The Rain Cuts East

Xu Yan is still bowing to a crowd when the dead start hammering the gates, and he keeps his hands steady because panic is part of the act. Years of performing legendary power users have turned his fake sword forms and breath work into something real, and his hidden space can swallow food, weapons, and people. The catch is cruel. His power only wakes when something truly unfair happens, so he can never plan around it. When the academy turns into a shelter, Xu has to carry supplies, choose who gets close to him, and face the first failure he cannot fix. The people around him keep asking for protection, but what they really want is access. And the one person who understands his stagecraft best ...