Chapter 15 - The Unbroken Dawn
Shen stumbled backward onto one knee near the edge of the precipice, clutching his bleeding side as Victor advanced with the smoking gun raised. Victor smiled coldly, stepping close to finish the duel that had lingered across generations. But behind Victor, emerging quietly from the shadows of the trail, was Elena, holding a heavy iron rod she had pried from the bunker door. With a desperate cry born of survival, she struck Victor’s arm from behind, knocking the weapon from his grip and sending it tumbling into the black waves below.
Victor whirled around with fury in his eyes, raising his fist to strike Elena down, but Shen gathered the last ounce of his strength for one final strike. He exploded upward from the ground, his palm driving squarely into Victor’s chest with the ancient vibrating force of his master's lost technique, sending Victor sprawling unconscious into the mud. As the rain slowed to a gentle mist, the first golden rays of dawn pierced the harbor horizon, illuminating little Leo, who stood at the edge of the path watching Shen intently. Shen slowly raised his trembling hands into an open guard, and the toddler proudly mirrored the stance into the light."
