The arena emptied, but the air still buzzed with leftover power. Eryndor exhaled slowly, grounding himself as Seraphina Caldris approached with her usual fire-wreathed pressure gently tucked away.
"Eryndor," she said, "for the next few weeks, we'll have several appointed overseers—"
He raised a hand.
"I appreciate the concern, Headmistress. Truly."
His voice stayed respectful, but firm.
"But I need one thing clear."
Seraphina tilted her head.
"I don't like people in my space.
Not close. Not hovering.
Not 'secretly watching' from a corner."
The elders nearby stiffened.
Eryndor continued:
"If they must monitor me, tell them to stay far. I'll still sense them even if they're miles away."
Rein snorted under his breath. "He really said 'miles.'"
Seraphina actually smiled — the rare, gentle kind that only broke through when she met a student whose potential was worth respecting.
"Very well," she said. "That is fair enough. I'll make the adjustments."
She raised a hand, signaling the hidden watchers.
Somewhere in the distance, several presences flickered out — retreating.
Eryndor nodded.
"Thank you, Headmistress."
"Don't make me regret this," she replied, light but deadly honest.
Eryndor headed toward his dorm as the sun bled orange across the academy's sky. Students parted quietly, whispering, nervous, excited — but no one dared approach him.
Darius clapped him on the back. "Bro, you're basically royalty now."
Kaelus shoved his shoulder. "Royalty? He's more like a hurricane with legs."
Eryndor smirked. "Stop hyping me up. I need to stabilize, not explode."
NIGHTFALL —
Later that night, after the dorm quieted and the lanterns cast warm dim light along the walls, Eryndor sat cross-legged on his bed.
He sank inward.
Into the storm.
Into the Black Sun's rhythm.
Into the breath of energy that hummed through his bones.
Wind.
Lightning.
Storm.
Black Sun.
All four currents pulled at him — yet none fought. They circled him like loyal wolves awaiting direction.
His pulse steadied.
His aura softened from a raging tide into a controlled, dangerous whisper.
Storm learned discipline.
Black Sun learned silence.
Eryndor learned balance.
When he finally exhaled, the room felt different — like the air itself was aware of him.
Kaelus was already sleeping.
Darius too, though faint shadows curled around his bed like pets resting by their owner's feet.
Eryndor lay down.
Sleep claimed him fast.
KAELUS' DREAM — THE GOD OF TEMPEST
Kaelus tossed.
The dorm faded.
Wind engulfed him.
A vast sky stretched endlessly above — bright, endless, alive. Stormclouds spun far below like a sea made of thunder. Floating islands drifted, each one carved from jade and wrapped in spiraling currents.
At the center stood a man.
Or something shaped like one.
Barefoot.
Tall.
Hair flowing like a breeze given form.
Eyes the color of a raging morning sky.
Wind didn't blow around him — it obeyed him.
The figure tapped his foot lightly, sending ripples through the sky itself.
"Kaelus Magna," the being said, voice smooth as a passing breeze.
"You have been running from what is already inside you."
Kaelus swallowed. "Who… are you?"
The man smiled, calm yet terrifying in his serenity.
"I am Azure, the God of Tempest."
He stepped forward without walking — like the sky carried him.
"And I am the one your bloodline has been calling for."
Kaelus staggered back. "Why me? I'm not— I mean, I'm strong but—"
Azure placed a hand on his shoulder.
Everything went still.
Wind froze.
Lightning paused mid-flash.
Even Kaelus' heartbeat stopped for a breath.
"You are not chosen because you are ready," Azure said.
"You are chosen because the storm ahead requires you."
Kaelus felt something ignite inside his chest — not lightning, not storm, but the pure essence of wind itself. Light, powerful, boundless.
His eyes widened—
—and he woke up gasping.
The room was dark.
His sheets were floating.
The air swirled around him, moving on its own.
Darius sat up slowly. "Bro… what the hell did you dream?"
Kaelus stared at his trembling hands, breathing hard.
"Someone just chose me."
Far above the clouds, perched on an invisible ledge in the sky, the mysterious figure from before lowered their hood.
Eyes gleamed like polished silver.
"Storm awakens…"
"Darkness stirs…"
"Tempest calls…"
The figure extended a hand, and tiny threads of energy wove into the night.
"It's time."
A single whisper left their lips.
"Let the Higher Realms hear the signal."
The sky rippled — a silent shockwave that only gods could sense.
Far in the distance, someplace higher than reality, something began to stir.
The first move had been made.