As midnight approaches New Hope City, sparse activity continues quietly beneath the golden glow of lanterns. A cool breeze weaves through the narrow alleyways and broad streets, filling the peaceful atmosphere with blissful whispers.
A pink ribbon, attached to the upper arm of a boy, flutters wildly with the wind as the boy dashes through the streets. With calculated precision, he threads his way through the sparse congregation of late-night pedestrians. His breathing remains rhythmic–steady and calm despite the extraneous activity–as he passes beneath a wooden sign marked with a black root.
Two hundred and ninety-six.
Despite completing almost three hundred laps, Dan’s rhythm shows no sign breaking as he continues forth towards the intersection. Beads of sweat trace the flow of his short hair, catching glints of the lanterns’ golden light as they break free with the recoil from his steps. Upon reaching the corner, his feet abruptly break away from the repetitive motion to execute a spinning sweep, redirecting his momentum towards the intersecting street. Despite lacking mobility in his bandaged arms, Dan manages to execute the turn without losing his balance before continuing forth.
His repeated route sends him passing through multiple main streets and dark alleyways. Every now and then, the boy plants both feet firmly against the ground. With bent knees, he slides forth with unchanged momentum before exploding with power to propel himself over walls and buildings. A few minutes into his new lap, he descends from the night sky, crashing beside the banks of Lake Unity before continuing along the lake towards the final turn. After executing yet another flawless turn, he races towards the wooden sign swaying in the breeze.
Two hundred and ninety-seven. Just three m-
In the middle of his mental tally, a snap fills the air as a late-night patron tumbles backwards along with his broken stool. The cracking of the stool's leg distracts Dan from his thoughts. Immediately after the crack, an image flashes across his mind, blocking out the late-night patron's indignant complaining. A petite figure floats amidst a torrential storm of darkness, dyed from head to toes in crimson, reaches out to him. A pair of blue eyes shine past the crimson veil, drooping slowly before enveloping the azure glow altogether. The petite figure reaches out to him, her fingertips shivering uncontrollably as she waits for him to catch her by the hand. He tries to reach out, but his body doesn’t obey him, causing his heart to suddenly drop.
With his breathing suddenly disrupted, Dan stumbles in the middle of executing the sweeping turn. Realizing that he had lost control over his momentum, Dan’s mind races to recalculate the turn. As the unmoving faces of late-night pedestrians blur past, turning their attention ever so slowly towards his unstable figure, his eyes hone in towards an exit path. Unable to use his arms to stabilize himself, he instead leans into the momentum and executes another spin towards that path.
Instead of a sharp turn like he normally does, his body whips in a wide arc, threading the needle as he blurs past the crowd gathered around the man complaining about his poor dining experience and onto the other side of the intersection. Just as he arrives before the building, he kicks forth and wedges his heel between the corner where the building meets ground. He bends his knees as the momentum carries him closer to the wall before exploding forth with every muscle in his being to complete the difficult turn. Following the explosive kickoff, muffled gasping fills the air. People swivel their heads away from the initial commotion and towards the source of the sound, watching with agape mouths as the boy responsible for the late night disruption blurs into the distance.
Despite the sudden break in stride, Dan continues forth without break. Weaving through the dark alleyways, he pays special attention to his breathing. His mind tries to clear away the unwanted images whilst his heart tries to regain its usual rhythm.
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Two hundred ninety-eight…
Another lap completed.
Two hundred ninety-nine…
Even with the end of his nightly routine in sight, he doesn’t ease up one bit. Executing a perfect turn, he races towards the alley in the distance. Upon arriving, he leaps towards the brick wall lining the alleyway, setting his feet at the center of the webbed cracks before exploding into the dark corridor.
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A grand carriage makes its way along the banks of Lake Unity. A boy with long dark hair leans against the carriage interior, gazing out at the reflections of the golden lanterns atop the lake’s tranquil surface.
A sudden thought passes his mind, taking him back to the carriage ride on the way to Jing City about three weeks prior. He recalls the little girl in that carriage. More specifically, he recalls her words as she reveals the history of the grand continent. His brows suddenly furrow as another voice–gentle and caring as it recites tales and legends from a children’s book–overlaps with the little girl’s voice.
The restoration period following the Crimson Era… Lake Unity… The Heavenly Demon… Legend of the parting skies… Wh-
*Boom!*
A sudden explosion snaps him out of his thoughts. His previously troubled eyes suddenly snap wide as he sets his sights on the figure squatting at the edge of the lake before him. As the figure rises, his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn towards the pink ribbon fluttering from the figure’s left arm.
A metallic hum fills the air as the squadron of guards trailing the carriage draw their blades in unison. They lower their stances, glaring at the figure at the edge of Lake Unity’s banks. The figure turns towards them with confusion in his eyes. Upon seeing that it’s just a boy, no older than fourteen or fifteen, the guards instinctively loosen their stance. However, upon sensing his aura–comparable to a budding Master–they grip their blades tightly and snap back into an alert stance.
“State your name and affiliation!” One of the guards yells as he steps towards the boy.
“Yi Dan. Son of Grandmaster Ghost Doctor and First Disciple of Instructor Sun.” A voice calls out from the carriage. The doors suddenly swivel open, revealing the figure inside. He hops off the carriage, momentarily meeting Dan’s eyes before turning towards the guards and bowing. “I’ll be fine from here. Please, return home and deliver the message to my parents. Thank you for escorting me thus far.”
Dan watches the odd scene with a raised brow, uncertain whether his mind is lucid or hallucinating. The guards, hearing the unwavering tone in their young prince’s voice, sheath their blades and bow in unison before departing.
“The young prince of Zhou bowing to his guards.” Dan chuckles as he turns away towards the direction of his route. “That’s new.”
“Where are you off to in a hurry?” Wei blurts out, concerned that Dan would dart away any moment judging from his stance.
“Training.” Dan replies curtly. Just before kicking off, he smiles before continuing. “If you have something to say, keep up.”
Wei watches with shock as Dan explodes with power, blurring along the banks of Lake Unity. Seeing the pink ribbon fade into the night, he snaps out of his daze and kicks off with all his might.
In the distance, Dan chuckles upon hearing the explosive kick off behind him. Just before reaching the turn, he slows his pace to afford Wei an opportunity to catch up. As his pursuer enters view, he smiles before executing a sweeping spin to turn into the side road.
Three hundred.
Having held out for three hundred laps, Dan turns his back towards the Black Root Clinic’s wall before leaning backwards and sliding down onto his butt. Sweat creeps down his forehead, tracing the curve of his eyebrows before escaping towards the sides of his face. With the nightly routine complete, he heaves a deep breath of air, wincing in the process from the pain coursing from his abdomen. With labored breathing, he turns towards the figure approaching in the distance.
So slow.
Dan chuckles as he patiently awaits the arrival of his pursuer. A moment later, Wei’s figure slides across the street before him- friction bringing him to a complete stop just past Dan.
“Listen-” Wei starts, pausing for a moment as he tries to catch his breath. Despite being well trained, he had to overexert himself to barely keep sights on Dan’s fading figure. “About what happened… The things I said about you, Yuyu, and your family. I just wanted to-”
“You hungry?” Dan cuts him off, smiling as he extends his legs to push himself upright against the wall. He turns towards the door and lifts his knee to nudge it open. “I know a place- nothing luxurious, but it’s good food nonetheless.”