-Kris’ POV-

Tao!

I swallowed hard as I snapped the book close, feeling that wave of power coming from somewhere in the south. The life force reminded me of the youngest Meropian noble who was supposed to be miles out in the east in the sacred city of Shimaya. It was calm for a minute or so until…

I heard footfall, numerous and urgent as they came to the den where I was. The door burst open to admit a staggered Xiu Min, Chen and Lay. “Did you feel that?” the eldest demanded, his eyes frantic as he looked at me.

I nodded. “Is Tao back?”

They shook their heads.

“What is going on?” Chen asked, running towards the balcony before anyone could answer him. He returned instantaneously and looked at all of us. “I do not see him anywhere.”

Jinhae and Lu Han followed the three and entered the room. She was panting hard with a look of horror about her usually serene face. Lu Han looked just as appalled as she was. Shinhye stepped forward. “Tao…” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “H-he didn’t…It’s gone!”

We were all confused. What was she talking about? I stood up and walked towards her when I noticed the bandage on her hand, blood seeping through cloth despite of its thickness. Before I could ask her about it, Lay came in between us and took her hand in his.

“What in damnation happened to your hand?” he demanded then shot a glare at Lu Han.

She stood back. “That is the least of our problems right now!” she said heatedly then calmed down a bit. “I’m sorry, Lay, but it’s the truth.”

He nodded. “I understand. Let me.” He offered his hand which she reluctantly took.

“Jinhae, what are you talking about?” Xiu Min asked. “What is gone?”

She looked at Lu Han then. “Do you mind explaining?”

He winced a bit, not liking how he had to be the one to break the news to us. They must’ve tapped through Tao’s thoughts. “Shimaya had been infiltrated before Tao could get there.”

“And?” I asked him, trying to be as calm as I could.

“The treasure is gone.” The ominous edge in his tone brought silence into the room.

I shook my head. “This is ludicrous! How could it be stolen when the city itself is hidden from people except for the Time Nobles? It’s impossible.”

“That’s right. It might be a false alarm,” Chen said calmly.

“I’m afraid not,” Jinhae said, slumping down on the seat abruptly as if all the speculations made her tired. “I’ve read his thoughts – Ow!” She suddenly dug something out of her pocket. “Damn this…” She sighed.

We all eyed what she was holding. It was a necklace with an indigo crystal attached to a clear, pointed one with a silver dragon wrapped around it, hanging on a silver chain.

“Touch it,” she said.

I slowly reached out, but she took my hand swiftly and made it wrap around the pendant. In that same instant, I heard everyone’s thoughts, numerous voices speaking all at the same time, but one was dominant – Tao’s thoughts. He was wreaking havoc at the south canyon, tearing down huge rock formations with a single swing of his stick. I blinked slowly.

“Do you believe me now?” she asked.

I nodded. “He’s in danger…or he might be causing danger.”

The room became silent.

Lu Han looked at all of us. “What in the world are we still waiting for?!” He phased then rushed through the window. Chen and Xiu Min followed after him while Lay and I were left to deal with Jinhae.

“Stay here,” I told her.

“No!”

Lay winced a bit. “You can’t go there. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s Tao!” she retorted. “I won’t just stay here and wait.” She glared at both of us. “Even if you don’t want to, I will find a way to get there.”

It was silent until finally, Lay nodded. “Fine, but you can’t come near.”

She rolled her eyes. “I promise.”

“Good.”

Lay phased while I carried her in my arms and flew off to the south canyon. The moment we were nearing the edge of the tree line and the cliff after that, we saw a bright light spread across it. I spotted the others down the gorge, shielding themselves from the overwhelming force. I turned away from it, concealing Jinhae. The light subsided and flew down to where the others were, setting her on her feet. When I looked around, I saw Tao’s father standing at the front. He was reaching out to something in front of him. Sparks flew the moment he went far enough.

“What is going on?” I demanded from Lu Han.

He pointed forward. “There is a barrier…Tao is inside with Huang Xiaodan.”

“What?”

Tao’s father looked at all of us. “It was formed by the ancients. It is impregnable…Tao’s challenge is to retrieve the treasure from Xiaodan.” He swallowed hard. “We can’t interfere.” The loathing was evident in his eyes. He wanted to kill his own brother if he could have his way, but only Tao could do it considering the power that the purist held.

