Demon`s Reckoning

The storm outside was no ordinary squall. Wind shrieked through high arches like a chorus of angry spirits, lightning flashing so close it lit the chamber in stark, flickering brilliance. Rain lashed the mountain's flanks, drumming on the stone spires overhead.

In the center of the Eye, Kazuki stood alone on a circular platform. Selene raised a hand, and the platform rose on a column of swirling air until it hovered level with the watching elders.

"Control," Selene called out, her voice cutting through the wind. "We do not bow storms to our will by force, boy. We persuade them."

Kazuki sucked in a sharp breath. The maelstrom roared around him, strands of his hair whipping in all directions. He reached for his inner calm — which, annoyingly, felt as steady as a cat on ice — and tried to mold the whipping air into a gentle spiral.

For a moment, the winds softened. A delicate swirl formed around him, threads of mist dancing in a graceful helix. He allowed himself a tiny, hopeful smile.

Then a thunderclap shook the platform, and the spiral imploded spectacularly. A blast of air whooshed out in every direction, toppling elders, sending robes fluttering like frightened banners, and flipping Ryo's hood inside out.

"Wow," Ryo said, sprawled on the floor. "That was like a polite breeze, then a punch to the face."

Hoshino covered her mouth, torn between horror and laughter. Even Selene's stern expression cracked. "An… energetic effort," she said, straightening her windblown hair.

Leo stepped forward, voice calm but firm. "Remember what I taught you, Kazuki. Feel it. Don't just throw power at it like a tantrum."

Kazuki took another breath. This time, he imagined the gust as something he could dance with rather than conquer. The platform rocked slightly as he shifted his weight, his hands moving in slow, deliberate arcs. The wind responded — not with submission, but with curiosity, flowing in closer, testing him.

A thin spiral formed once more, tighter and steadier. The rain above parted in a column, sunlight briefly cutting through the storm clouds like a spotlight.

The elders leaned forward. Selene nodded slowly, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.

"Better," she declared. "You are rough around the edges, but the potential is there."

Suddenly, a gust stronger than anything yet slammed into the platform. Kazuki barely kept his balance as a streak of black feathers swooped down, landing with a loud, indignant caw. It was one of the citadel's resident sky ravens, glaring at Kazuki like he'd just insulted its mother.

"Oh, great," Kazuki muttered. "Even the local birds are judging me."

Ryo snorted. "I'd listen. They look smarter than you right now."

One elder rose, robes swirling like a windblown sail. "This concludes the trial. Selene, your verdict?"

Selene stepped forward, eyes sharp but no longer unfriendly. "You are not a master of our craft, boy. But you are a spark worth fanning. And more importantly…" Her gaze swept Kazuki's companions. "You did not face the storm alone. Loyalty in chaos is worth more than talent."

Leo released a slow breath. "So you'll help us?"

Selene's lips curved faintly. "We will prepare what knowledge we can share. Our stormriders, our high gliders. But there are others who must wake, if we are to stand together. Have you heard whispers of the desert city?"

Kazuki tensed. He remembered Leo's maps, the endless dunes marked with symbols older than any tale. "Khemri," he said. "Yes. We know we'll have to go there."

Selene nodded. "Then your next road leads south. Seek the ones who walk the sands — and beware, the shifting dunes hide more than sun and scorpions."

A sudden gust rattled the chamber doors open, revealing a break in the clouds. A rainbow stretched across the peaks beyond, so bright it felt like the sky was giving its blessing.

Hoshino stepped to Kazuki's side, smiling up at the colorful arch. "Well," she said lightly, "at least we're leaving with something pretty."

Ryo peered out warily. "Unless that rainbow's just nature's way of saying 'good luck, you're gonna need it.'"

Leo chuckled low in his chest. "That's the spirit. Rest tonight, all of you. We ride at dawn. The sands await."

Kazuki exhaled, both terrified and exhilarated. The trial had ended, but their real journey was only beginning — and next came a land of blazing sun, hidden oases, and secrets older than the mountains themselves.

Before he could get too deep into imagining all the sunburns in his future, a clear chime rang through the chamber — not from a bell, but from a suspended ring of windsteel, now spinning midair above the council floor. The elders stirred. Selene turned to face them, giving a curt nod.

Elder Marek — the one who had fallen off his bench during Kazuki's earlier wind mishap — stepped forward, rubbing his elbow and scowling slightly. "By agreement of the Council, we acknowledge your petition."

Ryo whispered to Hoshino, "That's mountain-speak for 'fine, you're not totally useless.'"

"We will dispatch two stormriders to accompany your group," Marek continued, casting a glance at the colorful bruise forming on his temple. "They are to observe, assist, and report should the rising threat you speak of take root near our peaks. The wind shifts strangely these days. It would be folly to ignore it."

Kazuki straightened, almost giddy with relief. "You mean—?"

"You'll have our help, boy," Selene cut in, voice cool. "Limited, but real. Be thankful. We don't send our own to the lowlands lightly."

Leo bowed deeply, hand over his chest. "You have our gratitude. And our promise — if the skies ever call for aid in return, we will not be silent."

Selene's expression softened, just a fraction. "Then may your path south be swift... and slightly less explosive." Her eyes flicked toward Kazuki.

He managed a sheepish grin. "I'll try to keep my power from launching any more birds."

The stormraven on the balcony, as if on cue, squawked indignantly and flapped off.

Uzaki, who had spent most of the trial leaning casually against a wall, now pushed off and strolled toward the center. "Well, that was dramatic," she drawled. "But I'd still rate Kazuki's performance as a solid 'sky-wobble' on the grand scale. Somewhere between 'impressive' and 'please never do that again.'"

"Thank you," Kazuki muttered. "Truly inspired coaching."

She winked. "Anytime, sparkle-boy."

The group began to move, the platform lowering, their steps echoing across the now-still chamber.

As they passed under the arch leading back into the citadel proper, Kazuki glanced once more at the storm-cleared sky beyond.

The wind up here wasn't just wind. It had a will. A judgment. And now, it had given them a chance.

Southward lay the next trial. The sands would not be kind — but at least they wouldn't be facing them alone.