Morning. Xu Mo stood before southern gate.

  Inside: imperial archive. All records. All history. All clans living and dead.

  He felt robe. Small paper. Dual character.

  Where did you come from?

  Gate guards. Two men. Lazy. Yawning.

  Xu Mo waited. Cart entered. Merchant. Vegetables. Cloth.

  He walked beside cart. Shadow. Light steps.

  Guards did not see.

  ---

  Inner courtyard. Empty. Old building. Rotting wood. Dust.

  Archive door locked.

  Iron padlock. Thick.

  Xu Mo touched padlock. Still. Concentrated.

  Within, qi. Flowing slowly. To fingertips.

  Padlock creaked. Did not open. But cracked. Hairline crack.

  He drew breath. Again.

  Crack widened.

  Padlock fell. Loud sound.

  Xu Mo still. Waiting. No one came.

  He entered.

  ---

  Shelves. Thousands of scrolls. Thick dust. Smell of old paper.

  Xu Mo walked. Eyes swept labels.

  Clan. Clan. Clan.

  Qi. Xin. Zhao. Li. Wang.

  No Yan. No Shui.

  He kept searching. Darkest corner. Furthest shelf. Thickest dust.

  Label: Erased Clans.

  ---

  He pulled one scroll. Dust scattered. He opened.

  *Yan Clan. Fire Lineage. Established Chenlong Era 3. Specialization: internal combustion technique. Vanished Chenlong Era 21. Cause: treason.*

  Xu Mo rolled. Pulled another scroll.

  *Shui Clan. Water Lineage. Established Chenlong Era 2. Specialization: liquid qi control technique. Vanished Chenlong Era 21. Cause: treason.*

  Same era. Same year.

  He pulled third scroll. Last one. Thickest. Dustiest.

  *Yan-Shui Clan. Union of two clans. Chenlong Era 18 to 21. Specialization: dual fire-water technique. Declared imperial threat. Completely eradicated.*

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

  Xu Mo stopped.

  Dual technique.

  Character on small paper: 双. Dual.

  He was not child of Water Clan. Not child of Fire Clan.

  He was child of their union. Forbidden child. Child who should not exist.

  ---

  Fifty years ago. Chenlong Era 21.

  Two clans united. Created new technique. Too strong. Too dangerous.

  Palace feared.

  So they were erased. Men killed. Women sold. Children discarded.

  Xu Mo born in exile. Raised without knowing origin. Only scar at neck. Water character. But fire also flowed in body.

  He could never control fire. He thought it weakness.

  Now he knew. It was inheritance.

  ---

  Footsteps. From outside.

  Xu Mo quick. Scroll back to shelf. He hid behind pillar.

  Two men entered. Black robes. Light movement. Spies again.

  They walked to same shelf. Erased Clans shelf.

  One man pulled scroll. Not Yan-Shui scroll. Different scroll. Red seal.

  They opened. Read. Then

  Fire. From hand. Scroll burned. Ash fell to floor.

  They left. Without sound.

  Xu Mo emerged from hiding. He saw ash. Remains of burned scroll.

  One word read before consumed:

  *Heir.*

  ---

  He did not know meaning. But he knew one thing: palace still hunting. Still erasing traces. Still feared the already dead.

  And woman in white robe she knew. She knew Xu Mo was heir. She knew dual technique. She knew everything.

  Why did she not kill me? Why give clue?

  Xu Mo left. Back gate. Same as entry behind cart. Guards did not see.

  ---

  Sun high. Xu Mo sat at river's edge. Outside city. Empty.

  He watched water flowing. Cold. Clear.

  He raised hand. Concentrated.

  Fire. From within. He felt heat in chest. But did not emerge. Could not.

  Water. He felt cold in bones. That was easy. That was familiar.

  But fire locked. Too long ignored. Or deliberately locked? By whom? His parents? Or by scar at his neck?

  He lowered hand.

  Still much unknown.

  ---

  Someone sat beside him.

  Xu Mo turned.

  Old woman. Tattered clothes. White hair. Wrinkled face. Sharp eyes.

  He had not heard her steps.

  "You sit in my spot, child," woman said. Voice hoarse. Old.

  Xu Mo silent.

  Woman laughed softly. "No matter. I can sit elsewhere. But... you from river clan, yes? I see how you watch water."

  Xu Mo remained silent.

  "Or... you from fire clan? There is warmth in your chest. Faint. But there."

  Xu Mo stared at her.

  "Who are you?"

  Woman smiled. Half her teeth missing.

  "I am just old beggar. But I see much. More than you think."

  She rose. Hand searched clothes. Pulled something out. Small stone. Black. Hot.

  "This for you. From someone who cannot come herself."

  Stone thrown. Xu Mo caught.

  Hot. Very hot. But did not burn.

  On stone, carving. One character.

  融.

  Rong. Unite. Merge.

  ---

  Xu Mo looked up. Old woman already gone. No trace. As if never there.

  He looked at stone. Heat spread to palm. To arm. To chest.

  And suddenly

  Fire.

  In his hand. Small flame. Red. Alive.

  He could. Now he could.

  Unite. Water and fire. One.

  ---

  Xu Mo stood. River ahead. Fire in hand.

  Two elements. One blood.

  And in sky, fracture. Widened. Faint. But real.

  From north, black clouds. Drawing closer.

  Xu Mo clenched fist. Fire extinguished. But warmth remained.

  He walked. Back to city. Back to palace. Back to answers.

  Now he knew who he was.

  Heir of two clans. Forbidden child. Who should have died.

  But he lived.

  And he would find out why.

  ---

  To be continued...