The castle was silent except for the soft sound of small footsteps and rapidly beating hearts. The infants—Sultan and Khalid—walked across the cold stone floor, each step echoing faintly through the long corridors. The air was heavy, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something to begin… something larger than the children, something that would test their courage before their strength.
Sultan, holding the familiar water sphere in his hand, felt a new awe coursing through his body. The fire within him glimmered softly, casting a faint red glow on his smooth skin, while the air around him swirled with each step, wrapping him as if to protect and accompany him. Khalid, his shadow coiling around him like an unbreakable shield, watched every corner, every movement, sensing that something was emerging from the cracks.
Sheikh Abdulrahman stood behind them, his voice low but sharp:
"Do not fear… strength comes from the heart before the hand… from the tear before the smile… listen to your spirit, and you will find the way."
Then came the tremor.
From narrow cracks beneath the stone floor, the first Shift creatures emerged—small yet deformed, their red eyes glowing, bodies moving unnaturally, as if darkness itself had breathed life into them. The young children felt terror cling to their hearts, yet they did not collapse.
Sultan raised his hands; fire enveloped the water sphere, the air whirled around it, and for the first time, the mixture began to harmonize. Khalid sent forth his shadow to complete the circle, protecting them, balancing the attack, ensuring every movement remained precise.
The small creatures leapt, their shrill cries tearing through the castle's silence. Sultan, despite the fear, unleashed his fire and water together—the water sphere spinning with flames, air circling them—as if the elements themselves obeyed him. Khalid added his shadow, wrapping around the creatures to restrict their movement and guiding his younger brother in each step.
Terror, fear, pride, and tension mingled in the children's hearts. A real sense of confrontation—not a game, not mere exercise. Every movement was a lesson in life, in power, and in responsibility.
From afar, Saqr felt his heart torn between fear and pride, watching his children face evil for the first time. Sheikh Abdulrahman whispered:
"See… even fear becomes a tool… shadow, fire, water, air… everything tests you… and the first spark has begun… it will grow with you."
With each movement, each glow, each shiver, it became clear to the children that this was not merely a battle, but the beginning of a deeper understanding of power, destiny, and the bond between them. The small creatures finally retreated before the instinctive harmony between light and shadow, fire and water, mind and spirit.
The old hut, the earth, the castle, and the sky—all bore witness to the first real lesson of confrontation, the initial spark of elemental mastery, and the beginning of Sultan and Khalid's journey toward true warrior trials, toward the prophecy slowly revealing itself.