Chapter 1

The wind moaned through the narrow streets of the village, shaking the paper lanterns that hung from every wooden post. Their light flickered like the heartbeat of the night itself. Most villagers had gone to bed, but the elders whispered among themselves, their voices hushed, trembling with fear.

“...it’s the Lantern of Death,” an old man muttered. “They say it awakens once every hundred years. Those who look upon it... never return the same.”

Far at the edge of the village, a dim, eerie glow shimmered at the forest gate. Akira, barely sixteen, paused mid-step. His dark hair whipped across his face as he squinted into the mist.

“Why is it glowing tonight?” he muttered to himself.

Before he could take another step, movement flickered from the shadows. Slithering through the underbrush came a creature unlike anything he’d seen before—a snake-like beast with scales that shimmered like black onyx and eyes like burning coals. It hissed, a sound that made the hair on Akira’s neck stand.

“Stay back!” he shouted, but instinct took over. A flare of red-orange fire burst from his palm, hitting the creature squarely. It screeched and recoiled, then vanished into the mist, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

The villagers stirred awake, alarmed by the commotion. Some peeked from windows, some from doorways, whispering frantically.

Akira’s heart raced. He had always known he was different. That fire inside him wasn’t just a gift—it was dangerous. And tonight, it had revealed itself in a way he couldn’t ignore.

As he stared at the glowing lantern at the forest’s edge, a shiver ran down his spine. Something ancient was stirring, and for the first time, Akira felt the weight of destiny press upon his shoulders.Inside his family’s small hut, Akira pressed his face against the shutters. Fourteen summers old, restless and curious, he wasn’t content with hiding. His older sister, Hana, tugged his sleeve.

“Don’t look, Akira. Mother said the Lantern of Death awakens once in a hundred years. If you see it, it sees you back.”

Akira smirked, though unease crept into his chest. “Stories to keep kids quiet. It’s just a lantern.”

From the corner, his mother’s voice cut sharp. “No. It is a curse. Your father saw it, years ago. He never returned from the forest.”

The words fell heavy. The hut grew cold, as if the fire had dimmed. Hana lowered her gaze. Akira clenched his fists, torn between fear and defiance.

Later, while the village slept, Akira slipped out.

The fog curled around his ankles. Every step on the dirt road sounded louder than it should, echoing in the silence. He carried a small wooden torch, though the flame seemed to shrink the closer he got to the gate.

And there it was—

The pale lantern swaying slowly, though there was no wind. Its glow spread across the ground in rippling circles, as though it were floating above water.

Akira’s breath caught. He thought of his father, of the stories. He reached out—his fingers trembling—

—sssssshhhhhhh

A whisper slithered through the mist. Not words, but a sound like scales on stone. The grass rustled. From the shadows near the trees, two gleaming eyes opened.

A low hiss followed.

Suddenly, something lunged from the dark—a snake-like creature, its body thick as a man’s arm, its fangs dripping with venom. Akira stumbled back, torch shaking in his hand. The serpent coiled, ready to strike—

And then, without thinking, fire burst from Akira’s palm.

The torch flared into a whip of flame, lashing across the serpent’s head. The beast shrieked, its body burning into black ash that dissolved into the mist.

Akira staggered, staring at his own hand. The flame still flickered around his fingers, wild and alive. His heart pounded.

“Wh-what was that…?”

From behind, a voice spoke calmly.

“So. The flame chooses you.”

Akira spun around. At the edge of the mist stood a tall man with a halberd on his back—Haruto, his clan’s wandering warrior, watching with grim eyes.

“You shouldn’t have come here, boy,” Haruto said, stepping closer. “That lantern is not meant for mortal eyes. Every time it shines, death follows.”

Akira opened his mouth to protest, but the lantern’s glow pulsed once, twice, like the beat of a heart. In its pale light, he thought he saw figures moving—shadowy silhouettes—watching from the forest.

Haruto’s hand gripped his halberd. “Go back. Wake the elders. Tonight, the clans will stir.”

The lantern swayed again, and the whisper returned, louder this time—like voices calling Akira’s name from the mist.

He couldn’t tell if they were pleading… or mocking.

Chapter 2:

The forest was alive with fog that night, thicker than smoke, as if the mountain itself had exhaled. Akira followed close behind Haruto, clutching the torch that still flickered in his hand.

“Don’t fall behind,” Haruto said, his eyes never leaving the mist ahead. “The Serpents hunt at night. And the Lantern’s glow will draw them here like moths.”

Akira swallowed, his chest still tight from what he had seen at the gate. “That… thing, that snake. Was it real? Or some trick of the light?”

Haruto’s voice was flat. “Real. But not of this world. They are born of the Serpent Clan’s rituals. Blood-forged beasts, kept hidden until the Lantern awakens.”

