Ironvale never sleeps. Even at three in the morning, the city buzzed with life. Neon signs lit up the dirty streets in bright colors. Cars honked their horns. People walked fast with their heads down, thinking about their own problems.Leo wasn't one of those people. He had bigger worries.He pressed his back against a brick wall and stared at the dumpling cart across the street. The old man running it was spooning sauce over pork buns that looked like golden pillows. The smell hit Leo hard. His empty stomach twisted with hunger.When did he last eat? Yesterday? Two days ago? Time blurred together when you lived on the streets.Leo was nineteen and had been homeless for as long as he could remember. He knew which doors stayed unlocked at night. He knew which garbage cans had the best food. He knew which cops would chase him and which ones didn't care. Most important, he knew how to read people. Their habits. Their blind spots. When they weren't paying attention.The dumpling man was s

The next few days were pure torture.Master Shen didn't go easy on Leo. Not even a little bit. Training started before the sun came up and didn't end until it was completely dark. Every movement had to be perfect. Every breath had to be controlled. Every thought had to be focused."The Battle Core is like fire," Shen explained one morning as Leo lay flat on his back, gasping for air. "It can warm you or it can burn you alive. Without control, it will destroy you from the inside out."Leo groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. His whole body hurt. His muscles screamed every time he moved. But he got up anyway because that's what Shen expected."I don't understand this," Leo said after failing to do a simple spinning kick for the tenth time. "When those gang members attacked me, my body moved like lightning. But now I feel like a wet noodle."Shen sat cross legged on his mat, watching Leo with those ancient eyes. "The Core helped you survive that night. It acted on instinct. But trai

Leo and Kira didn't talk as they walked. The quiet felt heavy between them.After the fight at the dojo, Leo did something he never thought he would. He followed Kira. He didn't trust her completely, but something told him she wasn't just another killer from the Fang Clan. Maybe it was how she looked at Shen, or how she fought Talon instead of him.She walked fast in front of him through the back streets of Iron-vale. Her black armor caught the light from broken street lamps. Leo stayed behind her but not too close.They stopped at an old subway entrance. Rusty gates blocked it, and a sign said "Danger - Line Closed."Kira looked back at him. "We're here.""Your clan hides in a subway?" Leo asked.She smiled, but she looked tired. "Even monsters need somewhere to live."She opened the gate easily and led him down old stairs. Paint and green moss covered the walls. The air smelled like old metal and dampness.At the bottom, Kira knocked three times on a metal door.It slid open.Inside

"No," she said angrily. "I'm trying to keep you alive! But we won't be alive if we're still here in ten seconds!"Leo stared at her. He didn't know what to do.Then, more blades came through the walls. They were warning shots from the reinforcements coming."Fine. But after this, you're going to start telling me the truth." He said."Deal." kira replied.The wind blew hard. Leo and Kira ran fast across the rooftops, jumping from one building to another. They could still hear the Wolf Fang Clan behind them, but the sounds were getting quieter. Leo knew they weren't safe yet."I need to stop," Leo said, breathing hard. A sharp pain hit his chest."We can't stop now," Kira said, pulling him along. "They're still after us."They saw an old bell tower ahead. It stood tall in the empty part of the city where old factories used to be. The metal door made a loud creak when they opened it and went inside. Leo locked the door behind them.The air inside was thick with dust, but at least they we

Leo's boots splashed through water as he walked into the cave, carrying Kira on his back. The pendant on his chest burned hot and pulsed like his heartbeat. Behind him, Shen lit a lantern and stepped inside. The flame danced against wet stone walls with old Tian Clan symbols carved into them.The Temple of Still Waters.Hidden deep under Iron-vale's old sewers, this sacred place had once been the center of the Tian Clan's power. No outsider had been here for many years. When they stepped inside, the air felt different. It was heavier, colder, and hummed with old energy.Kira moved weakly on his back, whispering, "Don't... trust..."Leo stopped. "Kira?""Someone... close... not who they seem," she mumbled, then passed out again.He looked at Shen. "What does she mean? Who's the traitor?"Shen's face got dark. "This temple will test more than your strength, Leo. It will test your heart. Your truth. Be ready for anything."They walked deeper and came to a big hall where broken pillars ro