Arin stood alone on the edge of the crumbling cliffside, the gusts of wind swirling around him, carrying whispers from worlds beyond. The air crackled with the energy of fire, water, earth, and wind—elements that had once seemed distant and intangible to him. Now, they pulsed in his veins, his connection to the elemental forces growing stronger each day. And yet, despite his growing power, there was a gnawing feeling in his chest—a sense of being watched, manipulated, as if invisible strings were guiding his every step.
He hadn't shared this feeling with Elara or the others yet. Something told him this wasn't something they could help with. This was his burden to bear.
Suddenly, the earth beneath him trembled. His heart leapt into his throat as cracks began to form along the cliff's edge. Arin instinctively raised his hand, commanding the wind to carry him away, but before he could, the ground gave way. He fell.
But instead of plummeting into the abyss below, the air itself seemed to cradle him, slowing his descent as if some invisible force was protecting him. Suspended in the air, Arin's eyes darted around, trying to understand what was happening. His elemental powers weren't active, yet he was safe. For now.
A figure materialized from the shadows, stepping forward into view. Tall, slender, with an ethereal glow that made their features hard to distinguish. Their eyes gleamed like distant stars, ageless and calm. A cloak of swirling mist and light billowed behind them, merging seamlessly with the surroundings.
"Who... who are you?" Arin asked, his voice steady but his mind racing.
The figure did not answer immediately. They tilted their head slightly, as though listening to something beyond Arin's comprehension. Then, in a voice that echoed not just through the air but inside Arin's mind, they spoke: "I am one of many who watch over the threads of fate, young one. I am called Velon, a Foreseer."
"A Foreseer?" Arin echoed, unfamiliar with the term. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of this otherworldly presence. "What do you want with me?"
Velon's eyes shimmered. "We want nothing but the preservation of balance. The universe dances on the edge of chaos, and your path—like many before you—plays a pivotal role. But the outcomes, they remain uncertain."
Arin's thoughts spun. "What do you mean by 'outcomes'? Are you saying you can see the future?"
Velon's expression remained placid. "Not the future. Futures. We see all possible outcomes of all choices, all paths. You, Arin, walk a narrow road. The choices you make, the power you wield, will decide whether the cosmos remains in harmony or falls into a spiral of destruction."
Arin tensed. He'd always known his power was significant, but this? It felt overwhelming. "What do you want me to do?"
Velon stepped closer, their presence feeling both soothing and unnerving. "The Rakshas Clan stirs again. You are not the first to battle their darkness, nor will you be the last. But there are forces far greater than you know at play. You must learn to see beyond the immediate, to trust in more than just your strength."
As Velon spoke, the sky around them shimmered and flickered. For a brief moment, Arin saw visions—flashes of worlds beyond his own, places where elemental power bent the very fabric of reality. He saw a vast, swirling void, where a lone figure stood amidst swirling energies of chaos and order. Was that... Max?
Then, the vision was gone, and Arin was back, standing before Velon on the edge of the broken cliff.
"What was that?!" Arin gasped, shaken by the clarity of what he had seen.
Velon's eyes dimmed slightly. "A fragment of possibility. A path that may yet unfold, depending on your choices. Max Thunder—the one who came before you—his fate is intertwined with yours, as are the relics he once bore. Your journey will not be simple, Arin, nor will it be free of cost. But the future is still malleable. Your will, your decisions, will shape what is to come."
Arin swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Velon's words. "And if I make the wrong choice?"
"There are no right or wrong choices, only paths. Some lead to ruin, others to salvation. But beware: forces far older than you—older even than Max or Arcane—seek to control the flow of fate for their own ends. Not all who offer guidance are your allies."
Before Arin could process what Velon meant, the air shimmered again. This time, the light around them dimmed, and another presence emerged. A second figure appeared beside Velon, their form cloaked in a dark, shifting mist. Their features were harder to make out, but Arin could feel an unsettling energy radiating from them.
"Do not let them fool you," the new figure said, their voice deep and resonant. "The Foreseers claim to observe, but in truth, they manipulate. They act as if they are neutral, but they have always steered the fates of those who possess power."
Velon turned sharply to face the newcomer, their expression still calm but their tone carrying a trace of warning. "Do not interfere, Sorak. You know the balance must be maintained."
"Balance?" Sorak scoffed. "You mean your balance. The one you Foreseers deem acceptable. But the cosmos is not yours to control, Velon. We exist outside your web of fate."
Arin's head spun as he watched the two figures face off. "Who are you?" he asked the newcomer.
"I am Sorak, of the Flagoyls," the figure replied, their voice reverberating through the air. "We do not concern ourselves with the threads of fate. We preserve the natural order, the elemental balance. And you, Arin, are part of that balance."
"What do you mean?" Arin asked, trying to make sense of the sudden shift.
"The elemental forces within you are growing," Sorak continued, his voice low and commanding. "But with power comes danger. The relics you seek—the Thunder Set, the Quantum Suit—are more than mere tools. They are forces of creation and destruction. The Foreseers would have you follow their path, but we Flagoyls believe in a different approach. We protect the universe, but we do not seek to control it."
Velon raised a hand, his eyes locking with Arin's. "Be careful, Arin. The Flagoyls speak of freedom, but their vision is limited. They understand only the elements, not the grander design."
Sorak's eyes flashed. "And your grand design has led to ruin time and time again."
The tension between the two beings was palpable, and Arin found himself caught between them. On one side stood Velon, offering visions of possible futures, cryptic but seemingly protective of some cosmic balance. On the other stood Sorak, speaking of freedom and elemental order, yet with a forceful edge.
Arin clenched his fists. He wasn't ready for this, for the burden of these cosmic forces vying for his influence. But there was no escaping it now. The universe itself was watching him, and every choice he made could ripple through the stars.
"What do you want from me?" Arin asked, his voice steady despite the storm of confusion within him.
Velon and Sorak exchanged a glance, and for a moment, the air was still.
"We want nothing more than for you to choose," Velon said softly. "But know that your choice will shape the fate of more than just yourself."
"And the time to choose will come soon," Sorak added. "Whether you are ready or not."
As their words faded into the air, the two beings vanished, leaving Arin standing alone on the cliffside once more. His mind was racing, his heart pounding. The weight of his destiny had never felt heavier.
The cosmos was shifting, and the next step he took would set the course of the future.