The Bell Before the Storm
Feya's words cut more painfully than any sword.
Her voice, quiet and almost quivering, lingered long after she had walked away.
For an instant, no one breathed.
Then the whispers—gentle at first, then growing like a surge.
"Did you hear that? She spurned him flat."
"Of course she did. Who is Kai to think he can ask her to cultivate together? That's all but a confession!"
"Brash, but idiotic. Some folks just don't know their place."
Their taunt burned the air. Across the gymnasium, faces contorted in sneers and barely concealed amusement. Kai Dawnsworn could sense all of them—every glance, every snicker.
He stood there silent, golden eyes unwavering, a small smile playing upon his lips that wasn't truly a smile at all.
What a cluster I made of this.
He breathed out, long and slow. The sound of the crowd muted, becoming something far away.
I shouldn't have done it in front of everyone… I trapped her. Forced her to make a choice.
He could picture how it would've been for Feya—fifteen, with all eyes on her, her best friend as a wall between them.
That wasn't bravery on his part. That was stupidity.
He shook his head gently and turned to exit. His steps were untroubled, almost relaxed, but Boomer tracked with that tempest-dark expression in his eyes.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Boomer muttered beside him, his voice low but burning with frustration. "She let Mary stand between you. That wasn't an accident. It was her way of saying stay away. You've known her for years, Kai—you should've seen it."
Kai didn't answer right away. His golden eyes flickered faintly under the morning light, then he spoke, softly but firm.
"It's okay. She's young… easily influenced by people around her. I don't blame her for it."
Boomer halted mid-stride. He looked at him like he couldn't get over what he was saying.
"You're unbelievable," he said. "Did you even hear what she said? 'We're grown now, we should keep our distance'—that wasn't hesitation. That was her shutting you down."
He folded his arms across his chest, mouth set in a hard line. "You're too kind, Kai. You keep giving excuses to individuals who've already turned their backs on you."
Kai's smile was weak but unbroken. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I simply. still want to believe that she'll remember who we were."
Boomer snorted in derision. He wished he could shake some sense into him, but he knew better. Kai wasn't hanging on out of weakness. He was just who he was—soft in places the world shouldn't deserve.
But Boomer also knew something others didn't: Kai had a hurricane within him, still and raging, biding its time.
He exhaled, looking over at the crowd still chattering. "You know what my dad used to tell me?" he told me. "People can see the truth most clearly when you're at your weakest. Let them laugh now. When the day arrives and you're standing over them… they'll all bow their heads."
Kai's lips twisted once more, a silent nod. The type that didn't require words.
________________________________________
A burst of excitement roared through the gymnasium. Heads swiveled as the open courtyard was swept by a gust of wind.
Dozens of students were looking up.
Kai and Boomer followed their gaze—and saw a few figures flying across the sky above the battle arena.
Wings glimmered behind them, transparent and undulating with air currents. Each movement churned swirling gusts through the arena as the figures floated in the air with ease.
"Those are seniors from the Spellcraft College," someone breathed. "Wind-element mages—powerful enough to condense mana into air currents and create wings."
The crowd muttered in wonder. For most of the outer disciples, still adapting within the Awakening Planes, it was as if beholding gods. Their own flesh was still tied to the earth, still learning to combine mana with body and conflict soul, but these seniors—
They had already taken flight.
During the Divine Era, mages ruled the cultivation world. And among them, only mages who had mastered the element of wind were capable of gliding freely at the Ascend Realm.
The top mage, a blue-robed tall youth, projected his voice throughout the courtyard.
We are here to present a message from the academy," he announced. His voice rode easily on the breeze. "A portion of Skyfire Mountain has been cleared for practice. Within that area, only demonic creatures of the Awakening Plane exist."
A shiver of anticipation flowed through the students.
The next week," the mage went on, "will be the hunting season prior to the Fall Quarter Examinations. You can enter the cleared area to try out the fruits of your year's cultivation, to harden yourselves in actual combat and confront danger directly.
Another mage, her wings shining silver in the sun, spoke next. "You'll all leave the academy eventually. Out there, no one will protect you. A true cultivator must face life-and-death trials. But remember—survival comes first. Go with companions, not alone."
The warning hung in the air. Students nodded, some solemnly, others with a reckless gleam in their eyes.
The hunt annually was a trial and a thrill—an offer to test oneself in the wilderness of Skyfire Mountain. It was perilous, to be sure, but peril was the crucible where strength was forged.
The lead mage held up a hand for quiet. "Throughout the Fall Quarter Examination, the academy will also conduct a homecoming ceremony. Visitors from Greenhold City will be there—your families, among them. Do your best. Let them see your improvement and your value.
A reverent hum passed among the crowd. For most, this was not merely an exam—it was the opportunity to prove to their parents that they weren't squandering their youth on impossible dreams.
The mages finished with a mere wave. "Study well. The mountain is waiting."
With one last thrum of their mana-forged wings, they took to the skies, vanishing off to the horizon where Skyfire Mountain glowed softly in the growing light of dawn.
Excitement burst across the arena. Groups immediately began forming—students calling out to friends, rivals, and allies alike. The Fall Hunt was here, and with it, opportunity.
Amaya Green approached from across the courtyard, her long black hair catching the light, green eyes calm but curious.
"Kai Dawnsworn," she called, her voice soft yet carrying easily over the chatter, "what's your plan for the hunt?"
The question hung in the morning air, a soft challenge beneath her steady tone—one that prompted Boomer to look at Kai with a grin, expecting to hear what his friend had to say next.
And as Kai faced her, golden eyes thoughtfully narrowing, the breeze changed—whispery, electric, as if the world itself paused for his response.