The morning after the Chief's meeting came faster than Lanine expected.
He woke to light streaming through the cracks in the shed. For a moment he forgot where he was. For a moment he thought he was home. Back on his planet. Back in his own bed. Back before everything ended.
Then he heard Rika breathing in the corner. He saw the wooden walls. He felt the dirt floor beneath him.
Right. Newland. Axo Stone Village. Three days until Thornveil.
He sat up slowly. His body ached. Not from training. From everything. From the stress. From the lack of sleep. From the weight of all the things that had happened.
Rika was already awake. Sitting in her corner. Staring at nothing.
"You did it again," Lanine said.
"Did what?"
"The thing where you stare at nothing."
"Nothing is interesting."
"Nothing is nothing."
"Exactly." She looked at him. "That is the point."
Lanine did not know what to say to that. So he said nothing.
They ate breakfast in silence. Bread and dried meat from the basket Goro left every morning. The food was always the same. Lanine did not mind. Same meant normal. Normal meant safe. After everything that had happened, he needed normal.
---
Goro came for them after breakfast. As he did every morning now.
"Training ground," he said. "Chief wants you to watch. Last few days before you leave."
They went.
The training ground was full when they arrived. Thirty-seven kids standing in neat rows. Their faces serious. Their bodies are still. Elder Berin was walking among them. Correcting postures. Muttering advice. Sometimes hitting someone on the head.
Lanine and Rika sat at the edge. Their usual spot. Close enough to see. Far enough not to be in the way.
"Cultivation," Berin said, "is about foundation. You cannot build a house without a base. You cannot build a tower without deep roots. The same is true for cultivation."
He paused. Let the words sink in.
"The energy you absorb now will determine everything that comes after. If you rush, you will be weak. If you take your time, you will be strong. There are no shortcuts. There are no exceptions."
Lanine closed his eyes.
He breathed.
He reached out with his mind. Felt the energy around him. It was easier now. More natural. The tingle came faster. The energy flowed toward him without effort.
He pulled gently. Controlled it. Did not let it overwhelm him.
When he opened his eyes his hands were glowing. Soft gold light under the skin. Not bright. Not obvious. But there.
Rika was watching him. Her face was unreadable.
"You are getting better," she said.
"I am trying."
"Good."
---
That afternoon they packed.
It did not take long. Lanine's possessions: the clothes on his back. The Axo Stone Goro had given him. A small pouch of dried meat from the Chief. A water skin.
Rika's possessions: her clothes. The rock she had killed the stitch-hound with. A small carved figure of a bird that one of the miners had given her. A lock of her mother's hair was wrapped in cloth.
"That is it?" Lanine asked.
"That is it."
"We are pathetic."
"Absolutely pathetic."
They looked at each other and laughed. Real laughs. Warm and alive.
This, Ghost said quietly. This is why you will survive. Not the talent. Not the potential. This.
---
Kira found them near the training ground that evening.
The twelve-year-old girl who had tested Tier Two Low. The village's pride. The one everyone was talking about. She stood before them with the awkward intensity of someone who had practiced this moment a hundred times.
"I wanted to thank you," she said. Looking at Lanine.
"For what?"
"For showing me what is possible." Her voice was earnest. Young. Full of hope. "I thought Tier Two was good. Everyone told me it was good. But then you tested Tier Three High and I realized—" She trailed off. Struggling for words.
Let her speak, Ghost murmured.
"I realized I can be better," Kira finished. "Not just good. Better."
Lanine did not know what to say. He was barely surviving himself. He was not anyone's inspiration.
But Rika stepped forward.
"He is right," she said gently. "You can be better. But do not forget that being good is enough. Being good keeps you alive. Being good lets you grow. Tier Two Low is nothing to be ashamed of."
Kira nodded. Her eyes were wet.
"When you come to Thornveil someday," Lanine finally managed, "look us up. We will be somewhere."
Kira laughed. A real laugh. Young and bright.
"I will. I promise."
She ran off before they could say anything else.
You just made a friend for life, Ghost observed. That girl will remember this moment forever.
I did not do anything.
You existed. You listened. Sometimes that is enough.
---
Evening came with a soft breeze and the smell of cooking fires.
Lanine and Rika sat at the village edge. The same spot where they had talked so many times. About fear. About hope. About the future. About everything.
The three suns were beginning their slow descent. Painting the sky in shades of orange and gold and purple.
"Two more days," Rika said.
"Two more days."
"Then Thornveil. Then the sect. Then I do not know."
"Nobody knows." Lanine picked up a small stone. Turned it over in his hands. It was smooth. Worn down by time and weather. "That is the point I think. Not knowing. Figuring it out as you go."
Profound, Ghost deadpanned. Did you get that from a fortune cookie?
