THE THRONES THAT WEIGH ON ELYRIA
A year have passed since five more Mega Wizards occupied their seats, bringing the total to eight of the twelve. A quiet shift had settled over Elyria, like a faint ripple across still water—only the softest whispers in taverns, the vaguest rumors of figures who'd claimed their thrones in the Argentum Spires, far above the hills and forests Kai, Zephyr, and Thane called home. To the three friends, these new rulers were just distant figures—people who'd chosen a different path, one of power and rule. They'd never seen their faces, never heard their voices—only felt the subtle shift in the very air that wrapped around the land, as if the world itself was adjusting to the new balance of power.
Kai pulled his cloak tighter against the cool breeze sweeping down from the rolling hills, the fabric rustling against his armor. He could feel the hum of his High Water element beneath his skin—cold, constant, like a river running through his bones. High Element status had already given him 350 years of life to look forward to, his mana pool expanded to match the length of his days. But 350 wasn't enough. Not when he'd watched his grandmother—also a High Water user—fade away at 347, her eyes still filled with things she'd never gotten to see. Mega Element, he thought, his fingers tracing the water rune etched into his gauntlet. Not a throne. Not power over others. Just 500 years. Just time to live, to see, to experience.
Zephyr walked beside him, his silver hair catching the dappled sunlight filtering through the dense forest canopy. Each strand shimmered like spun lightning, and the air around him hummed with the crackle of his High Lightning element. He'd told Kai once that he wanted 500 years to map every storm in Elyria, to stand at the heart of every thunderclap and feel the sky's rage in his veins. They didn't want to rule. They just wanted to live—to soak in every moment the world had to offer.
Thane's massive form moved with surprising grace over the uneven terrain, his boots sinking deep into the mossy ground. His High Ground element thrummed in sync with the soil beneath them—thump, thump, thump—a heartbeat he could feel in his teeth. He'd lost his younger brother to a plague that had swept through their village twenty years ago, and 350 years felt too short to protect the people he loved, to build the home they'd always dreamed of. "Mega Element isn't about being better than anyone," he'd rumbled one night by a campfire. "It's about having enough time to build something that lasts. Something that won't fall apart when you're gone."
The forest was alive with sensory detail: the sharp scent of pine and wet stone, the high-pitched trill of songbirds hidden in the branches, the rustle of squirrels in the undergrowth, the distant rush of a river carving its way through the valley. Kai could taste the salt of the Moonlit Harbor on the wind, even from miles away, and feel the moisture in the air clinging to his skin like dewdrops. For a moment, the world felt peaceful—until a sound cut through it all.
A sharp cry, thin and reedy, like a bird with a broken wing. Then another. Then another—an overlapping chorus of fear that made the hair on the back of Kai's neck stand on end. Zephyr froze, the static in the air growing more intense, and Thane's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he peered through the thick curtain of oak and birch.
THE PATH THAT LEADS TO CHOICE
The three friends, Kai Aqualis, Zephyr Voltstrike, and Thane Groundshaper journeyed through the rolling hills and dense forests of Elyria, their pace slowing as the cries grew louder. They moved quietly, their boots making no sound on the mossy ground, their eyes scanning the trees for the source of the noise. His heart beating faster in his chest. Please don't be what I think it is, he prayed silently. Please don't be more suffering.
But as they pushed past a curtain of hanging moss, the scene that unfolded before them seared itself into their retinas. A group of bandits—five of them, burly men in tattered leather armor, their faces twisted into sneers—herded a line of figures along a muddy trail. The figures were fox persons, their fur matted with dirt and blood, their bushy tails drooping with exhaustion. Their ears were flattened against their skulls, and their eyes—oh, their eyes—held a mix of fear and desperation that made Kai's chest ache with a fire he'd felt a hundred times before.
Some of the fox persons limped, their paws wrapped in rags that were already soaked through with crimson. One of the younger ones, no more than a child with white fur and big brown eyes, stumbled over a root, and a bandit struck them across the back with a wooden staff. The crack of wood on flesh echoed through the forest, and the child's whimper was like a knife in Kai's heart. He watched as the child's ears flattened further, tears streaming down their muzzle, and something in him snapped.
This is why we need more time, he thought, his fingers curling into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. So we can be strong enough to stop things like this when we see them. So we can protect everyone who can't protect themselves. There are people in those Argentum Spires, sitting on thrones—they must have their own duties, their own battles. But we're here. And we can't look away.
Zephyr let out a low growl, the air around him crackling with blue lightning that lit up the forest in strobing flashes. "I'm going to fry those bastards," he muttered, his voice low but filled with rage—not at the rulers far away, but at the cruelty right in front of them. Thane placed a massive hand on his shoulder, his eyes still fixed on the bandits. "Not yet," he rumbled. "We strike fast. We strike quiet. We don't give them a chance to hurt the slaves more."
