Things are neither entirely "this" nor entirely "that."
By knowing yourself, you see them all.
All things, regardless of creation or destruction, ultimately return to unity.
Grandfather: A persimmon tree that's meant to bear fruit will bear fruit sooner or later.
Grandfather: The frost falls in autumn, the fields of grain wither, and the sweet potatoes rot.
Grandfather: But when it's time for it to bear fruit, it will bear fruit.
Liang Yue's Father: Get up.
Liang Yue's Father: I'm going to start counting now.
Liang Yue's Father: Three peanuts.
Liang Yue's Father: Two peanuts.
Liang Yue's Father: One peanut.
Liang Yue: *panting*
Liang Yue: Before its matchless might ... *cough* all evil bends ...!
Liang Yue: Ow, that hurts. Father ...
Liang Yue's Father: Perhaps this is our true destiny.
Liang Yue: What?
Liang Yue's Father: You are no longer the master of Qiángliáng.
Liang Yue: ...?!
Liang Yue's Father: It no longer recognizes you.
Grandfather: The withering of grass and trees, the retreat of hibernating insects—all these are the natural cycles of heaven and earth.
Grandfather: Only after you've truly experienced it all, hearing the faint sound of that which you seek drifting away in vain, will you understand—
Grandfather: All things are one with me.
Chameleon Comms: ... causing structural collapse.
Chameleon Comms: 20-A-11, Code 2, 302 Magdalena Avenue, suspected arcanum-related violent incident causing structural collapse.
Chameleon Comms: Repeat: Code 2, 302 Magdalena Avenue.
Chameleon Comms: What's the situation, Liáng? Are you listening?
Liang Yue: 20-A-11, responding.
Liang Yue: I'm ready.
Part 1 Descent of Frost
Poitier: We figured at first that this could all be caused by drainage issues. After all the rain we got this year, it wouldn't surprise me.
Poitier: And when we got here, everything was underwater, except for their rubber duck.
Two officers walk through the rubble, passing the dazed but alive victims, stopping by a beech tree that has snapped in two.
Liang Yue: On the bright side, it's great for the flowers.
Poitier: Hah, nice try, cadet. I see you've been improving that busted sense of humor. Still a long ways to go.
Poitier: Anyway, during the initial investigation, they found this.
Poitier holds up a clear plastic bag containing a crescent-shaped, crystal-clear hard object.
Poitier: This here is why we got dragged back from vacation. Apparently, it's something only the two finest ladies of the Division of Arcane Affairs can handle.
Liang Yue: Is it a critter claw?
Poitier: Beats me. But we've gotta explore every possibility.
Liang Yue: I'll take a closer look.
Poitier: Yo, wait up!
Poitier: cough
Poitier: Apparently, this place is old, like real old, "their grandma's grandma built it with her own two hands" kind of place.
Poitier: Primo location; it's a short drive to the mall and the freeway. Weekend trips up to the estuary.
Poitier: They were putting together a birthday party for their kid right before it started falling.
Liang Yue: A family home like this must be of great significance. I'm certain the loss they feel is immeasurable.
Poitier: Yeah, they're pretty cut-up about it. Everyone made it out okay, though. Thank God.
Poitier: Hopefully, they've got insurance for "Acts of Wanton Arcanum." I'd hate to see them have to tear down this place.
Liang Yue: …
Liang Yue: Stop.
Poitier: —!
Loose gravel slips from beneath their shoes down into a growing abyss, vanishing without a sound.
Poitier: Holy ...!
Poitier: What in the—that is one big damn hole. We've got our work cut out for us.
Ahead of them, where the house had been, is now an enormous, dark cavity.
Liang Yue: We've collected the incident photos and evidence here. The family is safe. We helped them relocate to a nearby motel.
Deputy Chief Elden: Leave it here.
Liáng Yuè salutes the Deputy Chief and prepares to leave.
Deputy Chief Elden: Hold on.
