God of Elements: The Blue Flame

Rain had long turned from nuisance to menace.

Each drop that slid down Mizu's neck felt heavier than the last. The forest had gone utterly silent—no birds, no rustling branches. Even Lucy's steps were cautious. Something unnatural hung in the air.

They hadn't spoken much since the fight with the masked intruder. But the silence said more than words ever could.

"It's watching us," Lucy growled in her beast form. Her fur was damp, her nose twitching. "Or something is."

Rika clicked her tongue. "Great. First we're tested by a mysterious creep with lightning, now we're walking straight into a cursed fog. I swear, if this is another trap, I'm frying someone."

Sayos, walking slightly behind, muttered, "You always say that, but I never see any deep-fried monsters."

"Keep talking, Wind Boy," she replied dryly, "and I'll make an exception."

But none of them were laughing.

They came upon it at last.

An ancient stone gate stood embedded in the forest's hillside, covered in moss and glowing faintly with runes long forgotten. Two statues—worn warriors with broken swords—flanked the entrance, both weeping rainwater from hollow eyes.

"This is it," Honkai said quietly, unfolding a soaked parchment. "The Whispering Gate."

"Sounds... cozy," Sayos muttered.

Mizu approached first. The blue crystal around his neck pulsed faintly, resonating with something inside the gate. For a moment, he heard something. A whisper. A single word, carried on the wind.

> "Chosen…"

He froze.

"Mizu?" Rika stepped closer, narrowing her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he lied. "Let's move."

---

Inside, the gate opened into a spiraling corridor, the walls etched with hundreds of ancient symbols. As they walked, torches lit themselves along the path. The flames weren't orange, though—they burned a cold blue.

"This is so wrong," Lucy murmured. "This place doesn't breathe like the others."

The group descended deeper, until the tunnel opened into a circular chamber with a massive metal door at the far end. On