"I, Jin Xiao, do not know my true name. All I have from my real family is an heirloom, a single obsidian pendant engraved with a spiral sigil that I've worn around my neck for as long as I can remember."

  "Almost seventeen years ago, Captain Hu Xiao, a Martial Master and the strongest warrior in the Kingdom of Fire, led an expedition through the northern territories of our kingdom. The Southern Central Plains are harsh, unforgiving lands where the sun beats down on endless stretches of sand and rock. Out there, beneath that scorching desert sun, they found me. An infant, alone, with nothing but this pendant clutched in my small hands. No family. No name. No explanation for how I'd survived in such a place."

  "Captain Hu brought me back to the capital and raised me as his own son. I grew up beneath crimson banners that bore both my father's honor and the crest of our suzerain, the Empire of the Sun. Though we were a vassal state, the Kingdom of Fire took pride in its martial traditions. Our soldiers were disciplined. Our families loyal. And from the moment I could hold a wooden sword, I trained."

  "By the time I was twelve, I'd already advanced from 3rd rate to 2nd rate. At fifteen, I reached the 2nd layer of 2nd rate. In a kingdom like ours, where the strongest warrior was a Martial Master, that kind of speed earned me a reputation. People called me a prodigy. They said I had potential that reached beyond our borders."

  "But there was something strange. Despite my advancement, I'd never manifested an attribute. Every cultivator is supposed to develop an affinity, fire, water, lightning, earth, metal, wood, some element that shapes their techniques and qi. Mine never came. I trained. I meditated. I followed every instruction my father gave me. Nothing. It was a mystery no one could explain, least of all me."

  "Still, I was determined. I refused to let my father's name carry me into the Royal Guard through nepotism alone. At sixteen years and three months, I earned my place by merit, sworn to protect the kingdom that had sheltered me when I had nothing."

  **Present Day: The eve of jin's seventeenth birthday.**

  The wooden sword swept toward Jin's head.

  He ducked. Felt the displaced air brush his hair. His opponent, Li Chen, was already recovering, resetting his stance for the next strike. A solid fighter. 2nd layer 2nd rate, same as Jin. Good fundamentals, good speed.

  Predictable footwork.

  Jin had noticed it three exchanges ago. Every time Li Chen committed to an overhead, his weight shifted to his front foot a heartbeat too early. A tell. Small, but exploitable.

  Li Chen attacked again. Overhead strike, just as Jin expected. Jin sidestepped, letting the wooden blade pass, and drove his shoulder into Li Chen's chest at the exact moment his weight was committed forward.

  Li Chen stumbled. Off-balance. Vulnerable.

  Jin's wooden sword touched his throat before he could recover.

  Li Chen's hands went up, letting out a long breath. "I yield."

  Jin withdrew his blade. "That's 127-0-0."

  "Don't remind me." Li Chen shook his head, rolling his shoulder where Jin's had connected. "You really are a beast, you know that?"

  "Your weight commits too early on the overhead," Jin said. "Leaves you open."

  "I know, you've told me a thousand times already." Li Chen planted his wooden sword in the sand, leaning on it. "Fixing it is easier said than done. I'm not a prodigy like you. By the time I realize what I'm doing, your sword is already at my neck."

  Around them, the outer courtyard of the castle hummed with early morning activity. Other guards trained in pairs. Servants crossed between buildings. The crimson banners of the Kingdom of Fire hung limp in the still desert air. The sun had barely crested the walls, but already the heat was building, promising another scorching day.

  Jin wiped sweat from his brow. "I'm not a prodigy. If we were sparring and you used your fire attribute enhancement, the outcome would have been different."

  Li Chen laughed. "You think so? That sword style of yours, it's like fighting a veteran who's seen countless battles. The way you read my movements, use my own momentum against me." He shook his head. "Even with my attribute, I don't think I could overcome it. You were personally taught by Captain Hu Xiao, the strongest person in this kingdom. That's not something fire enhancement can beat."

