Lin Che's palms pressed against the cold, hard earth of the Blackstone Grove. He closed his eyes, letting the star marrow's silver energy flow from his wrist down to his fingers, seeping into the soil like a gentle stream. The memory of Ling An—kneeling in that sunlit valley, tending to glowing spirit plants—flickered in his mind. He focused on that feeling: the connection between star marrow and green life, the quiet power of plants that waited, dormant, for a call.
"Grow," he whispered, not to the ground, but to the life hidden beneath it.
At first, nothing happened. The Zhao family's men were mere steps away, their swords glinting in the torchlight, their shouts echoing off the black stone pillars. Xiao Ya clung to Thumper, her body trembling, as she watched Lin Che's hands glow brighter.
Then-crack.
A thin green shoot burst from the soil at Lin Che's feet, twisting upward like a waking snake. Before the nearest man could swing his sword, more shoots erupted: dozens, then hundreds, sprouting from the ground in a circle around Lin Che and Xiao Ya. The shoots grew at a terrifying speed, thickening into thorny vines as wide as Lin Che's arm, their surfaces glistening with a silver sheen—the star marrow's energy, woven into their fibers.
"What the—?!" the lead man shouted, skidding to a halt as a vne whipped out, slamming into his chest. He flew backward, crashing into a stone pillar, his torch clattering to the ground.
The other men hesitated, but their greed for the Zhao family's reward pushed them forward. They swung their swords at the vines, but the blades bounced off—Lin Che had channeled Ling An's knowledge, hardening the vines' fibers to withstand Spirit Rank attacks. One man tried to leap over the barrier, but a vine coiled around his ankle, yanking him down into the thorny thicket. He screamed as the thorns dug into his skin, drawing blood.
Lin Che's arms trembled. Maintaining the barrier took more energy than he'd expected—he'd already used a portion of the star marrow's power to heal Thumper, and the Star Dew's effects were fading. His vision blurred, but he kept his hands pressed to the ground. Xiao Ya was counting on him. Ling An's promise was counting on him.
"Kill them!" the lead man roared, climbing to his feet. He pulled a small, glowing red crystal from his pocket—an arcane fire crystal, Lin Che realized. The man crushed the crystal in his hand, and a ball of flame erupted from his palm, hurtling toward the vine barrier.
"Lin Che, watch out!" Xiao Ya screamed.
The fire hit the vines, and Lin Che felt a searing pain in his chest—as if the flames were burning him, not the plants. The star marrow's connection to the vines made their pain his pain. The silver sheen on the vines dimmed, and a section of the barrier withered, blackened by the fire.
The lead man laughed. "Your little trick won't save you! The Zhao family wants the star marrow, and we're gonna cut it out of your wrist ourselves!"
He charged through the gap in the barrier, sword raised. Lin Che stumbled back, his energy nearly gone. He reached for the dagger at his belt, but it was too late—the man was right in front of him, his sword descending.
Then, a low, guttural growl echoed through the grove.
The Blackstone Wolf Lin Che had trapped earlier came bounding out of the trees, its red eyes fixed on the lead man. It lunged, jaws snapping, and sank its teeth into the man's arm. The man screamed, dropping his sword as he tried to pry the wolf off.
Lin Che stared in shock. Why was the wolf helping him? Then he saw it—the faint silver glow on the wolf's fur, leftover from the vines that had bound it earlier. The star marrow's energy had marked it, too. It wasn't just spirit plants that responded to the birthmark—it was all life, if he knew how to call them.
"Now!" Lin Che shouted to Xiao Ya. He pushed the last of his energy into the vines, making them grow back over the gap. The remaining Zhao family men, seeing their leader being mauled by the wolf and the barrier reforming, hesitated—then turned and ran, abandoning their comrade.
The lead man's screams faded as the wolf dragged him into the trees. Lin Che collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. The vine barrier withered, shrinking back into the soil, leaving no trace but a few green shoots. His wrist felt cold; the star marrow's glow had dimmed to almost nothing.
"Lin Che! Are you okay?" Xiao Ya rushed to his side, Thumper tucked under one arm. She pressed a hand to his forehead, which was burning with a fever. "You're so hot. We need to find water."
Lin Che nodded, forcing a weak smile. "The hidden spring… do you think it's nearby? Maybe we got turned around."
Xiao Ya bit her lip, then pointed to a cluster of rocks at the base of the cliff. "I think I see it. There's moss growing there—moss only grows where there's water."