Deputy Chief Elden squints and points to the cabinet beside Liáng Yuè.
Deputy Chief Elden: Let me see that pipe you found. Bring the rest to the evidence lockup.
Liáng Yuè hands him the pipe.
Deputy Chief Elden: Wait, what's that other bag you've got?
She offers him the small bag. Inside lay some sprigs of red ginseng, wrapped in plastic.
Deputy Chief Elden: Oh, I see. "Best wishes and good health to you and your team from the Chinatown School Council," touching ...
Deputy Chief Elden: We can't accept this officially. But, go ahead and take it. I wouldn't even know what to do with ginseng.
Deputy Chief Elden: Have a cup of tea, and go take a break. We can't have our fearless Vigiles cadet collapsing on the job.
Liang Yue: Thank you, Deputy Chief.
Deputy Chief Elden: After that Chinatown case, I don't want you to take on too much too fast.
Deputy Chief Elden: Learning how to recover can be just as important as anything else in this job. Besides, you've got that big test coming up. You need to be at your best.
Deputy Chief Elden: Don't ask me to reschedule it either. It's state-mandated for all officers, including Vigiles.
Deputy Chief Elden: Those results will be a part of your final evaluation for this internship.
Liang Yue: Chief Elden.
Liang Yue: Sorry to disappoint you again, but I really have no idea what you mean. I'm not tired at all. I don't need to recover. I just want to get my work done.
The typically sharp-tongued chief is at a loss for words.
Poitier: I'm still trying to figure out why the chief tolerates all your back-sassing.
Liang Yue: I didn't intend any "sassing," Instructor Poitier.
Poitier: Sure, princess. You know, sometimes I can't wait for you to hit probation and get out of my hair.
Liang Yue: Hard to believe it's almost been six months.
Liang Yue: "Out of your hair," huh? I guess you're right. Whether I pass or not, reassignment seems inevitable.
Poitier: …
Poitier: Cheer up, kid. I have faith in you.
Liang Yue: Thank you.
Poitier reads her trainee's face, staring her down with probing eyes.
Poitier: Knew it. You're not worried about that exam. You've got something else entirely eating you, don't you?
Liang Yue: No, I am worried about the exam. It's important. It's why I'm here.
The instructor didn't press her trainee, but holds her stare a little longer.
Poitier shakes her head. It's clear she isn't going to break just yet.
Poitier: The Arcane Creatures Lab got back to us with their results.
Poitier: You were on the money, cadet. That crescent-shaped thing we found is from an arcane creature.
Poitier: Not a claw, though. The lab rats think it's some kind of fur, but they're not sure what critter it's from yet. Well, you take a look.
Liáng Yuè takes the offered papers from her partner's hands.
Poitier: I threw in the material analysis from the samples we found under the house too. Just a little treat.
Poitier: Aside from some remains of a few charred critters, they found some kind of superconductive algae.
She pauses for a moment, watching her trainee as she scans the document.
Poitier: Basically, what they're saying is—
She snatches the sample bag from Poitier's hand.
Liang Yue: This material generates high-voltage electrical charges upon contact with air, soil, or water—enough to scorch any critter it encounters.
Liang Yue: So then, that cavern was created by a giant critter burrowing through the ground while producing this substance.
Poitier: …
Liang Yue: Then this critter might be …
Poitier: I knew it. So, that's what's been eating you, isn't it?
Poitier: If that legend you told me before is true, then perhaps it isn't gone at all.
Poitier: It was released, and now it's roaming free.
Liang Yue: …
A sudden gust of wind blows through the open windows of the office, scattering papers into the air.
Arcane Affairs Officer I: Hey, shut that window. We're trying to work here.
The window is slammed down, sealing away the gathering wind and storm clouds beyond.
The disheveled cadet stands frozen in place, staring out at the sky.
Liang Yue: Could it really be …?
Liang Yue: Qiángliáng.
A deep, resonant call echoes from the depths of her memory.
