The wind howled inside the Echoing Hollow. Petals swirled through the air, carried by gusts that twisted between the great stone arches. At the center of it all floated Ristella , calm, distant, and surrounded by a shield of spinning wind. Her robes danced like they had a life of their own.
On the ground, Nira wiped blood from her shoulder, her green eyes locked onto the priestess above. Doran stood at her side, hammer resting on his shoulder, chest rising and falling. They had both taken hits. Still, they stood.
Junith stepped forward, her spear held firm in her hand.
"I have a plan," she said quietly, but clearly.
Both Doran and Nira turned to her.
"I'm listening," Nira said, panting.
Junith's expression was calm, even though the storm around them was wild. "We can't reach her if we fight the way we are. She controls the air. So we stop trying to move through it."
Doran raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I'll draw her attention," Junith said. "Nira, you use your roots, not to grab her, but to block the wind. And Doran…"
"Yeah?"
"You throw me."
"What?"
Junith's voice was sharp. "Throw me. High. Straight toward her. I'll strike while she's distracted."
Nira blinked. "That's insane."
Junith smiled slightly. "Maybe. But it might work."
Doran nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's do it."
The wind around them howled louder. Ristella watched in silence, eyes glowing faintly. She could feel something shifting. She wasn't sure what they were planning , but she could feel their determination. The Hollow trembled as she summoned another blast of sharp wind.
"Now!" Junith shouted.
Nira slammed her hands into the ground, and thick roots burst out of the floor, forming a wall. They curved upward like a barrier, stopping the first wave of wind. It slowed it down just enough.
Doran crouched, holding out his free hand.
Junith stepped into his grip and nodded.
"Let's hope this works."
"With you? It'll work."
With a grunt, Doran hurled her into the air.
Junith flew upward, spear ready, straight through the spiraling wind that protected Ristella. At that same moment, Nira snapped her fingers, and vines launched upward again , not to trap Ristella, but to circle around her, breaking the rhythm of her wind barrier.
Ristella blinked. Her concentration slipped for just a second.
But that second was enough.
Junith spun mid-air, her body twisting like a trained warrior. Her spear glowed faintly as she brought it back.
And just as she neared Ristella — she struck.
The tip of the spear shattered the wind around Ristella's body.
But instead of fighting back, Ristella did something unexpected.
She stopped.
The wind vanished.
The glow in her eyes faded slightly.
She hovered in the air, breathing hard.
"…Why aren't you stopping me?" Junith asked, confused, still mid-air after the strike.
Ristella slowly turned her head,
She placed a hand over her chest. She pointed toward the seal on her body. As she then pointed towards something, it was a carving, that had a name 'Vayumalith'
The name Vayumalith echoed in Junith's mind. She had heard it mentioned before. The destructive spirit sealed inside Ristella — a force made of scream and sky. The one she had locked within herself by sacrificing her voice.
Junith hesitated.
Ristella nodded, her eyes finally soft.
The air calmed. The petals stopped spinning.
With a deep breath, Junith held her spear firmly and said, "You've earned peace."
She twisted in mid-air, used the final bit of force left in her body, and drove her spear forward.
The strike hit true, not a killing blow, but one that ended the fight.
Ristella's eyes closed gently as she was pushed back by the force, floating downward until she touched the ground with grace. Her body didn't fall. She just stood there, as if sleeping on her feet.
She hoped that they will eventually defeat Varnex, hence setting her free.
The wind around the Hollow grew quiet.
Nira and Doran looked up.
"She… gave up," Nira whispered.
Junith landed roughly nearby, rolling once before rising to her feet.
"She chose not to lose herself," she said simply.
A silence fell between them ,not empty, but full of understanding.
They didn't win because they were stronger.
They won because she chose to stop.
And somewhere deep in the air of the Echoing Hollow, the wind no longer screamed.
It sang.
---
Far away, in the waiting chamber, a new stillness settled across the Dungeon of Varnex. One more commander had fallen.
But this time, it wasn't just a victory. It was a release. And in that release, Ristella ,who had once silenced herself to silence the storm ,finally found peace in the sound of her own still heart.