  Jin's hand went to the hilt of his wooden sword. The style Li Chen described wasn't something Jin had invented. It had been drilled into him since he was old enough to hold a blade.

  "My father's style focuses on reading your opponent," Jin said. "Using their force against them. He always says a skilled swordsman doesn't need to be stronger than his enemy. He just needs to be smarter."

  "Well, the Captain taught you well." Li Chen stretched his arms above his head. "Not only do you fight like you have twenty years of experience, you're already a 2nd rate martial artist. At what, sixteen?"

  "Seventeen tomorrow."

  "Exactly. Meanwhile, I'm twenty-three. Been stuck at 2nd layer 2nd rate for three years now." Li Chen's tone carried no bitterness, just acceptance. "The day you manifest your attribute, you'll become the rising star of this kingdom."

  Jin looked at his hand. Seventeen years old, and still nothing. Every cultivator was supposed to develop an affinity. Fire, water, lightning, earth, metal, wood. Some element that shaped their techniques and qi. His never came.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "I doubt that's going to happen," Jin said. "At this point, I've accepted I'm probably going to be attributeless forever."

  "Yeah... but even so." Li Chen picked up his wooden sword and twirled it absently. "You just beat me using only generic qi enhancement. The kind 3rd rate martial artists use. And like I said, even with my attribute, I'd most likely still lose." He grinned. "I don't think anyone below Vice Captain Mei Lian could give you a real challenge."

  Jin allowed himself a small smile. Li Chen always had a way of making him feel better about the attribute issue, even when Jin didn't ask for reassurance.

  Li Chen headed toward the armory, then paused and turned back. "Hey, let's hold a party for your birthday tomorrow. What do you say?"

  Jin didn't turn around, just raised one hand as he walked toward the inner castle. "I don't know about that. We'll see how it goes."

  "That means yes! I'll get the wine!"

  Jin shook his head, still smiling, as Li Chen's footsteps faded behind him.

  Prodigy.

  The word echoed in his mind as it always did. But it always felt hollow. A prodigy was supposed to have potential that set them apart. Jin had talent, yes. Training. Discipline. But without an attribute, there was a ceiling to how far he could climb. Every other cultivator in the kingdom could enhance their techniques with elemental qi. Jin had nothing but steel and skill.

  He'd made peace with it. Mostly.

  He crossed into the inner courtyard and found his father waiting.

  Captain Hu Xiao stood near the central fountain, his presence commanding even in stillness. Broad shoulders. Thick arms. A frame built for endurance and raw power rather than speed. His dark hair was streaked with silver now, but his posture remained as unyielding as the stone walls around them. The Royal Guard crimson plate armor he wore gleamed in the morning light, polished to a mirror shine despite years of use.

  Even at rest, the man looked like a monument carved from living stone.

  Jin straightened and dropped to one knee, head bowed. The formal greeting between Captain and subordinate, even if the Captain was also his father.

  "Jin Xiao," Captain Hu said, his voice carrying the weight of command. "Receive the royal edict."

  He extended a scroll bearing the royal seal.

  Jin accepted it with both hands, keeping his head lowered. "I receive it with honor. What are my orders?"

  "Deliver this to Bastion Ashenrock. Five li north. My brother commands there."

  "Understood." Jin rose, tucking the scroll securely into his belt. "I'll return before nightfall."

  He turned to leave.

  "Jin."

  He stopped. Looked back.

  His father stood in the same position, watching him. The morning light caught the silver in his hair. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

  Then Captain Hu's expression softened. Just slightly. A small smile touched his lips.

  "Happy birthday."

  Jin blinked. Then a grin spread across his face.

  "Did you forget my birthday again? It's tomorrow."

  "You're right," his father said, the smile still there. Faint but real. "Send Qiu my regards when you arrive."

  "I will." Jin turned back toward the gates. "I'll bring you a bottle of wine from Uncle Qiu."

  He walked away, boots crunching on the packed earth of the courtyard. Past the training grounds. Past the barracks. Through the castle gates and onto the road that led north.

  He didn't look back.