Shut up.
"What if they find out?" Rika asked quietly. "About me. About my constitution."
"About you being Tier Ten and worth more than most cities?"
"Do not joke."
"I am not joking." He looked at her. "You are the most valuable person in this village. Probably in this whole region. And yes that is dangerous. It is also incredible. You could be anything. Do anything."
"I could also be kidnapped. Experimented on. Killed."
"That too." He shrugged. "But you will not be. Because I will be there."
Rika stared at him for a long moment. Then she laughed. Wet and shaky. Real.
"You are ridiculous."
"I know."
"Absolutely ridiculous."
"I know that too."
She leaned against his shoulder. They watched the sun set together.
---
Listen, Ghost said as darkness fell. I need to tell you something about your profession.
Lanine stiffened. Destiny Theft?
Yes. It is rare. Dangerously rare. If anyone finds out what you can do—stealing opportunities meant for others—they will hunt you. Not because they are evil. Because they are scared. A power like that changes everything.
Then how do I use it without being caught?
Subtly. Slowly. Never when anyone is watching. And never on anyone who might notice. Ghost's voice grew serious. Your first theft should be small. Insignificant. Something no one will miss. A dropped item. A missed chance. Something that feels like a coincidence.
When?
Soon. Maybe on the road to Thornveil. Maybe in the city. Your intuition will tell you when it is right. Trust it.
Lanine nodded. Though Ghost could not see him.
One more thing. Ghost paused. The Main Path you are on—Mixed Cultivation—it is not just easy to start. It is the key to everything. Most cultivators lock themselves into two paths and never escape. You? You can take them all. Qi Refining. Body Transformation. Soul Cultivation. Beast Taming. Faith Paths. All of them.
All of them?
All of them. If you survive long enough to collect them. A pause. And if you are willing to pay the price.
What price?
Time. Effort. Pain. The usual. Ghost's voice held a hint of dark amusement. Nothing worth having comes free.
---
The next morning the caravan arrived.
Lanine heard it before he saw it. The rumble of wheels. The calls of drivers. The low growl of the creatures pulling the wagons. He and Rika rushed to the village entrance. Joined the crowd that had gathered to watch.
Four massive wagons. Each was pulled by six-legged creatures with scales and slow blinking eyes. Merchants sat atop them. Surrounded by goods. A handful of travelers walked alongside. Other sect candidates probably. From villages further north.
"That is what we are taking to Thornveil?" Rika asked.
"That is what we are taking to Thornveil."
"It looks uncomfortable."
"Probably."
Definitely, Ghost added. Safer than walking alone though. Stick with the caravan.
Goro appeared beside them.
"Leaves at dawn the day after tomorrow," he said. "You will ride in the third wagon. It has the softest cargo. Mostly fabric. Good for sleeping."
"Thanks," Lanine said.
"Do not thank me yet. Thank me when you are still alive in a month." Goro clapped his shoulder. "Come on. Chief wants to see you both. Now."
---
The Chief's hall felt different this time. Less formal. More like a farewell.
She sat behind her desk. Her expression was softer than usual. A small pouch sat on the wood before her.
"Supplies," she said. Pushing it toward them. "Dried meat. Water skins. A few low-grade energy stones. Not much. It will help."
Lanine stared at the pouch. "Chief we cannot—"
"You can and you will." Her voice allowed no argument. "You have brought more destiny to this village in ten days than we have seen in decades. Consider this repayment."
Rika took the pouch. Bowing slightly. "Thank you."
"Do not thank me. Thank yourselves." The Chief leaned back. "Now listen. Thornveil is big. Confusing. Dangerous in ways you cannot imagine. Trust your instincts. Trust each other. Trust no one else until they have earned it."
She looked at Lanine.
"You have something special boy. I do not know what it is. I do not want to know. But whatever it is—guard it. Protect it. Do not let anyone take it from you."
Lanine's heart pounded. Did she know about Ghost? About his profession?
No, Ghost said calmly. She is just wise. She senses something. That is all.
"Thank you," Lanine said. "For everything."
"Go. Rest. Tomorrow is your last day here. Make it count."
---
They walked back through the village in silence.
The Destiny Platform pulsed softly as they passed. The training ground was empty. The market stalls were closing for the night.
Last day tomorrow, Ghost observed. Then the real journey begins.
I am not ready.
No one ever is. You go anyway.
Rika's hand found his. Squeezed.
"We will be okay," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Because we are together." She smiled. Small but real. "Partners remember?"
"Partners."
They walked on. Toward their shed. Toward the last night in the only home they had known in this strange new world.
Tomorrow they would say goodbye.
The day after they would leave.
And somewhere ahead on the road to Thornveil destiny was waiting.