Rain fell over the capital.
It struck the tiled roofs of the palace and ran down the stone walls like streams of black glass.
Beyond the palace gates, hundreds of lanterns burned through the storm.
Inside the highest tower, Lord Katsurane stood before an open window.
He watched the rain without moving.
Behind him, a soldier knelt on the polished floor.
"My lord."
Katsurane didn't turn.
"Speak."
"The Crimson Shadows have returned."
"And?"
"They found the girl."
Katsurane's fingers tightened around the edge of the window.
For the first time, his expression changed.
"Musha."
The soldier lowered his head.
"Yes."
Katsurane closed his eyes.
Eight years.
Eight years since the night everything should have ended.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes."
"Unharmed?"
The soldier hesitated.
"Mostly."
Katsurane turned.
"Mostly?"
"The girl resisted."
"Against six trained Crimson Shadows?"
"She defeated three."
Katsurane stared at him.
"Three?"
"Yes, my lord."
"And the others?"
"The Crimson Shadow commander was forced to intervene."
Katsurane walked slowly across the chamber.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
The soldier swallowed.
"The girl fought without sight."
Katsurane stopped.
"Without sight?"
"She wore a blindfold."
"I know."
"She anticipated their movements."
"How?"
"We don't know."
Katsurane's expression became colder.
"And the power?"
The soldier hesitated.
"She awakened it."
Silence.
The rain continued outside.
Katsurane looked toward the enormous painting hanging on the wall.
It depicted a woman in white standing beneath a red moon.
Aiko.
Queen Aiko.
Katsurane stared at the painting for a long moment.
"Impossible."
"My lord?"
"Nothing."
He walked toward the painting.
His fingers touched the frame.
"How bright was it?"
"The light?"
"Yes."
"White."
"Only white?"
The soldier hesitated.
"At first."
Katsurane turned.
"At first?"
"The commander said the energy became unstable."
Katsurane's eyes narrowed.
"Did it turn black?"
"No."
A pause.
"Not this time."
Katsurane exhaled.
"This time?"
The soldier looked down.
"He believes it may happen."
Katsurane returned to the window.
"Then we are running out of time."
Eight years earlier.
The palace had burned.
Katsurane remembered the night clearly.
The screams.
The flames.
The guards running through the corridors.
The smell of smoke.
And the queen.
Aiko had been lying on the floor.
Blood covered her white robes.
In her arms was a newborn child.
Musha.
The baby wasn't breathing.
Aiko was dying.
Yet she refused to let go.
Katsurane had entered the room moments before the queen disappeared.
He had seen the stone.
He had seen the light.
He had seen something that should never have existed.
White energy had surrounded the newborn.
The queen had whispered something.
Then the light exploded.
When Katsurane opened his eyes again—
Aiko was gone.
The baby was gone.
And the entire chamber had been destroyed.
For eight years, he had believed the child was dead.
Until now.
Katsurane looked at the painting.
"Aiko…"
His voice was barely audible.
"Why did you hide her?"
A knock sounded.
"Enter."
The doors opened.
A tall warrior walked inside.
His crimson cloak was soaked from the rain.
He removed his mask and knelt.
"The girl is awake."
Katsurane looked at him.
"You saw her?"
"Yes."
"And?"
The warrior lowered his head.
"She is stronger than we anticipated."
"How strong?"
"I couldn't defeat her without using both blades."
Katsurane raised an eyebrow.
"You fought her?"
"Briefly."
"And?"
The warrior touched the cut across his shoulder.
"She wounded me."
Katsurane's eyes narrowed.
"She is eight years old."
"I know."
"Then how did an eight-year-old girl injure you?"
The warrior remained silent.
Katsurane walked toward him.
"Answer me."
"She doesn't fight like a child."
"What does she fight like?"
The warrior thought for a moment.
"Like someone who has been fighting for years."
Katsurane's expression darkened.
"That is impossible."
"There was something else."
"What?"
"She could hear everything."
Katsurane waited.
"Every movement."
"Her blindness."
"It may not be a weakness."
Katsurane slowly smiled.
"No."
His voice became almost amused.
"It never was."
The warrior looked up.
"My lord, should we bring her back?"
Katsurane didn't answer immediately.
He walked to a large table.
A map of the kingdom covered its surface.
Several red markings surrounded the mountain where Musha lived.
Katsurane placed a finger on the map.
"Here."
Then another.
"And here."
Then another.
"And here."
The warrior watched.
"You've been tracking her."
"For eight years."
Katsurane's finger stopped at the sacred mountain.
"The problem isn't finding her."
He looked at the warrior.
"It's what happens when we take her."
"What do you mean?"
Katsurane's expression became serious.
"Do you know why the old kings feared the White Shadow?"
"Because of its power."
"Power isn't what frightened them."
"Then what?"
Katsurane leaned over the map.
"Choice."
The warrior frowned.
"The White Shadow doesn't belong to the person who carries it."
"Then who does it belong to?"
