The wind had settled by the time they reached the clearing.

  Nestled beneath a jagged ridge of the Clef Hills, the small patch of grass was still tinged with soot and ash from the battle earlier that day. Yet here, away from the smoke and steel, there was silence—a rare and welcome thing. The last rays of sunlight spilled across the horizon, bathing the field in gold, as if the sky itself wished to grant them a moment’s peace.

  Trish sat on a flat stone near the edge of the clearing, her healer’s kit spread open beside her. She winced slightly as she wrapped a strip of cloth around her palm, fingers trembling from the lingering chill of her last spell.

  “Remind me again,” she muttered, not looking up, “why didn’t we just go around the Clef Hills to avoid the enemies?”

  Heathcliff snorted from where he stood leaning against his spear, armor streaked with dust and dried blood. “Because someone—” he tilted his head toward Themis, “—said it’d be better to clear the enemies so we could secure the tower’s safety.”

  Themis sat nearby, hunched over with his sword laid across his knees. He was cleaning it in slow, measured strokes, as if the repetition helped quiet the thoughts behind his eyes. “I didn’t expect too much resistance here,” he said quietly. “Scouts, maybe, as Liam reported. Not a whole squadron.”

  Trieni flopped into the grass a few feet away, her bow slung across her back and her quiver resting beside her like a sleeping companion. “Yeah? Well, those weren’t scouts. They were wolves. And I nearly got shot—twice.”

  “Three times,” Trish corrected with a teasing smirk. “Don’t forget the one that grazed your hair.”

  Trieni arched her brow. “That arrow missed on purpose. I let it.”

  From the hill behind them, Tristan emerged, careful in his steps, one hand pressed against the bandage at his ribs. Despite the injury, his cloak still draped elegantly behind him, dusted with hill ash and pride.

  “We made it,” he said evenly. “That’s what counts.”

  “Barely,” Trish murmured.

  Heathcliff chuckled. “You’re all acting like that was our first fight.”

  Tristan eased onto a nearby log. “It wasn’t, since we’ve trained before. But it was the first one that felt… real.” He winced slightly. “Luminous Vanguard’s first true test—and Rhapsodia didn’t hold back, as if they were waiting for us.”

  A long pause followed.

  Themis said nothing. His eyes were distant, fixed somewhere past the horizon—toward the line where the sun met the fading mists. He hadn’t spoken much since the battle’s end. Not after the way Zilla had stared him down as the enemy retreated. That look had said something. Promised something.

  “They’ll be back,” he said finally, voice low. “And next time, they won’t just test us.”

  Heathcliff nodded. “They’re hunting now. That was a warning.”

  “Then let them come,” Trieni muttered, brushing dirt from her cheek. “I’ve still got arrows left.”

  “But not strength,” Trish replied softly as she stood, lifting her hands to the sky. Light blue runes shimmered faintly around her palms as she murmured a healing chant, cool energy easing their aches and burns. “Even wolves rest between hunts.”

  The silence returned—not empty, but full. Full of breath, of tension unwinding. Of what hadn’t been said yet, and what didn’t need to be.

  Heathcliff moved to Themis’s side, resting a firm hand on the young swordsman’s shoulder. “You did well today.”

  Themis looked up, eyes tired but clear. “I didn’t stop Zilla.”

  “You led us. And we’re still standing. That matters.”

  From her place in the grass, Trieni tilted her head toward the horizon. “The Tower of Wind is still ahead. We’ll need to be sharper for whatever’s waiting there.”

  “We will be,” Tristan said. “And if Liam made it to the tower already, we have a good chance of protecting it. But for now... maybe we’ve earned a pause.”

  Trish sighed contentedly. “Just five minutes.”

  “Ten,” Heathcliff grinned.

  “I’m already lying down,” Trieni added. “Wake me when the next army shows up.”

  Themis rose slowly, stretching his arms as the wind curled around him. The last light caught the edge of his blade. “Let’s just... breathe,” he said. “For now.”

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  They did—just for a moment. Warriors at rest beneath a quiet sky.

  Themis’s gaze lingered on the far horizon, where clouds drifted like slow sails across the fading light.

  “He made it,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I know he did.”

  The breeze stirred through the clearing—gentle, certain—carrying the scent of rain and distant stone.

  Far ahead, beyond the ridges and valleys, the Tower of Wind awaited.

