Yao Yao didn't know if it would work. But if this was really a trial, maybe all he wanted was to see if she could reach him at all. With no training and barely any grasp of magic, getting past that creature felt impossible.
Still, she had to try.
She drew in a breath and lifted her hand. The movement felt natural, like something her body already knew. A faint pull answered from under her ribs—the same one he'd drawn out of her before. It stirred once, then faded.
She focused on that pull, steadying her breath until everything else fell silent. The air pressed close, cool against her skin, and a chill crept into her fingers.
When she opened her eyes, thin streams of water had gathered between her fingers, drifting toward each other. They crossed and looped, tracing the rough outline of a sphere. Light flickered through the seams where the water hadn't sealed, as if the shape was still trying to hold itself together.
Yao Yao held still, breath caught as the glow deepened. Where did my light ball go?
The threads drew tighter, pulling the light inward until a small, uneven orb of blue water hovered over her palm.
She stared for a beat, then, on impulse, flung the orb at the beast and turned to run. It hit the ground beside its claws with a splash—nothing more. The beast didn't even move, just stared at the dark patch spreading across the stone, as if someone had tossed a cup of water at its feet.
The sound faded as quickly as it came. She didn't look back, feet already moving, light across the stone. Even if it failed, a heartbeat's chance was still a chance.
She never made it far.
A rush of air hit before she could take another step. The beast's wings swept low, feathers scraping stone as the gust caught her, lifting her off the ground. The wind roared past her ears and before she realised, her back met something warm and solid.
Her feet hung for a breath before the ground found them again. A hand steadied her shoulder, firm but not rough, holding her in place.
When she looked up, he was already there.
Kaireth stood still, eyes half-lidded like he'd been there all along. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "You look energetic."
"You—" The word stumbled out. "Wolf man?!"
He arched his brow. "Either a wolf or a man. Pick one."
She wriggled free and found her footing, brushing at her skirt more to hide the heat creeping up her neck. "Whatever. What are you doing here?"
Kaireth's eyes slid past her to the puddle glistening near the beast's claws. "Did you just throw that?"
"…That was magic," she said after a pause. "Still in development."
"Development?" His brow lifted slightly as he tipped his chin toward her hands. "Well, you're drawing power straight from your core. If your magic is strong, it can hit hard. But your aura's still weak."
"What do you mean? What core?" The next second, the rest of what he'd said caught up, and the word weak stuck in her chest. "Wait—hold on, did you just call me weak?!"
Kaireth exhaled softly. "You really don't know? About magic core?"
"I know the basics," she said quickly.
Truth was, she'd read some things back in the palace, but they were all old stories—spirits falling in love with mortals, kingdoms lost to time. And none of it ever sounded real.
"Well… there are two kinds of elemental users," Kaireth said. He lifted his hand, letting the air slide through his fingers. Moisture gathered at his palm, twisting into a faint spiral until a thin thread of water shimmered between them. "You either shape what comes from within, or command what's already around you."
He turned his hand slightly. The thread thickened, then broke and fell with a soft splash. "I can do both. When there's water nearby, it listens easily. When there isn't, I can still make it—but it costs more."
"So mine… comes from within?"
He nodded. "You created it out of nothing. That means it's drawn from your own core. Which is also why you felt it here." His hand hovered near her chest, marking the spot. "It answers when you call—but it drains fast. You're still young, untrained. Your body can't hold that kind of strain yet."
Yao Yao glanced down at her palm, then at the faint patch of water still glistening near the beast's claws.
"How can I make it stronger then?" she asked. "Strong enough to actually hit something?"
Kaireth's eyes followed her hand before coming back to her face. "Training," he said simply. "With time, you'll be able to shape it into something that holds power. For now, the fact you can summon anything at all—that's already remarkable."
Yao Yao pressed her lips together, eyes fixed on the creature still waiting ahead. "I don't have time," she murmured. "I only have until sunrise."
Kaireth turned toward her, surprise flickering in his face. "What do you mean?"
So she told him—everything.
About the trial, the portal, the door she needed to reach. About the chance she'd been given—if she could cross before dawn.
He listened without interrupting, nodding now and then to show he was following. When she finished,his expression was calm but touched with a hint of confusion.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "You're saying Elyas will contract you if you pass that beast and walk through the door?"
"Elyas?" she repeated. "What Elyas?"
Kaireth blinked. For a moment, he just looked at her—then his head tilted slightly, an almost disbelieving pause. "You mean," he said, eyebrows lifting. "You don't even know his name?"
Yao Yao blinked at him, the thought landing slower than it should. It hadn't even crossed her mind before—his name. She'd never thought it mattered. In her head, if the contract worked, she could always give him one later, like naming a pet.
So his name is Elyas…? She scratched her head, sinking into thought.
Kaireth watched her quietly, the same calm composure on his face, though curiosity had begun to slip through. "Do you even know who he is?"
Yao Yao looked up. "An ancient spirit."
He nodded slowly, as if giving her space to keep going. "Uh-huh?"
She paused, searching for anything else to add. "A… business owner?"
Kaireth broke into a laugh before he could stop himself, covering his mouth with his hand. "A business owner? What kind of business could a spirit possibly run here?"
Yao Yao crossed her arms. "Well, how else can he live like that? With all that gold and a huge castle. How would I know? Is he a noble or something?"
Kaireth's laughter faded, though the trace of it still lingered in his eyes. He studied her for a moment—human, absurd, and somewhat fearless. A mortal girl standing in a place where no human should even breathe. No wonder Elyas was uneasy.
Curiosity flickered. So did the urge to stir trouble.
Maybe he just wanted to see what would happen if he said it. And if it happened to get under Elyas's skin… well, that would be worth watching.
"He's not a noble," he said at last.
A pause, then—
"He's the Spirit King. Elyas. The king of our realm."