Kai nodded, his mind racing as he formulated a plan. He could feel the High Water element surging through him, cold and powerful, and he knew he was ready. "Zephyr, you take the one on the right," he said, his voice steady despite the rage boiling in his veins. "Thane, you get ready to hold the front two in place. I'll take the back two with Tidal Surge. We move on my signal."
Zephyr nodded, and the lightning around his fingers began to spiral, creating a low hum that Kai could feel in his chest. Thane slammed his fist into his palm, and the ground beneath the bandits trembled slightly, pebbles skipping across the trail. Kai took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of water from the nearby river, and felt the power of his element fill him to the brim. The water rune on his gauntlet began to glow with a brilliant blue light—so bright he could feel its coolness on his cheeks, so intense it illuminated the surrounding trees in shades of sapphire and turquoise.
THE STORM THAT BEGINS TO BREAK
they stumbled upon a group of bandits herding a group of slave fox persons towards the Moonlit Harbor. The slaves were tired, hungry, and wounded, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and desperation. Without hesitation, the three of them slipped into action, they fought the five bandits to rescue the slaves.
"Now!" Kai shouted.
He raised his hand and unleashed his skill. "TIDAL SURGE!"
A wall of water, ten feet high and twenty feet wide, roared from his hand, its sound like a thousand waterfalls crashing at once. The force of the wave was immense—so powerful that Kai could feel the recoil in his shoulders, sending a jolt of pain down his spine. The water hit the two bandits at the back of the line like a hammer, catching them completely off guard. They sailed through the air, their eyes wide with shock, their mouths open in silent screams. They crashed into a stand of oak trees, the impact deafening—CRACK, SNAP, THUD—as branches splintered and trunks shook. The bandits slumped to the ground, stunned and disoriented, their armor dented and their bodies soaked through. Kai could smell the mud and river water on them, mixed with the sharp tang of fear that made his stomach turn.
Then, a flash of blue light filled the air.
[⟢ SYSTEM LOG]
Bandit Scout (x2) — Stunned (Critical Status)
Damage Dealt: 147 / 147 (Tidal Surge — High Water Skill)
EXP Gained: +12,500 each → Total +25,000
The notification appeared in Kai's field of vision, its blue glow casting an otherworldly light on his face. He barely noticed it—his eyes were fixed on Zephyr, who had moved forward steadily, his hand raised high.
Zephyr stepped into the clear, the air around him crackling and popping with blue lightning that danced along his fingers. The scent of ozone filled the air—sharp, clean, and electric—making Kai's nose tingle. He brought his hand down in a deliberate, powerful motion, and a bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips, so bright it temporarily blinded everyone in the clearing. The bolt struck the bandit who had hit the child, hitting him square in the chest. The force of it sent him tumbling to the ground, his body convulsing as electricity coursed through his veins. His armor smoked and blackened, and the smell of burnt leather and singed hair filled the air. He let out a guttural scream that was cut short as he went limp, his eyes rolling back in his head.
⟢ SYSTEM LOG
Bandit Enforcer — Stunned (Near-Death Status)
Damage Dealt: 289 / 289 (Thunderclap — High Lightning Skill)
EXP Gained: +18,700 → Total +43,700
The remaining two bandits spun around, their eyes wide with surprise and rage. "Who the hell is that?" one of them shouted, drawing a rusty sword that glinted in the sunlight. "You'll pay for that!" the other roared, pulling out an axe that was covered in dried blood.
The fox persons huddled together, their eyes wide with awe and fear, watching as the battle unfolded. The child who had been struck crawled behind an older fox person—a female with orange fur and green eyes—who wrapped a protective arm around them. Kai could see the hope beginning to spark in their eyes, and it filled him with a warmth that cut through the cold of his element.
But the fight was far from over. The two remaining bandits charged forward, their weapons raised high, their faces twisted into snarls. Thane stepped forward, his massive form blocking their path. He slammed his foot into the ground, and the soil beneath their feet began to shift and churn. "Earthshaker Stance," he rumbled, and the ground around him hardened into solid rock.
Kai raised his hand again, the water rune glowing brighter. Zephyr's fingers crackled with more lightning, and the air around them grew so charged that Kai could feel the hair on his arms standing on end. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the forest, and the light caught the water from Kai's Tidal Surge, creating a rainbow that arched over the clearing. Flames from a small campfire the bandits had left behind crackled and popped, sending sparks into the air that danced like tiny stars.
The two bandits reached Thane, their weapons swinging down. He raised his arms to block, and the sound of metal on rock echoed through the forest. Kai took a step forward, ready to unleash another wave of water. Zephyr tensed, his hand raised high, lightning coiling around his fingers in preparation for his next strike.
And in that moment—with the bandits' roars ringing in their ears, the lightning crackling in the air, and the hope of the fox persons weighing on their hearts—the battle for the Moonlit Harbor captives was only just beginning.