They stumbled toward the rocks. Sure enough, behind them was a small spring, its water clear and cool, reflecting the moonlight. Lin Che knelt down, cupping his hands and drinking deeply. The water soothed his dry throat, and he felt a little of his energy return.
Xiao Ya sat beside him, petting Thumper. "Why were those men chasing you?" she asked, her voice quiet. "They're the same ones who chased my family. My parents… they had a mark, too. A star mark, like the one on your wrist. They said it was special, but then the men came, and… and they took them away. I haven't seen them since."
Lin Che's heart dropped. Xiao Ya's parents had the star marrow, too? That meant the Zhao family had been hunting bearers of the birthmark for longer than he thought. Maybe for generations.
"They want the mark," Lin Che said, rolling up his sleeve to show her the birthmark. "It's called the star marrow. It has power—power that people like the Zhao family want to steal. Your parents were protecting it, just like I am."
Xiao Ya reached out, gently touching the birthmark. Her fingers lingered for a moment, then she pulled back, her eyes wide. "I can feel it. It's warm… like a heartbeat."
Just then, the wind changed. A cold, bitter breeze swept through the grove, carrying a faint, whispering voice. Lin Che froze. He'd heard that voice before—in the ruin, in the memory of Ling An's rift. It was the Star Marrow Shadow.
"Ling An… no, not Ling An. The next one. The cycle continues." The voice was soft, almost seductive, weaving through the trees. "You're tired, little bearer. Weak. The Zhao family will come back, with more men, more fire. You can't protect the girl. You can't protect anyone."
Lin Che stood up, his hand resting on Xiao Ya's shoulder to shield her. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I am part of you,"the voice said. "Part of the star marrow. The dark part. The part they tried to seal. Ling An couldn't stop me. Your parents couldn't stop me. What makes you think you can?"
The breeze grew stronger, swirling around them. Xiao Ya clung to Lin Che's arm, her face pale. "I'm scared, Lin Che. I don't like that voice."
"Join me," the Shadow whispered. "Let me give you power. Power to protect the girl. Power to find your parents. All you have to do is let me in. Let the dark part of the star marrow wake up."
Lin Che's wrist tingled. The birthmark was glowing again, but this time, the light was dark silver—almost black. He felt a surge of power, tempting and dangerous, welling up inside him. It would be so easy to take it. To never feel weak again. To never let anyone he cared about get hurt.
But he thought of Ling An—dying to seal the Shadow, not to join it. He thought of Su Qing, who had helped him out of kindness, not greed. He thought of Xiao Ya's parents, who had fought to protect the star marrow, not surrender to it.
"No," Lin Che said, his voice steady. "I won't let you in. The star marrow isn't yours to take. It's mine—to use to stop you."
The Shadow's whisper turned to a snarl. "Foolish. You'll regret this. The Zhao family is just the beginning. I'll send others. Stronger others. And when you're alone, when you're broken… you'll beg for me."
The breeze died down, and the voice vanished. The grove fell silent, except for the sound of the spring and the wind rustling through the trees.
Lin Che let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His wrist was still tingling, but the dark glow had faded. He looked down at Xiao Ya, who was staring up at him with awe.
"Did you… did you just talk to the wind?" she asked.
Lin Che nodded. "That was the Star Marrow Shadow. The thing my past life tried to seal. It's awake, and it wants the star marrow. Badly."
Xiao Ya hugged Thumper tighter. "What do we do now? We can't stay here. The men will come back, and that… that thing will come back, too."
Lin Che looked up at the moon, which was now high in the sky. He thought of the metal map in his bag—the one that pointed to underground ruins. He thought of the guardian's words: "The next era waits for you."
He stood up, picking up his bag. "We're going to find the ruins. The map says they're somewhere in the Blackstone Grove. There's more to the star marrow there—more answers, more power. If we can find it, we can protect ourselves. And maybe… maybe we can find your parents."
Xiao Ya's eyes lit up. "Really? You think so?"
Lin Che smiled, holding out his hand. "I don't know for sure. But we have to try. Together."
Xiao Ya took his hand, and they walked away from the spring, toward the deeper parts of the grove. The moon guided them, and the star marrow on Lin Che's wrist pulsed softly, as if agreeing.
But they didn't see the pair of glowing red eyes watching them from the trees—eyes that didn't belong to the Blackstone Wolf. The Shadow hadn't left. It was waiting.
And somewhere in the grove, the Zhao family's leader—Zhao Kun's older brother, Zhao Hong—was sharpening his sword, a map of the Blackstone Grove spread out before him. He had heard about the boy with the star marrow, and he wasn't going to let his brother's failure stop him.
The hunt was just getting started.