The cave was cold and silent, save for the soft crackling of the fire Arin had summoned. The flames reflected in his eyes, but their warmth did nothing to ease the weight that settled on his chest. He sat on the stone floor, staring into the embers, his body aching from the last encounter with the Shadows of Oblivion. The battle had taken more out of him than he'd expected—physically and mentally.
He clenched his fists, feeling the earth beneath his hands. He had reached Earth Level 3, but it still wasn't enough. Every victory felt like a step closer to failure. Every time he stood, the ground felt shakier beneath his feet. His powers, once a source of pride, now felt fragile. He'd made progress, but for what? He couldn't protect everyone—not from the darkness that was closing in.
Arin closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath as he tried to steady his thoughts. Enacra, his mentor, had been right to leave. Arin wasn't ready, no matter how much he pretended otherwise. He felt disconnected from the elements, as though the earth he controlled was slipping away from him. The weight of the world's balance—its very survival—hung on his shoulders, and for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could bear it.
Suddenly, the earth beneath his palms cracked, a jagged fissure splitting through the stone floor. Arin snapped his eyes open, his heart racing. He had lost control, even in this moment of stillness.
Before he could dwell on it further, footsteps echoed in the cave. Rykan entered, his face shrouded in shadow. His cloak billowed as he approached, the cold night wind following him inside. Arin looked up, expecting some warmth in the reunion, but all he saw was the haunted look in Rykan's eyes.
"You're back," Arin said, voice flat.
Rykan didn't answer immediately. He walked to the edge of the fire, letting its warmth chase away the chill from his skin. For a long moment, the two were silent, the crackle of flames the only sound between them.
"I've learned something," Rykan finally said, his voice low. "Something we didn't see coming."
Arin furrowed his brow, watching his old companion carefully. Rykan had left them—had abandoned them, or so Arin had thought. The anger he had held inside him began to stir again, but something in Rykan's tone stopped him from lashing out.
"The Shadows of Oblivion aren't just hunting us because we control the elements," Rykan continued, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "Their true goal is much worse than that. They want to sever the connection—the bond between us and the elements."
Arin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sever… our connection?"
Rykan nodded, his gaze distant, as though he were reliving some unseen horror. "They've found a way to do it. The Elemental Severance—a technique that can strip us of our abilities permanently."
The weight of Rykan's words hung heavy in the air. Arin struggled to comprehend the gravity of what he was hearing. To lose his connection to the elements… to lose the very thing that defined him… it was worse than death.
"And that's not all," Rykan added, his voice barely above a whisper. "They've started targeting us, specifically. They know we're the ones who can stop them. They're coming for us, Arin. For all of us."
Arin stared into the fire, his thoughts spinning. The Shadows were relentless, and now they had a weapon that could destroy everything they had fought for. He clenched his fists again, but this time, he forced the earth beneath him to remain still.
"I left because they nearly got me," Rykan admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. "Their corruption, their darkness—it almost consumed me. I felt it taking root inside me, and I had to get away. I didn't want to bring that curse to you."
The anger Arin had held onto so tightly began to dissipate. He saw the truth in Rykan's eyes—the fear, the shame, the isolation. Arin knew that feeling all too well.
"You should have told us," Arin said, softer now. "We could've helped you."
"I didn't think you could," Rykan replied, his voice cracking. "But I see now that running won't save me—or any of us. We fight, or we fall."
"We fight, or we fall."
The words echoed in Arin's mind, solidifying something deep within him. He had doubted himself for too long, but Rykan's return brought with it a painful truth: they didn't have the luxury of hesitation. The shadows wouldn't wait for him to find his confidence. He had to act, whether he felt ready or not.
Outside the Cave
Meanwhile, Karya stood alone in the open air, the wind swirling around her. She focused on her training, her connection to the wind and water growing stronger with every breath. She closed her eyes, feeling the currents of air and the moisture in the air merge together, forming intricate patterns of energy that flowed through her like veins. She had grown beyond what she once thought possible, but even now, she felt a distance forming between her and Arin.
He was losing himself. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he hesitated during battles. And yet, she couldn't help but push herself further, knowing that if Arin couldn't lead, someone else would have to. She would have to. There was no time to wait for him to catch up.
But her thoughts were interrupted as the wind suddenly shifted. It howled with unnatural force, and a chill crept into the air. Karya's eyes snapped open, her senses heightened. She could feel it—something was wrong.
The Shadows were here.
Karya spun around, her eyes scanning the horizon. Dark shapes moved in the distance, their outlines barely visible against the darkened sky. Her heart raced as she recognized the unmistakable aura of the Shadows of Oblivion.
Without a second thought, she drew on her power, summoning the wind to her side. The air around her crackled with energy, her control over the elements sharper than ever. But the Shadows were fast, and she knew she couldn't face them alone.
"Karya!" Arin's voice echoed from the cave. He had sensed the disturbance as well, and now he and Rykan stood by her side.
The Shadows descended upon them, their dark, twisted forms emerging from the night like phantoms. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and Karya could feel their gaze locked on her.
"They're here for me," Karya whispered, realization dawning on her. The Shadows had come to sever her connection to the elements.
She stood her ground, wind swirling fiercely around her. Arin stepped forward, his expression hardening as he prepared for the battle. He wasn't going to let them take her—not without a fight.
The first wave of shadow creatures lunged at them, and the battle erupted with a fury unlike anything they had faced before.
The war for the elements had truly begun.