My Double-Edged Life (Paperback)

Chapter One

SHHHH. OUR TEACHER COULD BE HERE AT ANY MOMENT. HURRY!

DO YOU HAVE IT OPEN YET?

NO. NOT YET. SHUT UP.

OH NO!

WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TOMORROW.

I HATE THIS.

QUIET. THIS ISN'T OUR FAULT, REMEMBER?

IT'S THE NEW GIRL'S FAULT.

HANA'S THE REASON BRITTANY ISN'T OUR FRIEND ANYMORE.

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY BRITTANY WOULDN'T PLAY THAT LAST TRICK ON HANA.

WHICH IS WHY WE'RE GOING TO STEAL THE ANSWERS TO TOMORROW'S TEST AND PUT THEM IN HANA'S BACKPACK.

ONCE HANA'S CAUGHT, BRITTANY WILL DROP HER. SHE WOULD NEVER BE A FRIEND WITH A CHEATER LIKE HER.

YEAH. NOT WITH A CHEATER LIKE HER.

HOW WAS SCHOOL TODAY, HANA?

SCHOOL WAS GOOD, GRANDFATHER JOU.

THANKS FOR ASKING.

I ...

... HANA?

YES, GRANDFATHER?

WHY IS THE TRAINING DUMMY HERE AT THE TABLE?

OH, THAT. I THOUGHT YOU'D WANT HIM HERE.

WHY?

YOU ALWAYS TELL ME THAT PART OF TRAINING IS LEARNING TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. SO I INVITED HIM FOR AN AFTER- SCHOOL TREAT.

HE DIDN'T SAY NO.

YES, MY DEAR. WE MUST LOVE OUR ENEMIES.

BUT WE MUST ALSO BE CAUTIOUS UNTIL WE HAVE TURNED THESE ENEMIES INTO ALLIES.

THAT'S NOT HELPING, TOMO. IT'S HEAVIER.

WHY WERE WE ATTACKED, GRANDFATHER?

CONTINUE YOUR TRAINING, HANA.

I WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

GOOD, HANA. VERY GOOD.

WORKING WITH THE STAFF IS A LOT LIKE COLOR GUARD.

I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE SWORD.

WHY DID YOU STOP YOUR EXERCISES?

OH VERY WELL. I'LL TELL YOU.

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM, HANA. WE LIVE IN A PLACE-IN A WORLD-THAT IS UNDER ATTACK FROM BEINGS OUTSIDE WHAT WE CALL NORMAL LIFE.

IT WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS ...

SO THOSE CREATURES WE FOUGHT WERE FROM WHAT? ANOTHER REALM?!?

GRANDFATHER?

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING IF I DON'T ALSO TRAIN, ARE YOU?

NOT EVEN A LITTLE?

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, GRANDFATHER?

THIS WORLD IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT HAPPY OR UNHAPPY, HANA.

TRAINING IS LIKE READING AND LEARNING.

KNOWLEDGE IS AS NECESSARY FOR FIGHTING EVIL AS IS A GOOD ATTACK WITH THE USE OF A BO STAFF.

AS TO THE CREATURES WE FOUGHT, YES, THEY ARE FROM ANOTHER REALM.

THEY WERE LED BY A SCARRED FOX-MAN CALLED SURGAR.

(Continues...)