Winds unrestrained by any natural law tore through the forest, violently swaying the trees from side to side as if trying to uproot them from the earth itself. A scent of spice drifted through the air, mingling with the distant, haunting cries of damned souls trapped in eternal torment.
The trees stood ghostly pale, their bark a sickly white and their leaves a deep, royal purple. Yet when one man walked through these lands, the screaming ceased. The winds grew calm. The trees themselves parted, opening a path before him.
At the end of that path sat an old cottage, its stone steps leading up to a place that served as both a warm home and a smithy. The man rested upon the stairs, his posture relaxed, his crimson eyes piercing through the canopy above as if searching the heavens themselves.
His skin was a muted, worn gray — wrinkled and rough like a troll's — while long midnight-black locs cascaded past his back. When he spoke, his lips did not move; his words resonated directly within the mind.
"My boy…"
The words echoed into the thoughts of the dark elf standing behind him. The elf's hair glowed an ethereal white, falling loosely past his face. His skin, a dark gray with a faint blue undertone, contrasted sharply with that radiant hair.
"Yes, master?"
His voice sounded youthful, though it carried the weariness of a man who had lived many lifetimes.
"Do you think she… Erenyx — is ready?"
The elf, known as Orion, a warrior who had seen far too much for one man's eyes, responded after a thoughtful pause.
"Lady Syran spoke to me about this already. If you're asking whether the girl is ready for your test… I believe so."
He moved to sit beside his master on the stone steps, leaning forward with his hands resting on his knees.
"The girl's battle sense is beyond her years. Blessed with two Aegis and physical strength nearly equal to your own. Give her the test and you'll see for yourself. I see so much of him in her."
Caelus, the master, chuckled softly.
"I see the boy in her too… but you know she can't be compared to him. Not yet."
Rising to his feet, Caelus's long locs fell behind him like a cascade of black silk. He entered the cottage and descended into his personal dojo — a wide chamber lined with wooden weapons of every imaginable shape and style, either mounted upon the walls or gathered in barrels.
In the center stood his daughter, Erenyx, her body still and focused as she sparred with an imagined foe. Each movement was sharp and deliberate — dodging, countering, striking — until her eyes suddenly snapped open.
Her expression shifted from determination to disappointment. She scowled, then blinked in surprise as she turned to see her father and uncle watching her.
"Ah—Dad. Didn't know you were there. What's up?"
She wiped sweat from her brow and tied up her moon-grey locs, revealing a body inked with countless small tattoos that ran from her arms and chest down to her upper thighs — symbols of strength and heritage.
Caelus walked toward one of the weapon barrels, his hand brushing over several choices before selecting a slender rapier. He turned to face his daughter, his tone calm but resolute.
"Pick up the sword," he said, stepping into the center of the dojo.
"I'm challenging you."
Erenyx stomped the ground hard, launching the fallen blade into the air and catching it mid-spin.
"That's new, Dad. Did Uncle Orion set you up to this?"
She smirked as she brandished the sword in front of her, but her father's voice slipped into her mind — calm, monotone, and absolute.
"You're allowed to use Aura. Try to take this seriously."
Her expression shifted instantly. Caelus wasn't one to say things without meaning. If he told her to take it seriously, he meant it.
The blade in her hand erupted in a gray-black, flame-like aura. From the hilt to the tip, it wavered jagged and uneven — raw power without perfect control. Erenyx was gifted, but far from flawless.
Her muscles tensed, the wooden floor creaked, and a deep indentation formed beneath her feet as she dashed forward. In a blink, she was upon her father — her strike arcing for his neck before he could even move.
Or so it seemed.
Caelus raised his rapier at the last instant, deflecting the blow effortlessly. The counter came immediately — a razor-precise jab that would've pierced straight through her skull had she not ducked at the final moment. The air split as the strike passed, grazing her hair.
She dropped low and spun, sweeping at his legs, but Caelus leapt effortlessly, twisting in the air. His heel came crashing down like a hammer — an axe kick that shattered the floorboards, leaving a small crater where she'd just been.
Erenyx rolled away, the heat from his aura washing over her face.
Caelus dragged his foot across the ground, building energy, then launched another kick — this one different. His leg swung high, and from it a sharp crescent wave of chi exploded through the air.
Erenyx reacted instantly. Her sword rose just in time to intercept the blast, but the sheer force rattled her bones, threatening to rip the blade from her grip.
From the corner of her eye, she caught movement — her father closing in from the right. Without hesitation, she slipped left, letting the chi wave crash into the dojo wall. The explosion filled the room with dust and splintered wood.
She used the moment — that single heartbeat of obscurity — to vanish into the haze.
And for Caelus, that was all the warning he'd get.
Lightning sparked around her arm, illuminating her silhouette through the thick smoke. For an instant, only her outline could be seen — and then she moved.
She flashed forward, faster than Caelus could anticipate—
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through the dojo, the strike so powerful it lifted Caelus completely off his feet and hurled him through the air.
CRACKLE!
Sparks of lightning burst from Erenyx's body as she pressed the assault, her fists striking with blinding speed. Each hit landed harder than the last, a relentless storm of punches that tore through the dust and filled the room with the roar of thunder.
She drove in as many blows as she could before the sparks began to fade, her aura flickering out like dying embers.
When the barrage ended, Caelus was thrown several feet back, sliding across the dojo floor on all fours before halting his momentum.
He exhaled, steadying himself, and slowly rose to his feet. Beneath the curtain of his midnight-black locs, a faint smile formed — one not of arrogance, but pride.