The next morning, the light of dawn filtered through a layer of dark clouds, as if the sky wished to grant a moment of respite. The air felt cooler, lighter—almost... alive.
Yuri rose in silence. There had been no dreams that night. Only a strange, almost unreal calm had accompanied her sleep. She felt different. More grounded. Not strong, but present.
Kayla was already awake, of course. Sitting on a rock, she gazed distantly toward the horizon.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked without turning.
"I didn't dream. It's strange... but maybe it's for the best." Yuri approached her, still a little drowsy.
Kayla gave a faint smile. "Then you're ready. Today, we will work with the wind."
She led her to a small clearing where the pale grass swayed gently. At the center, a pile of dry leaves had been arranged in a circle.
"Wind is the most elusive element, but also the most honest. It cannot be forced. It can only be accompanied. Those who master it are often guided by intuition more than logic."
Yuri knelt before the circle of leaves.
Kayla spoke to her in a calmer tone than usual: "Breathe. Feel the air moving in and out of you. Don't try to command it. Invite it to play."
Yuri closed her eyes. She felt the wind brush against her skin, whisper through her hair. It was as if it were dancing around her... waiting.
She slowly extended a hand.
The leaves remained still.
Then a thought crossed her mind: what if it wasn't about control, but about harmony?
She didn't think. She didn't force. She simply breathed... and smiled.
A gentle breeze rose suddenly, delicate. The leaves began to lift into a small vortex, spiraling around her.
Yuri's eyes snapped open in surprise.
"You did it," Kayla said, not with surprise, but with a softer tone. "And not because you figured out a trick. But because you surrendered to the current."
Yuri turned to her. "It was... like the wind was listening to me."
"It didn't listen to you. It recognized you," Kayla replied. Then she added, "Something inside you is waking up. Don't try to rush it. Let it come to you."
Yuri nodded, still deep in thought. The small vortex dissolved naturally.
Kayla stood up. "Let's stop for today. You've done enough. But tomorrow... the world may not let us rest."
The night had fallen silently and oppressively, like a velvet black blanket stretched over the entire kingdom. There was no moon. Only the distant beat of the wind, and the breath of time.
Kayla had remained alone, away from the extinguished fire where Yuri slept. Her fingers grazed the stone, as if seeking answers in the cracks. Her face, usually impassive, was drawn by an emotion she never showed in the presence of others.
"One day... I'll have to decide whether to let you go or hold you tighter," she whispered, speaking to the nothingness. "And neither choice will be painless."
---
Elsewhere.
Among the ruins of an abandoned kingdom, a hooded figure observed the walls consumed by vegetation. His step was calm, precise, like that of one who had no need to hurry.
A strange wind rose. The sky above him cracked slightly, like a tired curtain.
A deep voice, more like a distorted echo than a true sound, passed through the clouds:
> "Hear, races of the world... The Demon King has fixed his gaze. His next desire is near. And like all things desired… it will be easily conquered."
Umbraxis' laugh echoed for a moment in the leaden sky, then faded like a broken dream.
The hooded figure lifted his gaze. His face was young, almost innocent, but his eyes told an ancient story.
Alexander.
He remained silent, watching the sky return to stillness.
Then, calmly, he said: "Everything moves… even the darkness." He took a step forward. "Perhaps it's time I see with my own eyes."
And he walked away, leaving behind only the light sound of his cloak brushing the stone.