The first light of dawn streamed through the narrow stone window. Aria awoke to the ringing of the monastery bell—a sound that was not merely a call to gather, but a declaration that from this day forth, she was one of the chosen.
She stepped into the wide courtyard where dozens of novices stood in neat rows. At the front was Mother Serena, flanked by the wardens of training, each bearing a different aura of power. One held a torch that never burned out, another bore golden tattoos that glowed faintly.
"Today," Mother Serena's voice rang across the courtyard, "the new initiate will begin her first lesson—the awakening and mastery of her element."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd as many eyes turned toward Aria. Some shone with curiosity, others with envy, and a few with clear disdain.
Eldrin, a warden draped in pale gray robes, stepped forward. His long silver hair swayed in the breeze.
"Newcomer. You will begin with the simplest task." He placed a withered flower upon a stone pedestal. "Make it move—without touching it."
Aria drew a deep breath, her heart pounding. Was the wind still with her? She closed her eyes and listened to the world around her. Faint whispers returned—the voices she had come to know.
"We are here."
She raised her hand. A cool breeze curled around her fingers. The flower trembled, then slowly blossomed, as though life itself had been breathed back into it.
A stir ran through the courtyard. Some stared in awe, while others clenched their jaws in resentment.
Eldrin's brows arched slightly. "Not bad… You can awaken the memory of what was once dead. This is a rare gift, granted only to one the winds have accepted."
But before Aria could smile, a chill swept down her spine. A faint laugh echoed from the shadows—one that belonged not to any human.
A dark figure emerged beyond the stone wall. The air turned violent, a storm spiraling around it. It was no spirit of nature… but something else that had slipped into the sanctuary.
Mother Serena's sharp gaze cut across the courtyard. "Everyone, fall back!"
Aria froze in place. Then the whisper returned, louder this time, inside her chest.
"You must choose… Will you flee, or will you stand as a protector?"
Mother Serena's sharp gaze cut across the courtyard.
"Everyone, fall back!"
Her command rang out with the force of a tolling bell, striking fear into the hearts of the trainees. Several of them flinched before scrambling away from the crumbling wall that trembled as though something was pressing from the other side.
But Aria stood frozen. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as if it might burst through her chest. The movements around her blurred—the pounding of feet on stone, the panicked cries of her peers—all of it seemed distant, muffled.
Then the whisper returned, no longer in her ears but echoing deep within her chest.
"You must choose… Will you flee, or will you stand as a protector?"
Her breath hitched, as though it had been trapped in her lungs since the first time she heard those words. Her body trembled, her legs uncertain—should she retreat with the others, or hold her ground here?
Memories flared in her mind: the villagers she had once shielded during the storm's devastation, the smiles of those she had saved, and the tears of those she could not reach in time. Each image struck her heart like waves crashing against a stone wall.
Her chest grew heavy, yet within the confusion a small spark ignited—resolve.
Mother Serena's voice rang out again, no longer just a command, but a final warning.
"Aria! Move!"
Aria clenched her fists, raising her eyes to meet the stern gaze of her mentor.
At that moment, the ground beneath her feet quaked harder… whatever was trapped beyond the wall was about to break free.