Infinite Grief [INFINITE SERIES BOOK 2]

S6 Ch1: Little Djinn

 The Domu Library is sacred. It held much knowledge, including the Scroll of Airjitzu. Curses were one of the many things books and scrolls stored for safekeeping. You had been there so frequently that the clerks and volunteers knew you by name instead of by ghi color. To be fair, you would not be wearing combat gear. A yukata was much more appropriate in a civil environment. The locals at the village you visited as a child always said that to you. It didn't matter that your father trained you in the art of war and bloodshed.

Today, you wore a plain indigo yukata. A breeze gifted by early autumn leaked through cotton and on your skin. It was a comforting chill you were more than happy to bask in if you weren't in a hurry.

You pushed the doors open, unveiling the towers of bookshelves that led up multiple stories. The man up front, Gus, greeted you with a smile. Not once did he comment on who you were, or what you were wearing.

"Welcome back, [Name]," he said. "More research on the haunted temple?"

"Of course. Where else would I go?" you said.

"Boy, that friend of yours must be so grateful you're going this far."

You hadn't told Gus that it was the Earth Ninja, Cole, that you were trying to save. Some things were better a secret from the public. As far as fans of the ninja assumed, Cole would be a ghost for the rest of his days. You sifted through the books on Yang's curse. That was the first part of your research. To break a curse, you had to learn about it.

Back then, Konokuna Yang was merely a strict teacher. His methods were brought down to a single phrase, 'As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student.' His sights were always on immortality. This led him down a path that ended with him and the students living in his temple being cursed. Now, they were specters walking on the temple grounds with Yang as the master of the house. Anyone who entered and didn't leave before sunrise never left.

Cole left the temple grounds with you that day. He became a crack in that little string of ghosts cursed to stay with their teacher. Yang might want to bring him back to that temple. You won't let him.

You pulled out a book adjacent to the curse. 'Artifacts that Probably Cursed our World,' was the title. It was almost too on the nose for it to be an actual book. However, you had to let go of your preconceived notions of literature in the name of research. Auntie Misako did that all the time. You were pretty sure she read this book too. She looked through the section on the Helmet of Darkness.

You opened the table of contents. The artifacts were in alphabetical order. Many of the artifacts were unhelpful. They had nothing to do with the Temple of Airjitzu. You brushed past the Amulets of Wojira, the Teapot of Tyrhan, and the Oni Masks. It was near the end that you found a clue that related to Cole's curse.

The Yin blade. It was a chain with something that looked like an aeroblade at the end of it. The picture etched into the pages gave off a strange aura. A deadly aura. Your skin raised into goosebumps under your sleeves.

'Yang used the blade on the temple roof during a yin-yang lunar eclipse. Legends say that this was how he was cursed as a ghost,' the novel said. You shut the book, echoing your breakthrough to the rest of the library. People's heads snapped toward you. If they were any quicker, their necks would snap in two.

'Do you want to know when the next yin-yang lunar eclipse is?' Tohru asked.

'Is that even a question?' you said. 'It's been months and we finally have our next lead!'

'The next eclipse is on this year's Day of the Departed.'

"I've gotta tell Cole!" you sprung up from the chair you sat at, speedwalking past strangers to check out the book. Finally, living proof to save your friend. You could fulfill your promise to Cole. You'd dance in the rain together when he turns human again.