Jinhae suddenly pushed me aside. “What do you mean –”She shook her head. “We must help Tao!” She walked over to the barrier and reached over. She withdrew immediately and for an instant, her hands became gnarled as if they were aged, but when she withdrew it, it returned to its original form. She looked at her hand curiously, but dared to enter anyway.

Lay immediately ran towards her and pulled her away. “You can’t!”

She shook her head. “Why the hell not?!”

A huge explosion echoed through the canyon as we saw Tao hurling Xiaodan across the gorge. He landed on his back on the ground. Rocks and dust flew up into the air. Anyone who didn’t know better would have surmised that the purist was dead, but as expected, he rose up from the crater that his fall had formed and sprung up towards Tao, giving him the same counter attack, throwing the noble down across a rock colonnade, breaking each one as he sped backwards against every rock.

“TAO!!!” Jinhae screamed, almost making it back to the barrier.

Lay and Lu Han restrained her this time, but she stubbornly pushed them aside, stretching her hand to lift a boulder, beating it against the barrier, but to no avail. She shook her head, not giving up. The boulder broke into pieces as she breathed laboriously. She looked at all of us, tears in her eyes. “Help me,” she said, her breath catching.

I shook my head at her. “We can’t.”

Chen stepped forward, pointing at her arm where she was wearing the cuff. “The silver serpent,” he gasped.

I shook my head. This wasn’t the time for her to be unleashing too much force. She can’t do anything about it in the end. It would be waste of energy. We can’t allow her to tire herself out. For all we knew, other purists could be getting ready to attack us while we were preoccupied.

“Jinhae, let’s get you home,” I told her.

She shook her head, flinching then I touched her. She suddenly straightened up while a gust of wind erupted from where she was standing, making the rock walls on either of our sides to shake. Birds flew away from the trees on the forest above us and before anyone could stop her, she sprinted off, disappearing into the forest.

-Tao’s POV-

“HUANG XIAODAN!” I called through the gorge as I entered the canyon. I knew he could hear me with my voice echoing through the rock walls. “Show yourself, you lying thief!”

I continued to walk through the arid land, beating my stick against the walls that blocked my way. The crumbled under the immense force I applied on it. I will find that bastard and kill him with my bare hands if I had to. I’ve decided on it and that’s just how it is going to end. He will pay for all that he had done. This would be the revenge of the ancients to the traitor that he was. It would be my grandfather’s vindication from his death, the rise of the Huang household from the humiliation he had wrought. He will pay for every sin he has done. He will die for it, but I will make sure he’d beg it from me. I’d make sure he bends on his knees and plead for it, but I wouldn’t show him mercy like what he did to my family.

I listened to the wall to my right as the cracks continued to rise to the peak. Finally, the lower foundations gave way. I vaulted myself up as rubble fell into the gorge, using the falling rocks as I rose up into the air, looking around me frantically as I searched for that cloaked figure. He said he would wait for me. I was there already. Where was he?

Suddenly, I saw a black figure, standing out in the bright canyon as he darted behind me. I twisted to face him, applying force on my leg as I drew it back and motioned to kick him, but to my utter mortification, he held my leg with just one hand, stopping its progress. He removed his cloth, tossing it into the air before looking at me.

He leered at me. “So you’ve come,” he said and narrowed his eyes at me. “You aren’t a coward after all. I’m glad you grew up to be such a courageous young man.”

I tried to jerk my leg off of his grip, but he held it firmly. I bared my teeth and struggled once more, but he gripped onto it tighter.

“Your father taught you a lot of things, except for one thing. He didn’t teach you to rein yourself.”

I phased and I was able to free my leg from him. I quickly turned to my physical form, ready to give him one more blow, but he evaded it with ease.

“You do belong to family,” he said. “But I’m afraid you’re not worth it.”

I swiftly went behind him before he could notice it, grabbing his arm. “Enough talk. You’ve got something that belongs to me.” I leaned close to his ear. “I want it back.” Without any moment’s hesitation, I threw him off against the nearest wall of rock I could see. He crashed into it, clouds of dust and rock rising once more. Before he could recover, I swooped down at him, taking him back high up into the air before stopping time for a split second before giving him a blow to the back which made h