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    Jin woke up with a sore neck and dirt on his face. He’d slept under a tree, curled up tight, after running from Kang Tae and his crew yesterday. The sun poked through the branches, warm and bright, but his body still hurt. His apple sack sat next to him, lumpy and beat-up. He grabbed one, took a bite, and made a face—sour and mushy, but it’d do.


    The cracked jade hung around his neck now, tied with some twine from his pocket. It stayed warm against his chest, humming since yesterday. Hyeon Seo’s voice had told him to go west, to a valley where immortals trained. Jin didn’t get it fully, but it sounded better than going back to get pounded.


    He stood, stretched, and looked around. Hills went on forever, green and quiet, with mist hugging the ground. West was that way, he figured, checking the sun. He threw the sack over his shoulder and started walking. No path—just grass and rocks. His sandals flopped, one strap hanging on for dear life.


    An hour in, his legs ached, and the apples weighed him down. He stopped by a river—small, fast, cutting through the hills. The water was clear, running over smooth stones. Jin knelt, scooped some up, and drank. It was cold and sweet, way better than village stuff.


    He splashed his face, and the jade buzzed hard, like a trapped bug. Jin stopped. Hyeon Seo’s voice hit his head, quiet but firm. “Watch out, kid. Someone’s here.”


    He wiped water from his eyes and looked up. A girl stood across the river, staring.


    She looked seventeen or eighteen. Her black hair was messy, tied with a red ribbon flapping in the wind. She wore a patched gray robe, plain, but stood tall, like she owned the place. Her dark eyes moved fast. A small bronze charm hung from her belt, glowing faint.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Hey!” she yelled, voice carrying over the water. “What’s a dirty kid like you doing out here?”


    Jin wiped his face on his sleeve, feeling grimy. “Walking,” he said. “You?”


    She stepped across, feet light on the stones, and landed close. She was taller, with a sharp chin and a grin—half-nice, half-trouble. “Hunting,” she said, flicking the charm. It hummed soft. “I’m Ryn. You got a name, or just Mud Boy?”


    “Jin,” he said, brushing dirt off his pants. “Hunting what?”


    “Rabbits, mostly. Foxes if I’m lucky.” She looked him over. “You don’t look like you hunt. Or fight. Or anything.”


    Jin’s ears got hot. “I can do things,” he mumbled. “Still figuring it out.”


    Ryn laughed, loud and clear. “Sure you are. Where you going, Figuring-It-Out Jin?”


    “West,” he said, keeping it short. The jade buzzed, and Hyeon Seo whispered, “She’s got energy. Mist Stage, Level 3. Be careful.”


    Jin’s eyes got big. Level 3? He didn’t even know Level 1. Could she tell he was nothing? He shifted, acting normal. “What about you? You from here?”


    “Nope,” Ryn said, hand near her charm. “I wander. Take odd jobs, follow rumors. Heard there’s a valley west—lights in the sky, people disappearing. Want to see it.”


    Jin perked up. That’s where Hyeon Seo pointed him. “I’m heading there too,” he said. “Maybe we can go together?”


    Ryn raised an eyebrow. “You? You’ll slow me down. Can you keep up?”


    “I’ll try,” Jin said, grinning a little. She was pushy, but he liked how she didn’t care what people thought.


    She shrugged. “Fine. Trip and whine, I’m ditching you.” She turned and walked along the river, not looking back.


    Jin grabbed his sack and hurried after her. The jade hummed, and Hyeon Seo spoke again. “She’s strong for her age. Stay close—trouble follows her, and that’s how you get better.”


    “Trouble?” Jin muttered. “Awesome.”


    The river shone next to them as they walked, hills up ahead. Jin didn’t know what was in that valley—or what Ryn would say about the jade. But for once, he felt like he was going somewhere. Somewhere big.