The northern winds howled across the cliffs, carrying rain in sharp, stinging sheets. Kaelen pressed forward along the jagged path, Flow swirling around his hands, Roots anchoring beneath his feet, and Breath bending the storm to subtle currents. The training with Yasuo had honed his control, but this—this was the first real test under the chaos of battle.
From the valley below came the unmistakable clamor of Noxian forces. A small army had descended, more than a mere patrol—thirty soldiers in tight formation, armed and disciplined. They had tracked him, and now the untethered seed would face his first major multi-element combat.
Kaelen's heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm. Flow, Root, and Breath pulsed in response to his intent, eager, yet restrained. Every muscle tensed as he prepared for the clash.
"Intent guides the currents," he whispered to himself, echoing Aiyana's lessons. "Harmony, not panic. Control, not instinct."
The Noxians charged. Spears, swords, and axes clanged as they advanced up the cliffside. Kaelen extended his hands. Water lifted from the stream, twisting into spirals and barriers. Roots surged from the soil, forming lattices and spikes that impeded movement. Breath swirled, guiding debris and wind in calculated arcs to disrupt their formation.
The first wave attacked in unison. Kaelen reacted, spinning with the elements. Water arcs deflected spears, roots twisted to trip attackers, and Breath gusted to redirect weapons and disorient foes. The tri-element combination flowed seamlessly, a controlled storm of defense and redirection.
But thirty Noxians were more than a single defender could hold. Kaelen felt the strain immediately—the Flow flickered slightly, the Roots shivered, and Breath faltered under the pressure of the gale. Panic threatened to break his focus.
Focus, Kaelen! he forced himself to think. Harmony under chaos!
He pressed deeper into the soil, letting the Roots anchor him firmly. Water spiraled upward in tighter, deliberate arcs. Breath surged, merging with the northern winds rather than resisting them. The currents bent in precise loops and spirals, striking, redirecting, and destabilizing multiple soldiers at once.
Several soldiers stumbled, unable to predict the flow of combined elements. Kaelen's pulse surged as he realized he could not simply react; he had to lead the currents intentionally, guiding multiple attacks simultaneously.
A Noxian leader barked orders, sending ten soldiers in a flanking maneuver. Kaelen pivoted, spinning in a wide arc. Water swept around them, roots erupted to block their footing, and Breath guided arcs of mist to blind and confuse. One soldier crashed into another, collapsing into a heap as Flow, Root, and Breath moved in perfect coordination.
Kaelen gritted his teeth, muscles burning, lungs heaving. The battle was relentless, the northern winds unforgiving, but he continued to guide the elements with growing confidence. Each strike, block, and movement was deliberate. His tri-element mastery was no longer just practice—it was applied instinctively yet intentionally, a dance of controlled chaos.
As the last soldiers faltered, some fleeing, some ensnared by Roots or Water, Kaelen pushed outward, sending a wave of combined elements to create distance. Water arcs twirled, Roots curled, and Breath surged, forming a controlled storm that forced the remaining Noxians to retreat entirely.
Exhausted, Kaelen sank to his knees, chest heaving, sweat mixing with rain. Flow, Root, and Breath pulsed gently around him, responding to his fatigue but remaining obedient. He had survived—not just defended himself—but controlled thirty soldiers with multi-element mastery for the first time.
From above, a familiar voice carried over the storm: "Well done."
Kaelen looked up to see Yasuo standing atop a nearby ridge, sword at his side, wind swirling around him. "You have harmonized tri-element power under true battle stress. Few could survive what you just faced, let alone maintain control. But today is only the beginning. Mastery is tested not just by survival, but by efficiency, strategy, and judgment. You've proven your skill, Kaelen—but the path ahead is far from simple."
Kaelen nodded, exhaustion giving way to determination. "I… I understand. I will continue to grow. I will learn to lead the elements, not just survive with them."
Yasuo's eyes glimmered faintly in the stormlight. "Good. The northern winds have tested you. Now, your journey continues beyond Ionia. You will encounter other champions, other elements, and other forces that will challenge not just your mastery, but your judgment. But know this—you are no longer merely learning. You are awakening as a force in Runeterra. The untethered seed has begun to bloom."
The rain pelted Kaelen's face, wind tugging at his hair, and the northern cliffs roared with untamed energy. Flow, Root, and Breath pulsed beneath his palms, each responding to his intent with unwavering fidelity. For the first time, Kaelen felt the true weight of his potential.
The Noxians had retreated, but the battle had left him stronger, more aware, and closer to the power he had glimpsed in Irelia and Karma. The northern winds, the roaring river, and the living forest all whispered in unison: the untethered seed was ready for the next trials.
Kaelen rose, drenched and exhausted, and pressed his palms once more to the soil and water. Breath whirled in harmony with the wind, Flow spiraled gracefully, and Roots bent deliberately beneath him. He felt the pulse of Ionia itself, alive and responsive, guiding him forward.
The untethered seed had survived the tempest—and the storm of Runeterra had only just begun.