The wind felt uneasy.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't violent.
But it wouldn't stay still.
"Elian…"
He glanced up slightly, pretending not to notice anything unusual as people moved around them.
"…I feel it too."
Lyra crossed her arms, watching him carefully.
"…you talk to yourself a lot?"
Elian smirked sedikit. "Only when it matters."
Kael, yang berdiri di samping, tiba-tiba mengangkat pandangannya ke langit.
"…they're early," he murmured.
Lyra frowned. "What do you mean 'they'?"
Silence.
Then—
The wind stopped.
Completely.
Every flame in the city flickered.
Every movement paused for just a fraction of a second.
And then—
A shadow passed over Vireon.
Elian's heart dropped.
"…no way…"
He looked up.
The sky—
Was wrong.
Clouds that had been calm moments ago were now twisting unnaturally, forming a slow, spiraling pattern above the city.
And inside it—
Movement.
Lyra's eyes widened. "That's not natural…"
Kael stepped forward slightly.
"…they've found him."
Elian clenched his fists.
"…already?"
The wind returned suddenly—
violent.
"Elian… run…"
"No," Kael said firmly.
Both Elian and Lyra looked at him.
"…running now won't matter."
A deep rumble echoed from above.
Not thunder.
Something heavier.
Then—
CRACK.
The sky split.
A jagged line of distortion tore across the clouds, opening like a wound in the air itself.
People began to panic.
"What is that?!"
"Is it an attack?!"
"Get inside!"
The city erupted into chaos.
But Elian couldn't move.
Because he felt it.
That same presence.
Stronger than before.
Watching him.
Waiting.
"They're not here for the city…" Elian whispered.
Kael nodded.
"…they're here for you."
From the裂 in the sky—
something descended.
Not like before.
Not hidden.
This time—
It showed itself.
A massive figure, formed of swirling dark clouds and fragments of something unknown, slowly lowered itself above the city. Its shape shifted constantly, never fully solid, yet impossible to ignore.
Lyra took a step back.
"…what… is that thing…?"
Elian's voice trembled slightly.
"…that's the one…"
The wind howled.
"It remembers you…"
The creature's gaze—
locked onto Elian.
And then—
It moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Elian!" Lyra shouted.
Kael stepped forward—
But stopped.
Watching.
Testing.
The creature struck.
A massive force crashed down from above—
Elian reacted instantly.
He raised both hands—
The air bent violently—
BOOM.
The impact shook the entire street, cracking the ground beneath him as the force collided with his defense.
Dust exploded outward.
Lyra shielded her face.
"…he blocked that?!"
Elian gritted his teeth.
"…not for long—"
The force increased.
Stronger.
Heavier.
His legs trembled.
"I can't hold it—!"
The wind surged around him wildly.
"Elian… don't fight it…"
Kael's voice cut in—
"Let it move."
Elian's eyes widened.
"…what?"
"Stop resisting," Kael said.
"Guide it."
The pressure grew unbearable.
Elian's arms shook violently.
"…guide…?"
Everything slowed.
The sound.
The fear.
The weight.
He remembered—
The fight.
The lesson.
Not stopping.
Not blocking.
But understanding.
"…fine," he whispered.
He moved his hands—
Not against the force—
But with it.
The air shifted.
The attack—
twisted.
Then—
SLIPPED.
BOOM.
The massive force shot past him, slamming into the street behind, destroying part of the road and sending debris flying into the air.
Silence.
Elian dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"…I did it…"
The creature paused.
Floating above the city.
Watching.
Not attacking.
Studying.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"…it's learning."
Lyra looked between them.
"…what do we do now?!"
The wind whispered—
"Elian…"
"…this is only the beginning…"
The sky darkened further.
More movement above.
More shapes.
Coming.
Elian slowly stood.
His fear was still there.
But now—
So was something else.
Determination.
"…then I won't run."
Kael glanced at him.
"…good."
Because above them—
The sky was no longer just watching.
It was preparing.