Wind Fortress

The breeze that morning was unusual. It carried the scent of felled wood and polished stone, the sounds of hands building and digging, instead of the shrieks of fear and whispers of Shadows. The land at the edge of the Red Breeze Valley was witnessing the birth of something new: the Wind Fortress.

After weeks of chasing the remnants of the Shadows through villages and towns, Eren and Leylin realized that the war was far from over. The Shadows hadn't been completely killed, but had gathered in distant places, waiting for a new opportunity to return in a larger wave. So they decided, along with their allies, to build a permanent base, one that would serve as both a center of defense and attack.

They chose a high position overlooking the liberated valleys and plains, surrounded by mountains behind them and guarded by the Winds on all four sides. Some of the Southern Wind Tribesmen knew how to build rock fortresses that could withstand storms. With the new Fire Breeze, they smelted stones to create strong edges that would resist the approaching Shadows.

The first towers were constructed of solid stone, engraved with the symbols of Wind and Fire. At the fortress gate, Eren and Leylin joined forces to install the Fire Breeze symbol, a swirling wind band with a red flame in the middle, a sign of the birth of a new era.

Inside, units began to form. Kieran led the Wind Reconnaissance Team, tracking the movements of Shadows across the valleys and plains. Myra trained the new Fire Users to fire the Breeze Flame to purify any Shadows before they spread.

One night, Eren and Leylin met with the new commanders in the fortress's stone hall. On the table before them lay a vast map, red dots marking areas where suspicious activity had been seen. At the edges of the map, dark lines indicated the great wave of Shadows beginning to gather away from the liberated cities.

Eren pointed to the dark line.

The coming wave of Shadows will not be mere remnants. They will gather all that remains of the Shadow Lord's ashes, and they will attempt to penetrate the liberated lands once more.

Leylin replied, placing her hand over his:

But this time they will find the winds waiting for them... and the fire burning their roots before they can sprout.

Rain, who had joined the team as a training leader, stood up and said firmly:

Here will be the last line of defense... and from here we will set out to extinguish the last spark of the Shadows' ashes.

At the next sunrise, dozens of young men began training inside the fortress courtyards, raising new flags bearing the symbols of wind and fire. Between the towers, "Breath of Fire" torches were installed as a defensive line that would ignite automatically at the approach of any shadow.

At night, Leylin stood by one of the towers, looking up at the distant lights of the liberated villages. She felt a warm breeze through her hair and turned to see Eren standing behind her, their eyes meeting in silence.

She said quietly, "Do you think we're ready?"

Eren replied with a brief smile, "Maybe no one is fully prepared... but this time we're not alone."

They both looked at the fortress, growing stronger every day. It was not just stones and walls, but a new promise for the entire land: that the winds would not allow the shadows to return, and that the fire would continue to burn to protect them all.

In the distant darkness, the shadows began to move. But this time, they found the winds waiting for them... with unbreakable strength.