As Whispering Hollow stirred with light and shadow, Qingsai began his daily routine of spirit meditation. Lucen Arkai had set him a new task—to reach beyond Lucentia and Flame, and allow the third element to awaken on its own.
He meditated beside the Crystal Mirror Pool, deep within the keep's hidden sanctuary. A space once used by Yuncao ancestors for soul-reflection.
Hours passed in silence, until he remembered something Lianhua had said:
> "Not all power must be summoned with force. Sometimes… you just need to listen."
Qingsai opened his mind.
He didn't reach outward.
He fell inward.
And deep within his soul, where flame and light danced like twin suns, a third spark bloomed—cool, calm, yet boundless.
> Water.
A soft rush rippled through the air, and the pool behind him rose up—not wildly, but in reverent harmony.
He turned.
The water formed a dome, a spiral, a hand.
> "Welcome, Soulkindled," it whispered in ancient tones. "I've waited long."