The Wind Goddess
Princess Fiza's scream thundered through the gardens, her fury shaking the very air. Atta, broken and bleeding, slipped into unconsciousness in her arms. His pale face and bloodied lips only deepened her rage.
Her spiritual pressure exploded outward, flooding Siant Athepia. The sky rippled. Students staggered under the crushing weight—many collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath, while only the strongest mages managed to stand.
Prince Ethan rose from where he had fallen, dusting off his clothes. His wings spread wide, his eyes burning with wrath. Without hesitation, he conjured a blazing spell.
FWOOOSH!
A tiger of fire roared to life, racing across the courtyard toward Fiza, its heat distorting the air.
But Fiza didn't flinch. She whispered an incantation, and a cyclone of emerald wind surged forth. The flames were torn apart, devoured, and dispersed into harmless sparks.
"Pathetic," she muttered.
She laid Atta gently upon the grass, brushing his hair back for a brief second. Then, like lightning, she vanished—no, she became the wind itself—and reappeared right in front of Ethan.
Her eyes were cold, sharp as blades.
"You've got some guts," she hissed, her voice low and intimidating, "to hurt my little brother on his first day here."
Ethan's jaw tightened, fury seething.
"Your so-called little brother murdered an angel guard in front of us all!"
Fiza's breath caught. Murder? Her mind raced, recalling the ancient seal, Azeon's curse, her father's warnings. She clenched her fists, trembling—not with fear, but with the weight of truth pressing in.
Before she could answer, Ethan lunged again, wings flaring. His fist burned with divine fire as he aimed for her chest.
Fiza didn't even move her hand. With a simple shift of the wind, an invisible wall struck him. BOOM! Ethan's body flew back, crashing into the stone wall of the courtyard. Dust and rubble exploded outward.
The students screamed, scattering further. The air itself seemed ready to tear the academy apart.
And then—
A radiant pillar of light descended from the skies, silencing the chaos. From it stepped a young angel, tall and graceful, his silver hair gleaming like moonlight, his white wings stretching with quiet authority.
Even Fiza instinctively took a step back. The pressure he exuded was unlike Ethan's raw fury—it was calm, steady, divine.
"Princess Fiza," the angel said, voice calm but carrying like thunder. "Why does the Wind Goddess herself bring a storm to my kingdom? And… why do you raise your hand against my younger brother?"
Prince Cassius. The First Prince of the Angel Kingdom.
Fiza steadied herself, taking a deep breath.
"Prince Cassius. I didn't expect to meet you here today. But just as you care for your brother… so do I. Look—" She pointed toward Atta's unconscious form. "That boy is my brother. Look at what was done to him."
Cassius's eyes flickered to Atta. His expression never wavered, unreadable as stone.
Ethan, bruised but defiant, staggered back to his feet.
"Brother! He killed an angel guard. Brutally. Everyone saw it!"
Cassius did not look at Ethan. He only gave a slight nod.
"Princess Fiza," he said calmly, "I will request that my father call a summit with the Human Kingdom. We will resolve this… properly. But know this—" His lips curved into the faintest smile. "If you wish for war, I am ready."
Fiza's fists clenched, her heart raging, but she forced herself to exhale.
"…The summit sounds better. I don't want war between our kingdoms."
Cassius's smile widened, serene and unnerving all at once.
"Wise words. Now I understand… why they call you the Wind Goddess, Princess Fiza."
The garden grew still again, but the storm had only just begun.
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To Be Continued...