Some punishments feel like they were designed to break a boy’s bones; others are meant to break his pride. This one was doing both.The sun hung directly above Cai’s head like a monitoring spirit, burning through the thin mountain air. He knelt on the rough stone courtyard, his palms flat on the ground, back rigid and sweat rolling down his spine in slow trails. His muscles trembled, but he refused to let his body fold. If he fell, the Old Master would make him start over.And Cai would rather die on the spot.A ring of boys stood around him, their faces filled with eagerness and mockery, their laughter too loud for boys who had nothing better to do.“Look at him,” one snickered, nudging another with his elbow. “Still pretending like he didn’t do it.”Another boy leaned forward, his voice dripping with the kind of mockery that tasted sweet only to cowards. “Cai, why don’t you just admit it? You’re the one who cursed under the Sacred Tree. And don’t forget you littered there too.”Cai

As soon as Cai opened his eyes, he knew something was off. The world seemed to have shifted beneath him. His vision felt clearer, like a fog had lifted, letting him notice the tiniest movements of dust dancing in the air. He could hear the hum of the hospital's power supply and even the frantic heartbeats of patients three floors down. But the strangest sensation was that of his skin; it felt like there was a current pulsing through his veins, something he couldn’t quite label.The agonizing pain that had haunted him just before he lost consciousness, the snap of bones and the sting of ripped muscles, was completely gone. It wasn’t just that it faded; it was like his body had rewritten its own history.“See him? Talking about all sorts of strange things... Is he even listening to me?” Amelia's voice grated against his nerves. She hadn’t stopped talking since he woke up, her words dripping with resentment. It was clear she wasn’t just upset; she felt threatened. The Patriarch.. the

The Arrows were the clear power players in Lume City. As part of the 'Big Three' families, their influence was felt in every corner, from skyscrapers to high-stakes boardrooms. They spoke the language of wealth, but now, with the Patriarch on his deathbed in the silence of the Master Suite, it seemed that money had let them down. No amount of riches could cure a man who was slowly falling apart. Inside the soundproof suite, the atmosphere was filled with tension and it was charged. Amelia glanced at her diamond-studded watch for what felt like the third time in sixty seconds, her heels clicking against the marble floor in a steady rhythm. “Master Rady is still downstairs,” she murmured, her eyes flicking to the heavy doors. “He mentioned feeling a disturbance. I just hope that mountain boy hasn’t started up trouble already.” Dr. Thane, her brother and the family’s private physician, didn’t look up from his tablet. “You mean your husband’s son? The one from the exile?” Amelia rol

The trio faded into the spiritual mist, leaving Cai alone in the warped plaza. He glanced down at the jade ring, noticing the silver thread thrumming vigorously, tugging him toward a cluster of skyscrapers that appeared to be decaying from within. He started walking. Since he was a newcomer to the city, the landmarks didn’t mean much to him, but the Sight illuminated his path. Everywhere he turned, he could see the city's energy source, the black, oily pipes buried beneath the ghostly streets, draining luck and vitality from the poorer areas and channeling them into some houses which looked very extravagant. "Disgusting," he muttered under his breath. It was really disgusting that a city like this which looked normal was actually very rotten. As he entered the darkness, the coldest section of the spiritual veins, the air chilled dramatically. Shadows slithered around his legs like serpents, but when they touched the blue glow of the black bead, they shrieked and vanished. No sc

"You’re actually here!" Andrew exclaimed, gripping Cai’s shoulders so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Look at you! I haven’t seen that stubborn face in over a decade. I used to carry you when you were a kid, remember? You’d kick and scream, never let anyone else touch you. Honestly, you were such a handful back then."Cai didn’t pull away, but he didn’t lean in either. He couldn’t recall the hugs or the whatever the man was saying. What stuck with him was the icy bite of the mountain air and the harsh realization at five that he’d been left behind because he wasn’t wanted. That feeling of being “discarded” was a phantom limb he’d carried for fourteen years; it didn’t just vanish because a man in a bright suit was smiling at him."I’m taking him," Andrew announced to the room, brushing off the angry glares from the elders. "This mansion is full of bad vibes. And more importantly, Cai needs to get ready for the banquet."Cyril stepped forward, his face flushed with a humiliati