shadow guild

Chapter 4:

The village of Mizuhama still bore scars from the last Serpent attack. Burnt beams jutted from ruined huts, and the stench of charred wood lingered in the morning air.

Akira stood among the rubble, fists clenched. He had stopped one serpent, but the masked warrior’s words gnawed at him: The Blood Serpents will come for you.

“Still sulking?” Sora’s voice broke the silence. She was perched atop a broken fence, chewing on a piece of straw as though the destruction around her meant nothing.

Akira scowled. “People died last night. That doesn’t bother you?”

She smirked. “I’ve seen more people die than you’ve seen sunsets. Death is the only constant in this world. The trick is learning how to deal it before it deals you.”

Kai appeared from the mist, as silent as a shadow. His cold eyes studied Akira. “And yet, despite your fire, you lack discipline. Without control, you’ll only become the Serpents’ weapon.”

Akira turned sharply. “I’m not their weapon. I’ll never be.”

Kai’s lips twitched in the faintest smirk. “We’ll see.”

Later that day, Haruto led Akira beyond the village walls, accompanied by Sora and Kai. They walked for hours through a dense bamboo forest, the whisper of stalks like a thousand unseen voices. Finally, they reached a hidden riverbank, where a small shrine sat beneath an ancient willow.

There, a figure waited—masked, clad in black robes trimmed with silver.

“Welcome,” the man said, his voice smooth but sharp as a blade. “I am Kuro, leader of the Shadow Koi Guild.”

Akira’s breath caught. So this was their master.

Haruto frowned deeply. “Why here, Kuro? The boy is not your responsibility.”

Kuro tilted his head. “And yet he carries the Lantern’s fire, does he not? Such power cannot be left unshaped.”

Akira’s hands curled into fists. “Why do you care about me? You’re assassins, aren’t you? Killers for hire.”

Sora grinned, hopping down from a tree branch. “True. But we don’t fight for free. We choose who we kill. Big difference.”

Kai stepped forward. “The Serpents are moving. If you want to live, you need more than Haruto’s lectures. You need to bleed, burn, and survive.”

Kuro’s masked gaze locked onto Akira. “The fire in you is ancient. It will not wait. You will train with us—or you will perish.”

Akira’s heart pounded. Part of him recoiled at the thought of joining killers. But another part… the fire inside him stirred, as though urging him toward the Shadow Koi.

Haruto rested a hand on his shoulder. “The choice is yours, Akira. But remember—power without purpose is the Serpent’s path.”

The boy took a slow breath. Then he stepped forward. “If this is the only way to control the fire… then I’ll do it.”

Kuro inclined his head. “Then your trial begins tomorrow. Survive it, and you may call yourself Shadow Koi. Fail… and your flame will be extinguished here.”

That night, Akira lay awake in the Shadow Koi’s hidden camp, surrounded by killers, thieves, and outcasts. The fire inside him whispered in uneasy tones, as though sensing danger.

For the first time since awakening his powers, Akira wondered if mastering the fire would cost him more than he was willing to give.

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