Katsurane looked toward the window.
"The mountain."
Thunder rolled across the sky.
"The dragon."
The warrior went silent.
Katsurane continued.
"The White Shadow is a bond."
"A bond?"
"Between the human world and the spirit world."
"And Musha?"
"She is the vessel."
The warrior's eyes widened.
"Then if the dragon awakens—"
"It won't simply destroy the kingdom."
Katsurane looked at him.
"It will change it."
The warrior lowered his voice.
"Why does she have to be captured alive?"
Katsurane looked at him.
"Because she is the only person who can open the mountain."
The warrior stared.
"The sacred gate."
"Yes."
"The gate hasn't opened in centuries."
"Exactly."
"And if she opens it?"
Katsurane's expression hardened.
"Then the dragon will be free."
Silence filled the chamber.
The warrior slowly understood.
"You don't want her dead."
"No."
"You want her to open the gate."
Katsurane nodded.
"Once the gate opens, we take what is inside."
"The dragon?"
"No."
Katsurane's eyes moved toward the painting of Queen Aiko.
"The stone."
A gust of wind blew through the room.
The candles flickered.
The warrior looked confused.
"What stone?"
Katsurane didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward a locked cabinet.
He removed a key from beneath his robe.
The lock clicked.
Inside was a small wooden box.
Katsurane opened it.
Inside lay a fragment of black stone.
It was cracked.
But faint red light pulsed inside it.
The warrior stepped closer.
"What is that?"
"A piece of the sacred stone."
"Where did you get it?"
Katsurane closed the box.
"From the palace."
The warrior stared at him.
"Eight years ago?"
"Yes."
"Then Queen Aiko—"
"She wasn't trying to save Musha."
The warrior's expression changed.
"What?"
Katsurane looked at the box.
"She was trying to seal something inside her."
The room became silent.
"Something that wasn't supposed to awaken."
The warrior stared at him.
"Then what is inside the girl?"
Katsurane smiled faintly.
"That is what I intend to discover."
Far away, in the mountain village…
Musha woke suddenly.
She sat upright.
Her breathing was fast.
Hana rushed into the room.
"Musha?"
Musha touched her chest.
Something was wrong.
"What happened?"
"I heard him."
"Who?"
"The man."
Hana froze.
"Katsurane?"
Musha nodded.
"I don't know how."
"What did he say?"
Musha shook her head.
"Nothing."
"Then how do you know it was him?"
Musha touched her blindfold.
"I could feel him."
Hana's expression changed.
"Feel him?"
"Like he was standing right beside me."
She looked toward the distant mountains.
"He's looking for me."
Hana walked toward the window.
"We have to leave."
"Where?"
"The northern road."
"Why?"
"Because the village isn't safe anymore."
Musha stood.
"What about the others?"
"We can't stay."
"I won't run."
Hana turned.
"This isn't about courage."
"Then what is it?"
"It's about survival."
Musha tightened her fists.
"I want answers."
"You'll get them."
"When?"
"When you're ready."
Musha shook her head.
"No."
She reached for her twin swords.
"I'm ready now."
Hana stared at her.
For a moment, she saw something that frightened her.
Not the frightened child she had raised.
Not the blind girl who needed protection.
Something else.
A warrior.
Back in the capital, Katsurane stood alone.
The soldier had left.
The Crimson Shadow commander had left.
Only the rain remained.
Katsurane looked at Queen Aiko's painting.
"I told you I would protect the kingdom."
He reached up and touched the painted face.
"But you chose your daughter."
His expression became bitter.
"Now she will have to pay for that choice."
Thunder shook the palace.
Katsurane turned away.
"Prepare the army."
A guard entered.
"How many soldiers?"
Katsurane looked toward the mountains.
"All of them."
The guard froze.
"My lord?"
Katsurane's voice was cold.
"We are no longer hunting a child."
He looked toward the dark horizon.
"We are hunting the White Shadow."
Far beneath the earth…
The Black Dragon slowly opened its enormous jaws.
Ancient chains cracked.
One.
Two.
Three.
The dragon lifted its head.
Its red eyes glowed in the darkness.
And somewhere above—
Musha suddenly whispered:
"Who are you?"
The dragon heard her.
Its voice travelled through stone.
Through roots.
Through mountains.
Straight into her mind.
"I am the one your mother feared."
Musha's heart stopped.
Then the dragon spoke again.
"And the one she trusted."
Musha stood frozen.
Hana saw the color disappear from her face.
"What is it?"
Musha slowly turned toward her.
"The dragon…"
She swallowed.
"It knew my mother."
Hana's eyes widened.
"What did it say?"
Musha's voice trembled.
"It said…"
She stopped.
Then whispered:
"My mother trusted it."
Hana stepped backward.
"No."
Musha frowned.
"Grandma?"
Hana's face had gone pale.
"No…"
She looked toward the mountain.
"That can't be."
And for the first time in eight years—
Hana was truly afraid.
Because she knew the dragon had just told Musha the truth.