Trust the Wind
The training field shimmered under the morning sun, blades of grass swaying gently as if listening to Esthen's every breath. She stood barefoot, grounded yet light, her wind affinity pulsing softly around her. Across from her, Andy struggled to summon control—his fire flared unpredictably, mirroring his frustration.
"Stop trying to dominate it," Esthen said calmly. "You don't command the flame. You invite it."
Andy exhaled sharply. "Easy for you to say. Your element listens."
Esthen smiled, stepping closer. "It listens because I trust it. And it trusts me back."
She raised her hand, and the wind responded—not with force, but with grace. It wrapped around Andy's flame, softening its edges, guiding it into a steady glow.
Andy watched in awe. "You're not fighting it… you're dancing with it."
Esthen nodded. "Every element has rhythm. You just have to find yours."
They trained until the sun dipped low, their powers intertwining in harmony. By the end, Andy's flame no longer lashed out—it flickered with purpose. Esthen's wind no longer shielded—it embraced.
As they sat beneath the twilight sky, Esthen turned to him. "You're not just learning control. You're learning trust. And that's the hardest lesson of all."
Andy smiled, the warmth in his chest no longer just fire—but friendship.
Chapter Four: When the Wind Falters
Training with Esthen had become a daily rhythm—one Andy looked forward to not just for the lessons, but for the quiet strength she carried. But today, something was different.
Esthen stood at the edge of the training field, her eyes distant, her wind unresponsive. Andy approached slowly. "You okay?"
She didn't answer right away. Then, softly: "I used to think the wind was mine. That it would always listen. But today… it's silent."
Andy frowned. "Did something happen?"
Esthen turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "The wind is tied to emotion. And I've been trying not to feel."
Andy stepped closer. "You don't have to hide it. Not from me."
She looked at him, eyes shimmering. "I lost someone. Before I came here. My brother. He was the first to show me how to listen to the wind. And now, every time I call it, I hear his voice."
Andy didn't speak. He simply reached out, placing his hand over hers. "Then let the wind carry his memory. Not as a weight—but as a guide."
Esthen closed her eyes. The breeze stirred. Soft at first, then stronger. It wrapped around them both, warm and steady.
She smiled through tears. "Thank you."
Andy nodded. "We're training together, remember? That means lifting each other, too."
And as the wind danced once more, Esthen knew she hadn't lost her gift. She had found a new way to share it.
Echoes of the Wind
The next morning, Esthen stood alone at the edge of the cliffs behind the Academy, where the wind was strongest and the silence deepest. Andy found her there, arms outstretched, eyes closed, listening.
"I used to come here with my brother," she said without turning. "He believed the wind could carry memories. That if you listened hard enough, you'd hear the voices of those you've lost."
Andy stepped beside her. "Do you hear him now?"
Esthen nodded slowly. "Not words. Just presence. Like he's reminding me to keep going."
She turned to Andy, her expression softer than he'd ever seen. "He was the first person who believed I could be more than my element. That I could be a guide, not just a wielder."
Andy smiled. "You are. You've helped me more than you know."
They sat together, watching the clouds drift across the sky. Esthen reached into her satchel and pulled out a small pendant—silver, shaped like a spiral, the symbol of wind. "He gave me this the day I joined the Academy. Said it was a promise to never stop listening."
Andy took her hand gently. "Then let's keep listening. To the wind. To each other. To whatever comes next."
The breeze picked up, swirling around them like a quiet embrace. And in that moment, Esthen didn't feel like she was training someone. She felt like she was healing—with someone.
Chapter Six: The Whisper Within
Later that evening, Esthen sat alone in her dorm room, the silver spiral pendant resting in her palm. The wind outside rustled gently, as if waiting. She closed her eyes and focused—not on the air, but on the memory.
Her brother's voice had always been calm, like a breeze before a storm. "The wind doesn't just carry sound," he once told her. "It carries truth."
She held the pendant to her ear, half-believing, half-hoping. And then—faint, like a whisper through leaves—she heard it.
"Esthen… trust yourself. The wind will follow."
Her breath caught. It wasn't just memory. It was a message, embedded deep in the pendant's elemental core. Her brother had left it for her—not as a goodbye, but as a guide.
The next morning, she met Andy at the training field, her eyes brighter, her stance stronger.
"I heard him," she said.
Andy didn't question. He simply nodded. "Then let's make sure his voice carries forward."
They trained with renewed purpose. Esthen's wind danced with clarity, no longer hesitant. Andy's flame responded with grace, no longer wild. Together, they weren't just mastering their elements—they were honoring a legacy.
And as the wind swept across the Academy, it carried more than air. It carried hope.Final Chapter: The Wind Remembers
The training grounds were quiet, bathed in the soft glow of morning light. Esthen stood with Andy one last time before the next phase of their journey began. The pendant around her neck shimmered faintly, a reminder of the voice that had guided her through grief and growth.
"You've come far," Andy said, watching the wind curl gently around her fingertips.
Esthen smiled. "Not alone."
They didn't need to speak much. The silence between them was filled with understanding, forged through shared trials and quiet victories. The wind stirred, lifting a few leaves into the air—playful, gentle, alive.
Esthen looked out over the horizon. "He'd be proud," she whispered.
Andy nodded. "And so am I."
As they walked back toward the Academy, the breeze followed them like a loyal friend. And in its rhythm, Esthen heard not just echoes of the past—but the promise of everything still to come.