The road leading to the Eastern Peaks was long and brutal.Dust clung to the SUV’s tires as they wound through desolate paths carved into the mountainside. The deeper they went, the rougher the terrain became, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and distant smoke from unseen fires.Joaquin sat in the front passenger seat, his body fully healed thanks to the abilities he had inherited. He just needed rest, and he was back to his usual self. Stronger. Sharper. Ready.His fingers tapped against his thigh, his mind calculating. This place reeked of danger. Even inside the car, he could feel the unspoken threats lurking in the shadows.Rick drove with one hand on the wheel, his other resting lazily on his lap, but his sharp eyes flicked to the rearview mirror every few minutes. On high alert.Miguel, sitting in the back, looked too calm.That unsettled Joaquin.The old man knew exactly what kind of place this was, yet there was no tension in his posture. No flicker of unease.Why wo

“Are you really sure about this, Young man?” Master Iroh asked again. Joaquin looked at him full of determination. “Yes.” Master Iroh smirked. “If you enter this mansion, there is no turning back anymore.” Joaquin exhaled sharply. He stared at the enormous gate in front of them. He clenched his fist. The Sandoval estate loomed ahead, a fortress of wealth and power built upon generations of control. But Joaquin wasn’t intimidated.He had seen opulence before and walked through halls dripping with luxury. But here, beneath the grandeur, was something rotten.He had seen opulence before and walked through halls drippin

At first, Joaquin managed to fight the man back. He easily managed to take him down. Joaquin smirked. The man stood up. His expression was too calm. “Is that all you got?” the man asked, smirking. “I can do more,” Joaquin challenged. The man chuckled. Then his face turned serious. Then the man moved unexpectedly, Joaquin was surprised by the sudden blow. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud.Pain exploded through his ribs. His vision blurred. The roar of the crowd faded into a distant hum as if he were sinking beneat

The house was quiet.Joaquin sat on the edge of the small wooden bed, the old mattress sinking slightly under his weight. The scent of burning incense still lingered in the air, mixing with the fresh mountain breeze that slipped through the open window. Outside, the distant sound of rustling leaves and chirping crickets filled the silence.Miguel and Rick had already left. Joaquin at Master Iroh’s house for his training. Now, it was just him, Master Iroh, and Maria.With a sigh, Joaquin pulled out his phone. The screen lit up with notifications, but he ignored them all except for one.Jasmine.He pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear.“Joaquin?” Jasmine’s voice came through almost immediately, warm and a little breathless.“Jasmine. I wanted to call you earlier, but things have been... complicated.”Jasmine hummed knowingly. “You’re still not coming home?”Joaquin ran a hand through his hair. “No. Not yet. I need to stay here for a few more days. There’s something I n

Joaquin woke up to the scent of burning incense and the soft murmur of morning wind slipping through the open windows. His body ached, and his limbs felt heavy, but he wasn’t the same as yesterday.He could still see them.Even now, as he sat up in bed, faint figures drifted in the corners of the room—shadows that didn’t belong, whispers that faded the moment he tried to focus on them.It was overwhelming, yet… oddly quieter than last night.Joaquin exhaled, rubbing his temples. His forehead still tingled, that same burning awareness from before lingering behind his eyes. He didn’t know if he was supposed to feel different, but something inside him had shifted.A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.Maria peeked in, holding a wooden tray with breakfast. “You’re awake.”Joaquin stretched, wincing as his muscles protested. “Barely.”Maria smiled as she set the tray on the small table. “You look better than you did last night. I thought you were going to pass out for days