“Whispers of Elements”

The room smelled like herbs and ash. A candle flickered beside the window, its small flame swaying with every breath of mountain wind. Yuki blinked slowly, her eyes heavy, her limbs heavier. The weight wasn't pain—it was something deeper like her body had emptied itself out.

Kyota sat nearby in a wooden chair, arms crossed, his head tilted back against the wall, asleep. His coat was thrown over her legs like a blanket. His knuckles were bruised, and there were dark rings under his eyes.

The bed creaked as she shifted.

Kyota stirred. His eyes snapped open, and when he saw her awake, he jolted forward.

"Hey," she croaked.

He blinked, a smile cracking through his exhaustion. "You're awake."

"You look like hell," she said softly.

"Takes one to know one."

Yuki smiled faintly, then winced. Her body felt like fire and thunder had passed through it. "What happened?"

"You exploded," Kyota said, trying to sound casual. "In a cool way."

She frowned. "...What?"

"You took down that sand beast. Five elements. At once. You glowed. I think nature itself freaked out and said, 'Here, take it all.'"

Yuki stared at her hands, now just pale and still. "I don't remember most of it."

"You were light and storm and flame and wind… It was terrifying."

The door creaked open. The wizard stepped inside, his shadow stretching across the floor.

"You woke up fast," he said.

Yuki sat up slowly. "What happened to me?"

The wizard stared at her like he was reading a book no one else could see. "Elemental Bloom. Rare. Wild. Dangerous."

"Is it… bad?" she asked.

"It means change," the wizard replied. "Something inside you snapped open. Power poured in. Five elements. Fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning. All trying to find a home in one girl's body."

Kyota stood beside her. "Then train us. Don't keep standing in the shadows like we're pieces on your chessboard."

The wizard narrowed his eyes. "You think you're ready?"

"We fought a B-rank. She fought a C-rank that was even worse."

"And you got knocked out cold."

Kyota flinched but didn't argue.

The wizard turned his back. "You both burned too hot. If I teach you now, I'll break you. And I don't break students—I sharpen them."

Yuki leaned forward. "Then let us cool first. But don't shut us out."

He paused at the door. "Rest. That's your lesson for today."

The night rolled in like slow thunderclouds. The sky turned navy blue, the stars blinking in and out between wisps of fog.

Kyota stood outside, alone. A thick post stood in front of him, its surface already cracked. He drove his fists into it, over and over. Each hit made his hands ache.

Every punch was a question.

Why can't I keep up?

Why do I feel small now?

Why does it feel like I'm the one being protected?

A staff cracked against the back of his skull.

"OW! What the hell?!"

Kyota staggered forward, clutching his head.

Behind him, the wizard stood with his wooden staff. "If punching things made people stronger, I'd have destroyed the world by now."

Kyota groaned. "You really are insane."

"No. I just have eyes."

The wizard walked past him, toward the house. "Sleep, Kyota."

"I'm not tired."

"Then pretend."

As he walked off, Yuki followed behind him, slower this time.

"You too," the wizard said without looking back. "Rest."

"I'm fine," she muttered.

The wizard opened her door and waited.

Reluctantly, Yuki stepped inside. "You don't have to baby me."

"You're not being babied," he said and then closed the door.

Click.

She stared at the handle.

"…He did NOT just lock me in."

Kyota sat on a stone in the garden, the wind now quiet and low. The mountain had gone still. His fists throbbed. His mind wouldn't shut up.

Then two hands suddenly covered his eyes.

"Guess who?"

Kyota grinned. "It's not the wizard."

"Lucky guess," Yuki whispered behind him.

"You broke out?"

"He locked me in."

"You deserve it."

She walked around, barefoot, still wrapped in her blanket. Her smile held that familiar mix—part mischief, part pain.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"There's no one else up here. The wizard doesn't do games. Only you're dumb enough."

Yuki pouted. "Wow. That's how you talk to your savior?"

Kyota shrugged. "You saved me, yeah. Still dumb."

"Maybe you should've just let me die."

They stared at each other. Then both laughed.

"I'm serious though," Kyota said after a pause. "You scared me. That power… it looked like it could've killed you."

Yuki sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched. "You scare me all the time. With how far ahead you are."

"I'm not ahead anymore."

"You are," she said. "You're just too stupid to see it."

They went quiet again. The stars kept flickering.

"I just got lucky," Yuki whispered. "The elements came. I didn't control them. I don't think I even earned it."

"You saved me," Kyota said. "That's enough."

She yawned, her head resting against his shoulder.

He looked down. "Sleepy?"

"No."

"Sure."

Within minutes, her breathing slowed. Kyota looked at her face—calm, peaceful. A little drool slipped from the corner of her lip.

He smiled.

"Idiot."

He stood, carefully lifting her into his arms. She didn't stir.

As he stepped back into the cottage, the stars above blinked once more, as if whispering:

They will need each other soon.