The challenger of Destiny

Behind the Curtain of Destiny

Dawn had not yet fully broken when Jihan opened her eyes. It had been three months since he met Wei Zhang, and every day during that time began the same way - training before sunrise. His now more muscular body had grown accustomed to this routine, though his muscles still protested frequently.

‘Strength without control is destruction,’ Wei Zhang's voice echoed in his mind, repeating the words that had become his daily mantra. ‘And control starts with a strong body.’

Jihan stood at the edge of the rushing river, her breath forming a white vapour in the cold air. She removed her upper garment, revealing the scars and bruises that adorned her body-evidence from Wei Zhang's intense training. Without hesitation, he stepped into the icy water.

‘Focus,’ he whispered to himself, catching his breath as his teacher had taught him. The familiar blue light began to glow in his eyes, travelling slowly through his body.

But this time was different. There was no pounding pain. There was no agonising burning sensation. There was only a gentle flowing warmth, like the water of a river surrounding him.

‘Good,’ Wei Zhang's voice rang out from the riverbank. The old man smiled, his wooden stick tapping the ground in a regular rhythm. ‘You're beginning to understand.’

Jihan nodded, still fully concentrating. The water around him began to move unnaturally, forming small eddies against the current. His brow furrowed in focus, trying to control every drop of water like he had been practising for weeks.

‘Now,’ Wei Zhang raised his staff, ’show me how far you've come.’

Without warning, the wooden staff shot out like an arrow towards Jihan. In the past, surprise attacks like this always ended in cuts or bruises. But this time was different.

The water around Jihan moved at an unreasonable speed, forming a shield that deflected Wei Zhang's stick. But instead of stopping, the stick spun in the air and attacked from a different direction. Again and again.

Jihan moved with a grace that did not match her large body. Each of her movements flowed like water, dodging or parrying attack after attack. The river water danced with her pull, forming shields and spears that glistened in the dawn light.

‘Enough,’ Wei Zhang caught his returning staff. A satisfied smile graced his wrinkled face. ‘You've gotten much better at controlling your powers.’

Jihan came out of the river, her body oozing water but not shivering in the slightest. The blue light in her eyes slowly faded, leaving only the shady gaze she had inherited from her father.

‘But it's not enough, is it?’ asked Jihan, picking up a towel hanging from a tree branch. ‘I still have a lot to learn.’

Wei Zhang was silent for a moment, his eyes distant. ‘Yes and no,’ he replied finally. ‘There are things I cannot teach you, Jihan. Things that you must discover for yourself.’

‘About my mum?’ Jihan asked cautiously. For the past three months, Wei Zhang had been evasive whenever she tried to pry into the origins of his powers.

‘Sit down,’ Wei Zhang pointed to a large boulder by the river. ‘It's about time you learnt some things.’

Jihan put his clothes back on and sat beside his teacher. The sun was peeking over the eastern horizon, colouring the sky with tinges of orange and pink.

‘Your mother,’ Wei Zhang began, his voice sounding heavy, ’is part of a group known as the Protectors and Guardians. They are humanity's last line of defence against threats the world doesn't even know about.’

‘Protectors? Guardians?’ Jihan frowned. ‘I've never heard of them.’

‘Of course you have. That's their purpose-working in the shadows, protecting the world without anyone knowing.’ Wei Zhang picked up a twig and began drawing strange symbols on the ground. ‘Each Guardian has a unique power, passed down through generations in their bloodline. Your mother... she is the strongest among them.’

Jihan stared at the symbols Wei Zhang had drawn. There was something familiar about the shapes, as if she had seen them somewhere before.

‘Then why...’ Jihan swallowed, ‘why did he seal away my power?’

Wei Zhang let out a long breath. ‘Because something is hunting them, Jihan. Something very powerful and very evil. Something that wants the power of Protectors and Guardians for itself.’

‘What happened to them? To my mum?’

‘They were slaughtered,’ Wei Zhang replied bitterly. ‘One by one, they would be hunted down and killed. Your mum was the last one standing. She used what was left of her power to seal your powers, hoping you could live a normal life until the time came.’

Jihan felt sick to her stomach. Images flashed through her mind-frightened screams, raging fires, pooling blood. She shook her head, trying to banish the horrific images.

‘But the seal is broken now,’ Wei Zhang continued. ‘And ‘he’ must have sensed it. Already sensed your power awakening.’

‘Who is ‘he’?’ asked Jihan, though she knew in her heart that the answer would frighten her even more.

‘Kai Wen,’ Wei Zhang pronounced the name as if uttering a curse. ‘The traitorous former Guardian. Who started the massacre because of his greed for power.’

A cold wind picked up, blowing the dry leaves around them. Jihan felt her hair stand on end.

‘He will come for me,’ Jihan said softly. Not a question, but a statement.

‘Yes,’ Wei Zhang nodded. ‘And you must be ready. Because you, Jihan, are the last hope of the Protectors and Guardians.’

Before Jihan could respond, the sound of a powerful explosion broke the morning silence. In the distance, black smoke soared into the sky. Panicked cries began to be heard from the village.

‘He's here,’ Wei Zhang got up with movements that were surprising for his frail size. ‘Sooner than I thought.’

‘Teacher-’

‘Go!’ Wei Zhang pushed Jihan towards the forest. ‘You're not ready to face him. Not now.’

‘But what about the teacher? With the villagers?’

‘I'll hold them off as long as possible.’ Wei Zhang took something out from under his cloak-a worn-out paper scroll. ‘Go to Hua Shan mountain. Meet someone named Lin Mei. Give this to him.’

‘Master, I can't leave-’

‘GO!’ Wei Zhang shouted, and for the first time Jihan saw the golden light glowing in his teacher's eyes. ‘This is no time to be stubborn, Jihan. You must live. You must become stronger.’

A second explosion shook the ground, closer this time. The sound of screaming grew louder, mixing with the sound of horrifying laughter that made Jihan's blood freeze.

‘Go,’ Wei Zhang said more gently. ‘And remember what I taught you. True strength... lies within your heart.’

Reluctantly, Jihan turned around and started running towards the forest. Tears blurred his vision, but he dared not look back. The sounds of battle began to sound behind her-explosion after explosion, flashes of light illuminating the morning sky.

‘I'm sorry, Master,’ Jihan whispered as she continued to run. The scroll Wei Zhang had given her felt heavy in her hands, as if it carried a burden of destiny too great to bear.

In the distance, the sound of that ghastly laughter rang out again, making Jihan's hair stand on end. He quickened his pace, letting his instincts lead him in a direction he wasn't sure of.

Hua Shan Mountain.

She didn't know what awaited her there, but one thing was certain-she had to get stronger. Because as Wei Zhang said, he was the last hope. And this time, he would not let the people he cared about die in vain.

Blue light glowed in his eyes, brighter than before. This time, he vowed, he would use this power to protect, not destroy. Because somewhere out there, Kai Wen was waiting for him. And the real fight... had just begun.