Morning light seeped through the Ironwood trees, gilding Master Tai Chu'training ground. Tall traveler's palms stood nearby, frangipani vines draped branches—white petals edged with yellow, sweet scent mixing with damp dirt. The lotus pool glinted, silver fish darting underneath, and the Buddha-carved stone pavement felt warm underfoot.
Tan Kai and Yara Yu arrived first, still wiping mango juice from their fingers. They'd barely sat down on a stone step when they heard laughter—bright, youthful—coming from the path.
"Bright! Wait up!" a girl's voice called.
Tan Kai looked up. A boy around twelve walked over, his bright blue shirt (stitched with a small lotus) fluttering, and a girl a year younger followed, her pink skirt swishing, a frangipani flower tucked behind her ear. It was the two kids from yesterday—the ones who'd fanned Master Tai Chu and eaten durian with him.
The boy stopped in front of Tan Kai, holding out a hand. "I'm Bright. You're Tan Kai, right? Master talked about you."
Tan Kai shook his hand—Bright's grip was firm, like he'd practiced holding things tight. "Yeah. And this is Yang Yu."
Yara Yu smiled, waving. "Hi. We saw you two yesterday—eating all that durian."
The girl giggled, covering her mouth. "I'm Nam. Don't listen to Bright—he ate more durian than Master did. Got juice all over his new shirt."
Bright's face turned pink. "Did not! You're the one who stole my rambutan!"
Nam stuck out her tongue. "It was mine first!"
Tan Kai and Yang Yu laughed, and the tension from last night (the Heavenly Soldiers, Tong's men) faded a little. Bright sat down next to Tan Kai , sighing. "Master said we should tell you about ourselves. Since we're all gonna train together."
Tan Kai nodded. "We'd like that."
Bright stared at his hands for a second, then spoke—his voice quieter, no longer playful. "I'm from Chiang Mai. My family had a big house, with a lotus pond in the garden. My dad sold silk, my mom made mango sticky rice… we were happy." He paused, swallowing. "Two years ago, we were going to visit my aunt in Bangkok. Me, my parents, my little sister—Lily. We were in a carriage, going through the forest… and then Tong's men attacked."
Tan Kai jaw tightened. He thought of the villager they'd seen earlier, the one Tong's men had hurt.
"They killed my parents," Bright said, his voice shaking. "Right in front of me. I hid under the carriage, holding Lily's hand… but when I looked up, she was gone. No one knows where she went. I thought she was dead… until Master found me." He looked up, his eyes shiny but determined. "Master said she's alive. He won't tell me where, but he said I'll see her again. So I wait. And I train. So when I find her, I can protect her."
Yara Yu put a hand on his shoulder. "You will. I know it."
Bright smiled, small but real. Then he nodded at Nam. "Her turn."
Nam sat up straight, her hands in her lap. "I don't remember my mom. My dad said she left when I was a baby. When I was five, he took me to the mountain. Said we were going on a walk. Then he… he left me there. All alone." Her voice cracked, but she kept going. "It got dark, and I heard tigers. I thought I was gonna die… but Master found me. He picked me up, carried me back to the cave, and gave me mangoes. He said I could stay. That he'd be my dad now." She looked at the ground, then up at Tan Kai and Yara Yu. "I don't know where my dad is. I don't care. Master's my family now. Bright's my family too."
Tan Kai felt his throat get tight. He thought of his mom, trapped in the Soul-Binding Pagoda, and Tan Agus in Jingxin Temple. Family—lost, found, fought for. That's what they were all here for.
YaraYu squeezed Nam's hand. "We're family now too. All of us."
Before Bright or Nam could speak, a deep voice boomed from the path. "Good. Now you're all friends. Makes training easier."
Master Tai Chu walked over, his blue robe swishing, a wooden staff in his hand. He stopped in the center of the training ground, tapping the staff on the stone pavement. "Today, we start with the basics: stance training. No magic. No tricks. Just standing."
Yara Yu frowned. "Standing? That's it? I thought we'd learn to use the lotus's light, or… or fight."
Master Tai Chu raised an eyebrow. "You want to fight? Good. But first, you need to stand. Think of your body like a tree. If the roots are weak, the tree falls. Stance training builds your roots—your 'qi' (energy) flows better, your muscles get strong, your mind stays calm. Without strong roots, magic will tear you apart. You'll 'lose control'—qi goes wild, veins break, even die."
He demonstrated, planting his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands resting on his hips. His back was straight, but relaxed—like he could stand there forever. "Bright and Nam, show them."
Bright and Nam stood up, copying Tai Chu stance perfectly. Their feet were planted firmly, their shoulders relaxed, their eyes closed—like they were meditating. They didn't move, not even when a breeze blew their hair.
"They've been doing this for ten years," Tai Chu said, nodding at them. "That's why they're so steady. Now you two—copy them."
Tan Kai and Yara Yu stood up. Tan Kai planted his feet, but his knees locked, and he wobbled. Yara Yu shoulders were too tight, her hands clenched into fists.
Bright laughed. "You look like a wobbly duck, Tan Kai!"
Nam giggled. "Your shoulders are up to your ears, Yara Yu!"
Tan Kai face turned red. "Shut up! You were bad at first too!"
"I was not!" Bright said, grinning.
Master Tai Chu cleared his throat. "Enough. Tan Kai—bend your knees. Relax. Yara Yu—drop your shoulders. Breathe."
They tried again. Tan Kai bent his knees, and the wobbling stopped. Yara Yu dropped her shoulders, and she sighed, like she'd been holding her breath.
"Good," Master Tai Chu said. "Now stay like that. For an hour. No moving. No talking."
The first ten minutes were easy. Then Tan Kai legs started to ache. His calves burned, and he wanted to shift his feet. Yara Yu arms felt heavy, like they were filled with stones.
Bright opened one eye, grinning. "Tired already? Master made us do this for three hours once!"
"Three hours?" Tan Kai groaned. "That's impossible!"
Master Tai Chu walked over, tapping Tan Kai knee with his staff. "Keep it bent. Think of the lotus pool. Calm. Steady."
Yara Yu closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She thought of the golden lotus—warm, steady—and her legs stopped shaking. Tan Kai followed her lead, focusing on the lotus's light in his palm. The ache faded a little, and he stood straighter.
Nam opened her eyes, smiling. "See? It gets easier. Just breathe."
The hour passed slowly, but none of them gave up. Bright and Nam stayed steady, Tan Kai stopped wobbling, and Yara Yu shoulders stayed relaxed. When Master Tai Chu said "stop," they collapsed onto the stone steps, legs shaking.
Bright laughed, handing Tan Kai a mango. "Told you it was hard. But tomorrow, we do two hours!"
Tan Kai groaned, but he took the mango. "Two hours? You're evil."
Yara Yu smiled, biting into her own mango. "Worth it. I feel… lighter. Like my body's awake."
Master Tai Chu nodded, sitting down next to them. "Good. That's the point. Tomorrow, we do two hours. Then we start learning to channel qi. Rest now—you'll need it."
Tan Kai and Yara Yu nodded, eating their mangoes. The sun was higher now, warming their backs, and the lotus pool's water glistened. They were tired, but they felt alive—like they were finally taking steps toward saving their families.
Bright looked at Tan Kai, grinning. "Tomorrow, I'll race you to the mango tree. Last one there has to eat the bitter durian!"
Tan Kai laughed. "You're on!"
Nam rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You two are gonna get in trouble."
Yara Yu shook her head, laughing. For the first time in a long time, Tan Kai didn't think about danger. He thought about mangoes, and stance training, and his new friends.
This was where he belonged.