The boy’s steps faltered. “So the stories are true…?”

“They always were,” Haruto muttered. “Children just grow up thinking legends are bedtime tales—until the shadows swallow them.”

The mist stirred.

A sudden whistle cut the silence. Haruto snapped his halberd upward—clash! A blade of steel slammed against it, sparks scattering into the fog.

From the branches above, a figure dropped, landing silently like a falling shadow. Slim, graceful, their face hidden by a mask carved into the shape of a koi fish. Another figure followed, taller, heavier, cloaked in dark indigo cloth.

Akira stumbled back, torch flaring. “Blood Serpents—!”

“No,” Haruto corrected, eyes narrowing. “Shadow Koi Guild.”

The smaller figure tilted their head, their voice soft, almost teasing. “So the stories were true. A Flame Lotus child wandering so close to the Lantern.”

The taller one stepped forward, his voice low and sharp as a blade. “And a warrior of the Lotus Clan playing guardian dog. How quaint.”

Haruto raised his halberd but didn’t strike. “Sora. Kai. Still skulking in the dark, I see.”

The smaller figure pulled off their mask—Sora, a young woman with piercing violet eyes and hair that shimmered like ink in the lantern-light. She smirked at Akira.

“And who’s this? A child? Don’t tell me he’s the one the Lantern has chosen.”

Kai remained in the shadows, his eyes barely visible. His presence was heavier, colder—like a blade against the throat. “If the flame is his, then he’s a danger. He should be cut down now.”

Akira’s blood ran cold. “What—what are you talking about?!”

Sora twirled her blade lazily, circling him like a predator. “The Lantern doesn’t shine for just anyone. It calls to those it intends to use. Maybe you’ll burn bright, little lotus… or maybe you’ll just burn.”

Before Haruto could reply, the forest erupted with hissing.

From the mist, two Blood Serpent soldiers emerged—masked men wielding curved blades, their armor marked with crimson scales. The air reeked of poison.

“Lotus… Koi… all the same,” one soldier snarled. “Step aside. The boy belongs to the Serpent Clan.”

Akira’s stomach dropped. “Me?!”

The soldiers lunged. Haruto swung his halberd, striking one aside, while Sora darted forward, her blades flashing silver. She moved like a dancer, vanishing into the mist, reappearing behind her target. Blood sprayed as her blade bit into his back.

Kai melted into the shadows themselves, his figure splitting into three. The Serpent soldier swung wildly, striking only illusions. Then, with one precise thrust, Kai’s real form emerged, his blade piercing the man’s throat.

Akira froze. It was over in seconds.

Sora flicked her blade clean, smiling. “See? That’s how you kill with grace. Not all this wild fire-flinging.”

Akira bristled. “I… I wasn’t even—”

Suddenly, another serpent-beast slithered from the fog, lunging straight at him. Akira’s torch flared instinctively, flames bursting outward—but too wide, too wild. The fire nearly licked Sora’s cloak.

She hissed, eyes flashing. “Idiot! You’ll burn us all if you can’t control it!”

Kai stepped forward, cold and expressionless. “He’s unstable. Just like I said. If the Serpents don’t kill him, his own fire will.”

Akira trembled, glaring at them both. “I’m not weak! I’ll master this fire—you’ll see!”

Haruto planted his halberd into the ground, his voice cutting through the tension. “Enough. The boy has promise. But promise means nothing if we don’t survive the night.”

The mist thickened again, and far off, the Lantern pulsed once more—its glow spilling between the trees, calling silently to all who hunted it.

Sora sheathed her blades, smirking. “Fine. But if he burns me alive, you’ll owe me a new cloak.”

Kai melted back into shadow, his voice trailing. “If he burns, I’ll make sure nothing remains but ash.”

Akira clenched his fists, his flame sputtering like his heartbeat. He had never felt so small—and yet, deep inside, something whispered:

This is only the beginning.

Chapter 3:

Dawn broke over Mizuhama Village in muted gray. The mist still clung to the earth, heavy and unwilling to lift. Villagers gathered in hushed circles, repairing damaged fences, whispering of serpents in the night.

In the training yard, Akira knelt on the packed dirt, sweat dripping down his forehead. Haruto stood before him, halberd planted firmly in the ground.

“Again,” Haruto commanded.

Akira raised his trembling hand. A spark danced in his palm—then flared wildly, nearly striking the practice dummy but instead scorching the dirt several feet away.

Akira cursed under his breath. “I can’t control it!”

Haruto’s eyes were stern, but not unkind. “That fire is not a weapon you hold. It is a part of you. If you fight it, it will consume you.”

Akira slammed his fist into the dirt. “It just… it just comes out! Like it wants to burn everything around me!”

