Darius looked at Richard, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the sofa’s backrest. As an enlightened martial artist, his senses were telling him that there was something wrong with the body of the boy standing before him.

Alarmingly, his keen sense also told him the boy was kind. Those conflicting messages intrigued Darius, who reached up to massage his temples. He then looked ahead at Richard, asking, “How can I prove what you’re saying is true?”

Richard’s features stiffened, and his sli