the grounds, clearly trying to contain whatever disturbance ra had triggered.


    "They''ll be busy for weeks," the Man with the Mustache remarked, following my gaze. "That much dark energy will attract all kinds of creatures."


    ra watched impassively. "They built their sect on sacred ground. They should have expected consequences."


    Her casual knowledge of things she couldn''t possibly know continued to unnerve me. I changed the subject, pulling out mymunication crystal to check The Warrior''s Scroll.


    Thetest news made me freeze.


    "What is it?" the Man with the Mustache asked, noticing my expression.


    "Broderick," I said, scanning the update with growing concern. "After defeating Bryce ckthorne, he''s issued a challenge to Jackson Harding."


    ra peered over at the crystal. "The legendary martial artist from Pyro?"


    I nodded grimly. "The very same. And Jackson has epted the challenge."


    The Man with the Mustache paled. "That''s... that''s not good. Not good at all."


    "Broderick is using this to establish his dominance," I said, reading between the lines of the announcement. "First Bryce, now Jackson... he''s systematically taking down the most respected fighters in our world."


    "And the Veridia City Martial Guild is allowing it," the Man with the Mustache added nervously. "No, not just allowing it—they''re orchestrating it. This is all part of their n."


    I scrolled through the additional details. "The duel is set for three days from now. It will be broadcast across all major cities."


    ra''s eyes narrowed. "They''re making a spectacle of it. Showing everyone the fall of the old guard and the rise of their new weapon."


    She was right. This wasn''t just a duel—it was propaganda, a calcted move to shift the power dynamics of our entire world.


    "I''ve met Jackson," I said quietly. "He''s a good man. Principled. Powerful."


    "But is he powerful enough to defeat Broderick?" the Man with the Mustache asked, voicing the question we were all thinking.


    I remembered Broderick''s terrifying performance against Bryce ckthorne. The casual brutality, the overwhelming dark energy, the sense of something inhuman lurking beneath the surface.


    "No," I admitted finally. "I don''t think he is."


    ra touched my arm gently—a surprisingly human gesture from someone who''d nearly destroyed an entire sect just hours ago.


    "This is why you need that herb," she said softly. "This is why you need to get stronger. Fast."


    I nodded, a renewed sense of urgency filling me. Jackson Harding was one of the few truly honorable masters left. If he fell to Broderick, it would send a message that the old ways—honor, discipline, righteous power—were no match for the Veridia City Martial Guild''s dark methods.


    "The Guild is making their move," I said grimly. "They''re reshaping the world, one duel at a time."


    The Man with the Mustache fidgeted nervously. "And where does that leave us? Caught in the middle of a war between titans?"


    I looked at him, then at ra, whose eyes now held a calcting gleam that reminded me she was far more than she appeared.


    "No," I said firmly. "Not caught in the middle. We''re building our own strength. Finding our own path. And when the timees, we''ll be ready to challenge them directly."


    ra smiled—a smile that was both childlike and ancient at once. "Yes," she agreed, her hand drifting to the pocket where she''d stored her mask. "When the timees, they''ll regret ever starting this war."


    As our ship sailed toward Downton City and the precious herb that might help me save Isabelle, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I was now carrying not one, but two immense secrets—Isabelle''s captivity and ra''s true nature. The weight of those secrets, and the responsibilities they carried, pressed heavily on my shoulders.


    But first things first. I needed that herb. Then I needed to get stronger. And somewhere in the midst of it all, I needed to keep an eye on Jackson Harding''s impending duel with Broderick—a battle that might reshape our martial world forever.