  And within its quiet walls, fate was already shifting.

  The Tower of Wind stood like a sentinel of the old world, its white spires gleaming faintly beneath the veil of clouds. The air hummed with energy—soft, alive—whispering through the sacred arches and sunlit courtyards.

  Liam crested the final ridge, cloak torn from the long run, boots caked with mud. He paused only to catch his breath before his eyes rose to meet the tower’s height. It was beautiful—solemn in its silence, ancient yet unyielding against the wind.

  He crossed the stone bridge leading to the courtyard. There, two monks stood in white and gold, their staves crossed before him.

  “State your purpose, traveler,” one demanded.

  Liam straightened, his voice calm though his lungs still burned. “Liam Etneilav, of the Luminous Vanguard—an elite Harmonian unit under the King’s command.” He reached into his pouch and produced a sealed letter, the royal insignia pressed into the wax. “By order of our captain, Themis Valeheart, I’ve come ahead to warn and escort the Priestess to safety.”

  A ripple of unease passed between the monks. Then, from the courtyard’s upper terrace, a voice—clear, composed—carried through the wind.

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  She descended the marble steps like a vision drawn from sunlight and prayer—cloaked in white and gold, silver hair dancing in the wind, and eyes of deep violet that seemed to see through every word.

  Priestess Seraphina Caelira.

  Liam bowed his head respectfully. “My Lady. The battle has already reached the Clef Hills. My captain feared the enemy might turn toward the tower. He bade me come ahead to bring you to safety.”

  Seraphina’s gaze was steady—serene yet unwavering. “If the enemy seeks this tower, then this is where I must remain. The winds of Harmonia do not abandon their post when storms come.”

  Liam hesitated, then met her eyes. “Then I will remain as well. Themis ordered me to protect you, whatever your choice may be.”

  A faint smile touched her lips—a quiet acceptance. “Then let the winds judge our resolve, Liam of Harmonia.”

  And as the wind swept through the courtyard, carrying whispers from the distant hills, it was as though the world itself held its breath—waiting for the next storm to rise.

  The city of Triad burned in silence. Once a proud Harmonian stronghold, its banners now hung in tatters, scorched black by flame and conquest. The streets were empty save for the echo of boots against cracked stone, and the red glow of forge-fires painting the night sky.

  Zilla knelt in the shadow of the ruined cathedral, her armor dented and her blade chipped. Beside her, Empusa leaned against a broken pillar, eyes flickering with resentment.

  Before them stood the Swordmage of Flame — General Orion Raelthorne.

  He was a towering man, carved in muscle and tempered by war. His coat of crimson and black swayed with the heat that seemed to radiate from his very skin. The massive greatsword on his back shimmered faintly, as though alive with embers. His wild mane of dark hair caught the wind, and his eyes burned with cruel amusement.

  “So,” Orion drawled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “You mean to tell me your entire unit couldn’t handle five wandering mercenaries?”

  Zilla lowered her gaze. “They were no mere wanderers, General. They call themselves the Luminous Vanguard. A small band, yes—but led by a man named Themis Valeheart. His origin is unknown, but his swordsmanship rivals that of our finest. They fought with discipline… and resolve.”

  Empusa added with a hiss, “And magic. One of them—Trish—wields ice with frightening precision. Their support alone could turn a battle.”

  Orion’s lips curved into a cold, humorless grin. “So, five nameless sellswords make fools of my vanguard. How quaint.”

  He turned, gazing out over the burning rooftops of Triad, his sword hand twitching idly as sparks coiled at his fingertips. “Still… perhaps it serves its purpose. I wanted a measure of their strength. And now I have it.”

  He faced them again, eyes glinting like molten iron.

  “Send word to Captain Vael Coren. He’ll lead the next wave.”

  Zilla blinked, startled. “At once, my lord? Our troops are still—”

  “Exhausted?” Orion finished, a cruel smile deepening. “Then so are they. Those mercenaries bled for the Clef Hills. They’ll be tired, scattered. The Tower of Wind will fall before they can draw another breath.”

  He lifted his sword, its edge catching the firelight.

  “Strike now. Let the flames of Rhapsodia cleanse that tower of its saints.”

  Empusa bowed, smirking faintly. “As you command, General.”

  Orion’s laughter rolled through the ruins—low and hungry.

  “Wind cannot smother fire,” he said, turning away. “It only feeds it.”