The first confirmed death was undeniable.
A void enforcer collapsed during a suppression attempt near the western border. Witnesses reported no attack, no sound, no visible phenomenon.
He simply inhaled—and did not exhale again.
The Covenant acted immediately.
The incident was classified as hostile action.
The wind had taken life.
Vale read the report in silence.
"They needed this," he said.
Rin nodded grimly. "A line crossed. Justification achieved."
Vale closed his eyes.
He felt it then—not memory, but resonance without sound. The air around him tightened slightly, as if aware of the accusation leveled against it.
"I didn't kill him," Vale said.
"I know," Rin replied.
"But the wind did," Vale continued. "Or at least, it allowed death."
Rin did not respond.
"Gale once governed breath," Vale said. "But governance carries consequence."
The Covenant's response escalated overnight. Void barriers were expanded. Observation arrays multiplied. Anti-magic hunters mobilized openly.
The narrative was complete.
Wind was no longer anomaly.
It was threat.
Vale stood at the edge of the Sound Clan grounds, watching as distant patrols moved like dark veins across the land.
"They're forcing a choice," he said.
Rin's voice was low. "Exist quietly and be erased slowly, or move and be declared enemy of the world."
Vale opened his eyes.
Wind brushed past him.
Not violently.
Not gently.
Purposefully.
"If life can be taken by absence," Vale said, "then responsibility cannot be avoided."
Rin studied him. "You're thinking like a king again."
Vale shook his head.
"No," he said. "I'm thinking like air."