Chapter 22: The Dancing Statues

Kena woke up under the glowing tree, her back aching from the hard ground beneath her.

She let out a small groan, stretching her arms high above her head. The soreness made her wince a little.

Nearby, Hope stood tall, sliding a smooth stone along the edge of his sword.

The scraping sound filled the quiet morning air as he worked to make the blade sharper.

Around them, the golden city buzzed with life—people talking loudly, carts rattling over the cobblestone streets.

Kena's mind swirled with thoughts about Justice and the strange secret he'd spilled last night—a banished twin, a mask that hid so much.

She glanced over at Hope, but his iron mask covered his face completely, giving her no clues about what he was feeling inside.

"Good morning," she said, her voice a little sleepy as she pushed herself up to her feet.

She brushed her hands together to shake off the dirt. "Are we finally going to sit down and talk about what we heard last night? I've been waiting forever."

Hope didn't look up right away. He slid his sword back into its sheath with a soft, careful scrape.

"Not right now," he said, his voice calm and steady, like always. "We need to get moving first. There's too much to do."

Kena let out a big, loud groan—so loud that a couple of birds nearby flapped their wings and flew off into the sky.

"You're driving me absolutely crazy with all this waiting, Hope," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Can't you just tell me something? Even one tiny thing? I'm dying over here!"

"Not yet," Hope replied, still calm as ever. He adjusted the sword at his side. "We've got to keep going, Kena. You'll see why soon."

She crossed her arms tight over her chest and huffed, her breath puffing out in the cool air.

"Fine, Hope," she said, dragging his name out a little. "If you're going to be so mysterious, then where are we even heading? Tell me that much at least."

"Through the city," he said, finally turning his head to look at her. His mask caught the light, making it shine faintly.

"We need to find out more about Justice," Hope said. "That's the next step."

Kena nodded, brushing some clumps of dirt off her cloak with quick, sharp swipes of her hand.

"Okay, that works for me," she said, her voice softening a bit. "I want answers too."

They started walking together into the busy streets, the golden buildings all around them glowing bright under the odd purple sky.

She kept sneaking little looks at Hope as they moved, her brain buzzing with so many questions.

Was he the twin Justice had talked about? Why wouldn't he just say it already?

She imagined grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him until the truth fell out, but she bit her tongue and stayed quiet—for now, at least.

They passed through a wide square packed with huge statues, all carved from smooth white stone.

There were warriors gripping swords, kings wearing fancy crowns, and even horses frozen like they were galloping through the air.

Kena stopped in her tracks and stared up at them, her head tilting to one side.

"These are really pretty," she said, her voice full of wonder. "But they're kind of creepy too, don't you think? Like they're watching us."

Hope stepped up beside her, his boots quiet on the stone ground. He nodded slowly.

"They're old kings," he said, his tone low. "From a long time ago. But you should watch out, Kena."

"Watch out?" she echoed, spinning around to face him with a frown creasing her forehead. "What do you mean by that, Hope? What's going to happen?"

Before he could say another word, the ground beneath their feet started to rumble and shake.

Kena stumbled forward, catching herself with her hands out. She looked up fast—the statues weren't still anymore.

Their heads turned with a slow grinding sound, their arms lifted high.

One warrior, tall and broad, stepped down from its base, its heavy stone sword pointed straight at them.

Its eyes glowed a weird, spooky blue, and it stomped closer, each step shaking the ground.

"What in the world is this?!" Kena yelled, her voice loud and sharp as she jumped back quickly to put some space between her and the thing.

"They guard the city," Hope said, pulling his sword free from its sheath in one smooth motion. "We can fight them off or run away. Your choice."

Kena didn't even pause to think. "Fight," she said firmly, snatching up a thick stick from the ground nearby.

"I'm mad enough to hit something right now, and these things look perfect for it," she said.

The warrior swung its massive sword down hard, and Hope leaped in front of Kena, blocking the blow with his own blade.

Metal slammed against stone, and tiny sparks flew out in every direction, lighting up the air for a second.

Kena ducked low as another statue—a king with a fancy, pointed crown—started lumbering toward her, its steps slow but heavy.

She swung her stick with all her strength, smacking it right across the leg.

A loud crack split through the stone, but the king didn't stop. It kept coming, steady and unstoppable.

"Hope!" she shouted over the crashing noise all around them. "These things are way too tough! My stick's barely doing anything!"

"Dance with them!" he called back, his voice cutting through the chaos as he dodged another wild swing from the warrior.

"Dance?" Kena said, her voice dripping with confusion. "What are you even talking about, Hope? This isn't a party!"

She glanced over at him and saw what he meant. Hope was moving differently now—spinning around fast, stepping light on his feet, almost like he was dancing with the statue.

The warrior swung its sword again, but it sailed right over his head, missing him completely.

Kena's eyes widened, a spark of understanding hitting her.

"Oh, I get it now!" she said, excitement bubbling up.

