I woke to the bitter scratch of the rough wool blanket against my chin. My eyes blinked open, catching the dull gray of morning light slipping through the narrow barracks window. Another day. Same old duty. Same low rank. Same weak Qi.
I swung my legs over the bunk's edge, the cold wood biting into my bare feet. Hana, my roommate, was already gone. Always so eager. She might hit Tier 2 before winter. Me? Sera Wen. Stuck at Tier 1 Qi Condensation. Nineteen, guarding the South Gate. No glory. No thrill. Just a way to pay off my family's small debt to the city guard.
I tugged on the stiff leather uniform, the faint stink of sweat and dust clinging to it. The smell of the lower ranks. My short sword felt heavy at my hip, almost useless. My Qi could barely make it hum, let alone power a real technique.
In the corridor, the weak scent of morning congee lingered. I skipped it. No coppers for extras, and the free ration wasn't worth the effort. The walk to South Gate was the same as always. Cobblestones worn down by years of boots and carts. Veridian City's huge stone walls towered above, glowing with faint blue defensive arrays I couldn't hope to understand.
My shift kicked off at 6:30 AM. Captain Liu barked the usual briefing. Patrols, schedules, no slacking. Then the pairings. My gut twisted when he said my name. "Wen, you're Hannah, you're with Jin Kai. Gate checkpoint duty." Just great. Jin Kai. Tier 3 Qi Condensation. Arrogant son of a merchant council member. He never let us Tier 1 nobodies forget his rank or his connections.
He was already at the gate when I got there, leaning against the thick wood, arms crossed. His fancy silk-trimmed uniform mocked my plain leather. "Ah, Little Sera," he drawled, not even looking at me. "Try not to trip over me today. And keep that sad Qi of yours quiet. It's annoying."
I swallowed a sharp reply. Talking back to a Tier 3, especially him, was begging for trouble. I nodded stiffly and took my spot by the guard booth, trying to blend into the wall.
The morning dragged on. Merchants griped, farmers hauled produce, travelers showed papers. Jin Kai handled checks with lazy scorn, sometimes flashing pointless Qi tricks. A flick of light from his fingers, a gleam on his uniform studs. Pure show-off nonsense. My own Qi felt like a muddy puddle next to his rushing stream.
Around 11:50 AM, trouble rolled in. Two rough men in tattered cloaks tried to sweet-talk their way past with a heavy, covered crate. Jin Kai, probably bored, decided to play big shot. "What's in the crate, scum?" he snapped, puffing up.
"Just farming tools, Lord Cultivator," the taller one muttered, eyes darting. Jin Kai laughed. "A likely lie. Smuggling trash past me? Jin Kai of Golden Hand Merchants?" He practically strutted.
The smugglers shared a glance. The shorter one slid a small pouch toward Jin Kai. A bribe. Likely worth more than my monthly pay. Jin Kai smacked it away. "Insulting! You think you can buy justice?" His voice boomed, pulling eyes. He loved the spotlight.
Qi gathered in his hand, a bright, wild light forming. My weak senses screamed danger. Too much power for petty crooks. "Jin Kai, wait!" I shouted, stepping forward without thinking.
Too late. He thrust his palm out. "Piercing Light!" A blinding white beam shot from his hand. The smugglers dove aside, dodging the worst. But the energy was sloppy, uncontrolled. It flared wide, sweeping over the checkpoint. Right at me.
No time to move. No time to lift my sword. Just a split second of scorching, unbearable heat. A flash brighter than day. My leather uniform melted away. My skin seared. My bones crumbled to ash. Then, nothing.
I jolted upright in my bunk, sweat soaking me. My heart pounded like a drum. The rough blanket scraped my chin. Gray morning light seeped through the window. 6:00 AM.
A dream? A nightmare. Had to be. It felt so real. The heat. The light. Jin Kai's smug, stupid face. My hands shook as I touched my face, my chest. Solid. Whole. No burns. Just the usual Tier 1 aches.
"Just a nightmare," I muttered, shaking my head. Too much stress. Not enough Qi practice. I needed to work on my Nine Cycles method. I dragged myself through the motions. Dressed. Stiff leather. Short sword. Skipped congee. Walked the worn cobblestones. The arrays glowed faint blue.
Captain Liu's briefing. The pairings. "Wen, you're with Jin Kai. Gate checkpoint duty." A cold chill slid down my spine. Deja vu? No, just nerves from the dream.
Jin Kai leaned on the gate. Arms crossed. Silk uniform. "Ah, Little Sera," he drawled. "Try not to trip over me today. And keep that sad Qi of yours quiet. It's annoying." The exact same words.
My blood turned to ice. This wasn't right. I took my post, eyes wide, watching everything. Merchants. Farmers. Travelers. The morning didn't drag. It crept. Every minute stretched forever. My gaze kept snapping to where the smugglers stood in my dream.
11:50 AM. My breath caught. There they were. Two rough men. Worn cloaks. Heavy crate. No. This couldn't be real. Jin Kai stepped up. "What's in the crate, scum?" "Just farming tools, Lord Cultivator."
The bribe. Jin Kai slapping it away. "Insulting!" His voice rose. Qi gathered. Unstable light in his hand. Panic gripped me. Not a dream. It was real. Happening again. "Jin Kai, don't!" I yelled, stumbling back.
He didn't hear. Or didn't care. "Piercing Light!" The blast. Smugglers diving. Energy flaring toward me. Again. The heat. The light. Oblivion.
I woke screaming, thrashing in my thin blanket. My voice bounced in the tiny bunk space. My heart felt ready to burst. I clapped hands over my mouth, tears streaming. Tremors shook me. Gray morning light. 6:00 AM. It wasn't a nightmare. It was real. I died. Twice. And I was going to die again.