Haruto crouched down, meeting Akira’s eyes. “And do you want to burn everything?”

The boy froze. The question pierced deeper than he expected. “No. I just… I just want to protect them. My family. The village. Everyone who can’t fight.”

Haruto nodded slowly. “Then listen to the fire. Don’t command it. Don’t fear it. Become it.”

A slow clap echoed from the training yard gate.

Sora leaned casually against the fence, smirking, Kai silent at her side. “Touching lesson,” she said. “But if he doesn’t learn fast, he’ll be ashes before he gets the chance to protect anyone.”

Kai’s gaze was colder than the morning mist. “Last night proved what I said. He’s unstable. The Serpents will exploit that.”

Haruto straightened, glaring at them both. “You two may serve the Shadow Koi, but here, you will respect my student.”

Sora raised her hands innocently. “Relax. I’m just saying… if he wants to survive, maybe a real fight would teach him faster than lectures.”

As if summoned by her words, a cry rang from the village square. Villagers scattered, shouting, “Serpents! The Serpents return!”

Akira spun, heart racing. Smoke curled above the rooftops.

Haruto’s voice snapped. “Stay focused. This is your trial.”

They raced into the square. A massive serpent-beast coiled around a hut, its fangs sinking into wooden beams as it crushed the structure. Villagers screamed inside.

Sora drew her twin blades. “Guess he gets his fight after all.”

Kai’s shadow split into three, darting toward the serpent’s coils.

Akira’s legs trembled. His palms burned with heat, fire threatening to erupt. Haruto’s voice echoed in his head: Don’t fight it. Don’t fear it. Become it.

He stepped forward, raising both hands. The fire surged—but this time, instead of exploding wildly, it gathered like a sphere in his chest, flowing down his arms. His heartbeat matched its rhythm.

“Stay away from them!” he shouted, releasing the flame.

A controlled spear of fire shot forward, piercing the serpent’s eye. The beast shrieked, thrashing violently, before dissolving into ash that scattered on the wind.

The villagers gasped in stunned silence. Some cheered. Others stared in fear at the boy whose fire had slain the beast.

Before relief could settle, the air grew colder. The mist thickened unnaturally, and a low, hissing laugh spread through the square.

A robed figure stepped from the shadows, tall and thin, his mask carved like a serpent’s skull. Crimson eyes glowed from within.

“You burn brighter than expected,” he hissed. “Yes… the Lantern has marked you.”

Akira’s fire flickered uncertainly. “Who… who are you?”

The man spread his arms, the mist swirling around him like living things. “A servant of Lord Orochi. And your executioner.”

Sora stepped forward, blades ready. “Another Serpent lapdog. Great.”

Kai’s voice was steady, but his hand gripped his weapon tighter. “This one isn’t like the soldiers. He reeks of blood magic.”

The figure raised his hand, and the dirt split open. Dozens of smaller serpents slithered out, merging into a grotesque, hydra-like beast.

Akira’s flames flickered wildly. Fear clawed at his chest.

Haruto’s hand gripped his shoulder. “Remember, Akira. Fire is not only destruction—it is purity. Focus.”

The beast lunged.

Sora darted in, blades slicing coils apart, but the creature reformed instantly. Kai’s shadows struck from three angles, but every blow vanished into the serpent’s mass.

The robed man laughed. “You cannot cut what is eternal. The Lantern’s curse belongs to the Serpents!”

Akira’s knees buckled. He felt the flames roar inside him, chaotic, begging to be released. His vision blurred, voices whispering from the mist—Give in… burn them all…

He clenched his fists, shaking. “No… this fire is mine. It’s not yours!”

He roared, thrusting both hands forward. A column of flame erupted—searing, bright, and pure. It struck the serpent construct, burning through it, its shriek echoing across the village as it dissolved into ash.

The robed figure staggered back, hissing in fury. His crimson eyes locked on Akira.

“So it is true… you carry the Lantern’s fire. Then hear me, child: the Blood Serpent Clan will come for you. And when they do, not even your fire will save you.”

His form dissolved into black smoke, vanishing into the mist.

The square was silent. Villagers knelt, bowing in awe—or fear.

Akira panted, sweat dripping down his face. His flames flickered weakly before fading.

Sora crossed her arms, smirking despite the tension. “Not bad, Flame Boy. Maybe you’ll survive a week.”

Kai gave the faintest of nods. “Perhaps.”

Haruto rested a hand on Akira’s shoulder, his eyes heavy with both pride and worry. “This is only the beginning. The clans will come. The Lantern has awakened, and the world will burn with it.”

Akira stared into the mist where the robed figure had vanished. His fists clenched.

No matter what it takes… I’ll master this fire. And I’ll protect them.

The pale Lantern flickered deep in the forest, glowing brighter than ever—watching. Waiting.