The weight of their discovery lingered in the air as Wei and Mei Lan navigated the dimly lit streets back toward their neighborhood. Every shadow felt like a reminder of the dangers they had uncovered, and silence surrounded them, thick with apprehension.
"We need to meet with others," Wei said, breaking the silence as they turned a corner. "Maybe we can form a plan. If students are missing, we can't just sit back and wait for them to come back."
Mei Lan nodded, her expression serious as she signed, "Who do we trust? Some of them might be involved."
Wei bit his lip, considering their options. "Lian… she might know something. She has a lot of friends and she's good at gathering information."
Mei Lan raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt flickering in her eyes. "You think she'll believe us?"
"We can't afford to doubt right now," Wei replied, determination creeping into his voice. "We need all the help we can get."
As they reached the park near their school, they spotted Lian sitting on a bench, her head bent over as she read a book. She looked up as they approached, her expression shifting from curiosity to jealousy .
"what's wrong?" Lian asked, standing up. "You both look like you've seen a ghost."
"We found something… troubling at school," Wei said, glancing at Mei Lan for support. "A lot of students are missing, and we overheard some upperclassmen talking about something sinister."
Lian frowned, her interest piqued. "What do you mean? What did they say?"
Wei explained what they had heard about the high-grade stones and the summoning of the Gatekeeper. As he spoke, he noticed Lian's expression grow increasingly grave.
"This isn't good," she said finally, crossing her arms as she paced. "I heard rumors about the Shadow Sect, but I thought they were just stories to scare freshmen. I didn't think there was truth behind them."
"There's always truth in legends," Mei Lan signed, her hands moving with urgency. "People go missing, and they're using the stones for something. We have to find out what."
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Lian asked, her eyes narrowing in thought. "We can't just walk into their territory. They're dangerous."
Wei felt a sense of resolve wash over him. "We need to gather more information. We should look for more clues, maybe investigate where the stones are being found. If we can figure out their next move, we might be able to stop them."
"Or avoid all this " Lian added, her tone serious. "We can't walk into this blindly"
"We have to… the school would soon close down with all this news. This town has become unsettled. It may be one of us next."
"Ok… fine ugh" Lian said as she let out an annoyed sigh the three friends devised a plan to investigate further, mapping out places they could check for leads and discussing how to gather intel without drawing attention to themselves. They agreed to meet again after school the following day, ready to split up and cover more ground.
As night fell, Wei returned home, but sleep evaded him. Thoughts of Liu, the fire, and the growing shadows plagued his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that the two events were connected, a thread woven into a tapestry of fate that he had yet to understand.
Lying in bed, he closed his eyes, willing himself to drift off, but the memories crept in, uninvited.
Distorted dreams about the day of the fire
That day was vivid in his mind—how he had promised to protect Liu, the laughter they shared, and the warmth of their parents' home.
"Promise you'll always protect me, Wei," Liu had said, her eyes shining with trust as they played under the stars.
"I promise," he had replied, his heart swelling with determination. "Nothing will ever hurt you as long as I'm around."
But the echoes of that promise haunted him as he recalled the night of the fire. The shouts, the panic, the acrid smell of smoke filling the air.
They had been playing hide-and-seek when the fire broke out, an unforeseen burst of flames that devoured everything in its path. Wei had been hiding in the small closet under the stairs, his heart racing, believing it was just a game. It wasn't until he heard Liu's terrified cries that he had emerged, only to find the hallway engulfed in flames.
He remembered the moment he reached out to grab her hand, but she was too far away, trapped by the flames that danced around her.
"Wei!" she had screamed, her voice filled with fear. "Help me!"
He had lunged forward, desperate to save her, but the heat was unbearable. The flames lashed out, forcing him back. He had felt so powerless, and that moment of helplessness replayed in his mind like a cruel nightmare.
Present Day
Wei jolted awake, the memories fading like mist. He sat up in bed, heart racing. He kept having different dreams about what had happened that day that he didn't know which was real. Some days he dreamt they were playing with sticks and it was daytime orhers it was hide and seek and it was night. Sometimes the fire spread to the house and other it remained on the field. Some he picked up Liu and ran away from the fire others be abandoned her. He didn't know which to believe. He could still hear Liu's voice, the accusation that had cut him deep: "You lied! You said you'd protect me!"
He gripped the sheets, determination flooding through him. He wouldn't fail her again.
As dawn broke, he knew he had to confront the darkness head-on, not just for Liu, but for every student in danger.
The next day, Wei, Mei Lan, and Lian met at school, ready to execute their plan. Their determination forged a bond between them, a united front against the shadows that threatened to engulf their lives.
They were prepared to face whatever lay ahead, armed with courage, friendship, and a resolve to uncover the truth.