(隐秘的力量 - Yǐn Mì De Lì Liàng)
Raiko (雷光 - Léi Guāng) stood by the edge of the cliff, looking out over the vast expanse of Thunder City (雷城 - Léi Chéng). The wind tousled his dark hair, and for a moment, he felt a fleeting sense of freedom, as if the world was just a vast canvas for him to paint his own future. The city, with its towering walls and bustling streets, seemed so distant from the secret that weighed heavy on his heart.
At just twelve years old, he had learned more than most could ever hope to. Not just about the world, or even about the martial arts that the clans of the Three Heavens (三天 - Sān Tiān) mastered, but about himself. There was something inside him something powerful that no one else could have. And it terrified him.
He could feel the pulse in his right hand, the one his father had warned him to never show to anyone. The power that coursed through it was like nothing Raiko had ever seen, or felt, in all his years. His left hand held power too much weaker, but still rare and strong in its own right. But it was the right hand that held the key to everything. The forbidden power that could bring back his clan, long lost to the tides of time. His father's clan, the one that had once ruled with an iron fist.
"Raiko!" a voice called from behind him, cutting through his thoughts.
He turned to see Zhang Tian (张天 - Zhāng Tiān), his childhood friend, running toward him. Tian's face was flushed with the exertion of running, his eyes wide with excitement.
"You're always out here alone, aren't you?" Tian asked, his voice laced with a teasing note. "You need to stop staring at the city and come back to the academy. You know, it's not safe for someone like you to be out here without supervision."
Raiko smiled faintly, hiding the turmoil inside. "I'm fine, Tian. I just... like to think out here."
Tian came to a halt beside him, breathing heavily. "Thinking about what? How weak you look in front of the other students?"
Raiko's smile faltered for a second. It wasn't that he wanted to appear weak it was necessary. If anyone discovered the true extent of his powers, the consequences would be catastrophic. His father had made that clear when he had explained the importance of secrecy.
"You're not weak," Tian said, as if reading his mind. "You're just... quiet. But you've got to stop hiding it. Your talent deserves recognition. You could easily be one of the best at the academy."
Raiko's eyes shifted to the distant horizon, his fingers twitching slightly as the power within him pulsed again. The right-hand power was restless, as though it were calling out to be used.
But he couldn't. Not yet. Not until he reached the level of the Immortal Gods (神灵 - Shén Líng). His father's words echoed in his mind: "Hide it. Keep it hidden, Raiko. Let no one see it until you are strong enough to control it. Once they know, the world will change. And not in a way you can control."
He clenched his fist, forcing the power down, suppressing the urge to release it.
"I know, Tian," he replied softly. "I have my own path to walk. I'll get stronger. In my own way."
Zhang Tian didn't seem to fully understand, but he didn't press the matter further. Instead, he placed a hand on Raiko's shoulder, a gesture of camaraderie.
"Well, don't take too long. The academy's waiting, and I'm not carrying your bag for you again!" Tian laughed, turning to walk back toward Mist Dragon Academy (雾龙学院 - Wù Lóng Xué Yuàn), the place where they both spent most of their days training, practicing martial techniques, and pretending to be like everyone else.
Raiko followed silently behind him, the weight of his secret heavier with each step. He knew that the Mist Dragon Academy, with its walls full of outcasts and misfits, was a far cry from the grand academies of the powerful clans. But it was all he had. It was where he had learned to hide his power, to blend in, to appear like any other student who had only one gift like the majority of the world.
As the two of them neared the gates of the academy, Raiko's gaze fell upon the entrance. The students there were laughing, shouting, and training with the same enthusiasm they always did. But Raiko couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. They were all still unaware of the storm that was brewing within him, a storm that could change the world if unleashed.
What would happen if they knew?
His thoughts were interrupted as a figure approached. A girl, with long, dark hair tied in a loose braid and a fierce, determined gaze.
"Raiko!" she called, her voice confident and strong. It was Li Xin (李欣 - Lǐ Xīn), one of the academy's most promising students.
Raiko stiffened, but he quickly masked the surprise in his eyes. Despite his efforts to remain hidden, Li Xin had taken an interest in him ever since their first meeting.
"You're late," she said, a slight grin tugging at her lips. "The training session starts in five minutes, and I expect you to be there. Or are you too busy brooding again?"
Raiko smiled slightly. Li Xin had a way of cutting through the tension, of making him feel just a little bit less alone in a world that demanded so much of him.
"I'm not brooding," he replied. "Just thinking."
"Always thinking," she teased. "Come on. Let's go. I'll make sure you don't slack off today."
Raiko's heart fluttered for a moment as he followed her inside. The warmth of the academy's familiar halls wrapped around him, but it wasn't enough to dull the growing sense of unease in his chest.
With each passing day, the weight of his secret grew heavier. And with each passing moment, the power inside him both the one his father had given him and the one he kept hidden grew stronger.
He couldn't hide it forever. Sooner or later, the world would learn the truth. And when that day came, everything would change.
But for now, he had to play the role of the weak, ordinary student. Because if anyone discovered the truth...
The entire world would be at war.