She twirled fast, ducking under the king's reaching arm. It stumbled forward, looking confused without her in its grip.

"Ha!" Kena laughed, spinning around again like a kid playing a game. "This is actually fun!"

The king swung its big arm at her, and she jumped high, landing neatly behind it.

She smacked her stick hard against its back, cracking the stone even more, little chips flying off.

Hope was still dancing with the warrior, his sword flashing bright in the purple light. He spun low to the ground and sliced clean through its leg.

The statue wobbled for a moment, then crashed down hard, breaking into a big pile of dust and rubble.

Kena cheered loudly, her voice ringing out. "Yes, Hope! You got it! That was amazing!" she yelled.

But then her foot slipped on some loose gravel as the king grabbed the edge of her cloak.

"Oh no—help me, Hope!" she shouted, tugging to get free.

Hope ran over in a flash, swinging his sword at the king's arm with a quick, strong strike.

The stone snapped clean off, and Kena rolled away, tumbling free onto the ground.

The statue let out a deep, rumbling roar, its mouth gaping wide, and charged straight at them.

Kena grabbed Hope's hand tight, her fingers locking with his. "We do this together, okay?" she said, her voice firm despite her racing heart.

"Together," Hope agreed, giving her hand a quick squeeze back.

They moved like they were partners in a real dance, spinning and dodging the king's clumsy attacks.

Kena swung her stick at its knee, hitting it hard, while Hope slashed his sword across its chest.

The king shook violently, then broke apart with a loud crash, rocks flying everywhere.

The square went still again, dust floating down slowly through the air.

Kena was breathing hard, her chest heaving, but she grinned wide, her face lighting up.

"We danced them to death, Hope!" she said, laughing bright and free. "Did you see that?"

Hope's eyes crinkled behind his mask, like he was smiling too. "You've got good moves, Kena," he told her, his voice warm.

"You're not bad yourself," she said, tossing her stick to the ground with a little flourish.

People were staring at them now from all around the square, whispering to each other in low voices.

Kena waved her hand big and bold. "Show's over, everyone!" she called out, her tone playful. "Go back to your day!"

They walked away from the square together, Kena's heart still pounding fast in her chest.

"That was so much fun," she said, glancing over at Hope. "Weird, yeah, but I really liked it. Didn't you?"

"It was fun," Hope said, nodding his head once. "You're quick on your feet, Kena. I wasn't sure you'd catch on so fast."

She smirked at him, brushing some dust off her sleeve. "I told you I'm not useless, didn't I?" she said, her voice teasing.

She felt lighter now, like the fight had shaken off some of the heavy thoughts weighing her down.

But then Justice's secret crept back into her mind, sharp and nagging. She stopped walking and turned to face Hope, planting her feet firm.

"Okay, that's it," she said, her tone serious now. "I've waited long enough, Hope. Are you Justice's twin or not? Tell me."

Hope looked away from her, his mask catching the purple light in a soft gleam.

"Not here," he said quietly, almost too soft to hear. "We'll talk about it later, Kena. I promise."

Kena groaned so loud it bounced off the golden buildings around them.

"You're impossible, Hope!" she said, throwing her hands up high. "I just danced with giant statues for you! Can't you give me something? Anything at all?"

"Soon," he said, starting to walk again, his steps steady. "I promise you, Kena. Just wait a little longer."

She followed after him, muttering under her breath so only she could hear.

"You better mean that, Hope," she said, kicking at the ground. "I'm not letting this go, you know. Not ever."

The city kept buzzing around them—people laughing, carts rolling, life moving on—but Kena's mind was stuck on Hope.

Twin or not, he was her rock, the one she could always count on. She'd wait for his answer, sure, but not forever. She wasn't that patient.

They kept moving through the golden streets, the warm glow of the buildings mixing with the strange purple sky above.

Kena kicked a small pebble as she walked, watching it skitter ahead. Her cloak flapped a little in the breeze, brushing against her legs.

"You know," she said, glancing over at him, "you're lucky I'm patient sometimes."

Hope turned his head toward her, his mask hiding his face as usual.

"Are you patient, Kena?" he asked, and she could hear the little tease in his voice, like he was poking fun.

"Sometimes," she said, sticking her tongue out at him quick and playful. "But don't push it, Hope. I've got limits."

"I won't," he said, his eyes crinkling again behind the mask.

"Good," Kena replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because I'm already thinking about how to make you talk if you keep stalling."

"You'll figure it out," Hope said, and she couldn't tell if he was serious or just playing along.

"I will," she said, nodding firmly, her chin set. "Just watch me, Hope. I'll get it out of you one way or another."

They walked on together, the broken statues left behind them now just piles of cracked stone.

Kena felt a little proud deep down—she'd fought and won, even if it was by dancing with rocks.

Hope stayed quiet beside her, his sword tucked back in its sheath, his mask still hiding too much of him.

She didn't know all his secrets yet, but she knew he'd stick with her through anything.

That was enough for now, she told herself. Enough to keep going.