  Behind him, Captain Hu Xiao stood in the courtyard, watching his son's figure grow smaller and smaller.

  He stood there until Jin disappeared beyond the gates entirely.

  The journey north took most of the morning.

  Five li of dusty road cutting through the arid landscape. Cracked earth beneath a relentless sun. Scattered rock formations casting sharp shadows. The occasional hardy shrub clinging to life in the harsh soil.

  Jin let his horse set an easy pace, his mind wandering as the desert scrolled past.

  Seventeen years old tomorrow. Another year survived. Another year closer to... what, exactly? He didn't know. All he knew was the sword in his hand and the kingdom at his back.

  And his father. Captain Hu Xiao, the Martial Master who commanded the Royal Guard. A legend throughout the kingdom of fire.

  Jin was proud to be his son. Proud to serve under him.

  By midday, Bastion Ashenrock rose from the desert like a fortress carved from the land itself. Gray stone walls. Watchtowers crowned with flags that snapped in the hot wind.

  At the main gate stood General Qiu Xiao. Uncle Qiu, as Jin had called him since childhood. Captain Hu's younger brother, a man who'd bounced Jin on his knee when he was barely old enough to walk.

  Jin dismounted and approached with a smile. "Uncle Qiu. Your nephew returns."

  Qiu's stern expression softened as he clasped Jin's shoulder. "Still as eager as ever, I see. I remember when you were barely tall enough to hold a sword. Now you're delivering royal edicts."

  "And you still greet me like I'm a child who needs scolding."

  "Because you still act like one sometimes." Qiu's eyes crinkled with warmth. "Come. Let's see what your father has sent."

  Jin fell into step beside him. "Oh, before I forget. I need a bottle of wine to bring back for Father."

  Qiu laughed. "Planning ahead for once? I'll have one prepared before you leave. The good stuff, not the swill we give the soldiers."

  They entered the command tent together. A brazier provided some relief from the desert heat. Maps covered a wooden table, their edges held down by stones. Jin unbuckled his sword from his waist and leaned it against the table's edge as Qiu broke the wax seal and unrolled the parchment.

  His expression darkened.

  "It's not good," he said, voice tight. "Tensions between the Kingdom of Fire and the Empire of the Sun have been rising for months. The court has been... less than cooperative with certain imperial demands. Resources. Tribute. Strategic concessions." He looked up at Jin. "This edict confirms what I feared. The situation is deteriorating faster than anyone anticipated."

  Jin leaned forward. "What do you mean? Why would the Empire threaten its own vassal? We've been loyal for generations."

  Qiu's jaw clenched. "Loyalty means different things to different people, Jin. To the Empire, a vassal that questions is a vassal that's expendable." He folded the scroll carefully. "Your father sent you here for a reason. Not everything can be told yet. But I need you to understand something: tomorrow, you may need every ounce of strength you possess."

  Before Jin could press him further, the ground lurched beneath their feet.

  A deep, rolling quake shook the tent. The brazier rattled. Maps slid across the table. Clay bowls crashed to the floor, shattering.

  "By the Ancients! Hold steady!" Uncle Qiu grabbed the table's edge, eyes wide.

  The tremor didn't stop. Outside, shouts erupted. Soldiers cried out as the bastion's walls groaned under the strain. Dust cascaded from the ramparts. Sentries stumbled, struggling to keep their footing.

  Jin's heart pounded. He'd felt earthquakes before. Minor tremors that lasted a few seconds. This was different. The earth didn't just shake.

  It roared.

  Uncle Qiu moved to the tent's entrance, staring out at the horizon. Jin followed his gaze and saw it: a column of black smoke rising in the distance. South. Toward the capital.

  The color drained from Qiu's face.

  "No," he whispered.

  Jin looked at his uncle's expression, at the seal of the kingdom still visible on the unrolled scroll.

  This was no ordinary tremor.

  The world he'd known. The kingdom he'd sworn to protect. The father who'd raised him. The life he'd built.

  Everything was beginning to shatter.

  And he didn't even know it yet.