Evelyn didn't turn to face them, but her voice carried like a command wrapped in calm.
Evelyn: "From this day on, their training begins. You four will decide your own methods. I won't protect them from pain. Or failure."
She paused—letting the wind fill the space between words.
Evelyn: "But not until you've made your choice."
Irfin grunted.
Aeros spun lazily upward into the sky.
Neris whispered something to the wind.
Terra closed her eyes.
None of them answered.
But none of them turned away.
Evelyn finally turned to them, her cloak snapping in the wind like a banner claimed. Her gaze was sharp. Measured. Unshakable.
Evelyn: "I'm not asking you to like them. Or trust them."
Her voice cut through the morning chill like tempered steel.
Evelyn: "Only this—watch them. Train them. And when you do… don't go easy."
Aeros drifted higher, arms outstretched like a dancer caught in the breeze, his grin widening into something wild.
Aeros: "Oh, I never do."
Irfin cracked his knuckles with a low roll of heat under his skin.
Irfin: "They better not cry."
Neris exhaled softly, her eyes closing as mist coiled around her feet like silver threads.
Neris: "Then let us see if your judgment… was not misplaced."
Terra remained silent. But she didn't look away.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the seven, steady and thoughtful, like the earth deciding whether to let something grow.
The sun had climbed higher now, casting long shadows over the ground.
And Evelyn turned back to the seven below—her chosen seven.
Her guardians. Her seeds. Her gamble.
She didn't smile. But something flickered in her eyes—fire, steady and ancient.
———
The seven were scattered across the training ground, each absorbed in their exercises. Dust rose in small clouds beneath Gerald's relentless footwork.
Sparks hissed from Lily's conjured small flames. Lora's blade cut with precise arcs through empty air. Cassy murmured over her summoning circle, hands trembling slightly.
Melinda measured vials and darts with meticulous care. Ella slipped like a shadow between obstacles, knives glinting. And Claire sat in quiet concentration, her spirit orb flickering uncertainly in her palms.
Evelyn's footsteps echoed across the stone walkway. The air shifted subtly as she drew closer—the cloak behind her snapping in the wind like a banner, brushing past frost-tipped grass. Even the seven sensed it before they looked up.
Evelyn: "Stop."
Every figure froze mid-motion. Fire hovered midair, swords paused mid-swing, vials half-tilted. Even the faint glow of Claire's orb stilled.
She stepped into the center of the yard, her eyes scanned each of them—not judgmental, not indulgent—simply measuring.
Evelyn: "You've been training on your own and improved a lot from before. That's good. But now… your real training begins."
A soft breeze carried her words to every corner, and even the spirits shifted slightly, unseen but present, acknowledging the command.
Gerald straightened, fists clenched around nothing, as if ready to argue. Cassy lowered her hands, summoning circle fading.
Lily and Lora exchanged a glance—neither smiling, both nodding subtly. Melinda placed her vials down with care. Ella's knives twitched slightly in her grip. Claire exhaled slowly, opening her eyes to meet Evelyn's steady gaze.
Evelyn: "Ready yourselves. From tomorrow, your instructors will come to train you. Who they are, what their identity is, you don't need to know. You only need to know this—they will push you. They will bring out the best in you. And you… must do your part, or you will fail yourselves."
She paused, letting her gaze sweep over the seven, each tense but attentive, each waiting for more.
Evelyn: "I will not interfere unless necessary. But I will watch. And I will expect effort. Not perfection. Effort."
The words hung in the morning air like a promise and a warning combined.
Evelyn: "From this moment, training is not a trial. It is a path. One you will walk until you are stronger than yesterday. I hope you understand?"
Then, without another word, she turned, cloak snapping behind her, leaving them to feel the weight of her presence—and the weight of what was to come.
The day stretched before them. Long. Hard. And for the first time, all seven felt—not fear, but the pull of something greater.
Something worth becoming.
As Evelyn's figure disappeared down the terrace, the four spirits who had remained unseen stirred.
Irfin, hands glowing faintly with restless heat, crossed his arms and scowled.
Irfin: "Why tomorrow? Why not today? We're ready! Fired up! I'm in the mood—why wait?"
Aeros, floating lazily in the air, tilted his head toward Evelyn, voice smooth but teasing.
Aeros: "Oh, come now. If you're worried we might be exhausted after getting summoned, don't be. We're fine. We've been through worse. We're perfectly rested, thank you very much for your care."
Irfin: "I don't care if you care or not! I'm ready now!"
Evelyn exhaled slowly, the sound carried faintly on the breeze. She didn't turn, but her voice held the same calm steel it always did.
Evelyn: "They need preparation. A sudden appearance of their instructors—someone they've never met before—requires at least a day to adjust. To prepare themselves. To understand what they're stepping into."
Aeros gasped, placing a hand dramatically over his chest as he spun lazily in the sky.
Aeros: "Ah! So it is their well-being you worry about. It's not us! You are as heartless as ever, Evelyn. Not a care for old friends, only for your little humans down there! You... You're breaking my heart."
After saying that, he dramatically wiped away nonexistent tears from the corners of his eyes, as if accusing his lover of the gravest crime, making the others' lips twitch in barely restrained amusement.
Though they were used to it, they couldn't help but feel entertained every single time. But Evelyn was already immune to Aeros's antics—his exaggerated theatrics no longer stirred even the faintest reaction from her.
Irfin clicked his tongue, a low rumble of frustration curling into the air around him.
Irfin: "Tch. Humans… always needing time. Ugh. Fine. Tomorrow then. But mark my words—I won't go easy."
Neris and Terra remained quiet, watching with faint smiles and unreadable expressions, letting the two theatrics settle into the wind.
———
The next morning, the training ground buzzed with anticipation.
Cassy, Gerald, Lily, Lora, Claire, Melinda, and Ella stood scattered across the yard, each struggling to contain the restless energy that had kept them awake all night.