I no longer see meteors. I see eight figures above me.
DUARRR—DUARRR—DUARRR—DUARRR—eight explosions resound from different directions.
The grass across the vast green field where I stand trembles, bending in every direction—srrrkkk… srrrkkk… like long fabric swept by a storm.
Eight different lights fade, leaving behind eight humans.
One by one, they appear along the horizon, at every side, surrounding me.
There is no gap.
Flames burn softly in the hand of one of them—fwoosh… crackle…. Water floats like a liquid ribbon at another's side—shhhhhh… glup… glup…. Wind spirals around a tall figure with wildly flowing hair—whoooosh… wuuung…. The earth beneath a man's feet pulses like a heart—duk… duk… GRRAAKK…. Ice reflects the moonlight in the palm of a pale woman—kriing… krsssh…. Lightning glimmers silently behind the eyes of a motionless youth—crrkk… tzzzt…. Poison blackens the grass around a cold-faced man—pssshhh… sssss…. And one more… stands farther behind them.
He shows nothing.
But my soul senses him.
Superhuman.
I exhale slowly. The wound in my abdomen still stings, a remnant of the previous battle. Yet the pain is only an echo. My body has already begun to close it gradually—srkkk… like skin being rewoven by something unseen.
"Is this a test?" I murmur quietly.
No one answers.
The one with fire moves first.
A surge of heat sweeps across the plain—FWOOSHHH!—hissing, burning the grass into ash in a single breath—crack crack crack… I step aside before the heat touches my skin. The wind immediately follows, not merely a gust but a crushing pressure that drives my body toward the ground—WHOOOOMMM!
I brace my legs and slam my heel down.
The earth beneath me fractures—KRAAAKKK—GRRRRRAAKKK!
Water rises from afar. From the village river. I can feel it being forced upward, dragged against its own current—whoooosh… SPLAAASH!—hovering in the sky like a massive serpent poised to strike.
"Interesting," I whisper.
The lightning vanishes.
No—it moves.
A white flash splits my vision—CRAAACKK—TZZZZTT!! Instinct acts before thought can follow. I tilt my body. The lightning strikes where I stand a fraction of a second earlier—BOOM!—leaving molten ground behind—sssshhh…
Fast.
Incredibly fast.
Poison seeps through the soil, turning green into dark—pssshhh… glrk… Thin smoke rises from the cracks. Ice lifts a hand, and the floating water freezes instantly—KRRRSHHH!—transforming into crystalline spears aimed at me—ting… ting…
Eight directions.
No space to flee.
I smile faintly.
Very well, then.
I will face it.
The ice spears shoot forward—SHIIING! SHIIING! SHIIING! I leap ahead. The air shrieks as wind attempts to twist my course—WHIIIIIISSSHH!—but I cut through its vortex with a sweep of my hand. Fire lashes from the left—FWOOM!—earth rises from the right—GRRAAAKKK!
I spin midair, stepping upon one of the passing ice spears—TING!—propelling myself higher.
Lightning appears above.
The bolt descends faster than sound—CRAAAAAAACK!!
I cannot fully evade it. White light grazes my shoulder—TZZZT! Heat pierces into the bone.
I fall—DUMM!—rolling across the ground that immediately attempts to swallow me—GRRRRKKK!
Pain sears through me. The faint scent of burnt flesh reaches my senses—sssshhh…
Yet my skin has already begun to mend—srkkk… srkkk…
The wound narrows.
I rise before the earth can consume me—KRAKK!
"Fast," I say quietly, staring at the wielder of lightning. "You are the fastest."
He does not answer. Only a small flicker behind his pupil-less eyes—tzzzt…
Water surges again—WOOOOSHHH!—this time with ice. Their combination is cleaner. More synchronized.
Too synchronized.
I evade, striking the water's flow and shattering its pressure—DUKK! SPLAASH! The water splits, but instantly freezes—KRRRSH!—attempting to trap me within crystal.
I stomp the ground—DUM!
The earth trembles—GRRRRAAAKKK!—its cracks widening.
Ice requires water.
Water requires distance.
The river is far.
I dash toward Ice first—SWOOSH!
Fire attempts to cut me off—FWOOMMM!—but I break through the heat. My skin reddens—sssshh…—yet does not burn.
Ice raises both hands—kriing… kriing… I am already before her.
One strike.
DUUUMMM!
The air shatters—BAAM!
Her body is hurled away—WHAM!—slamming against the hardened ground—KRAAASH!
The surrounding crystals fracture—KRRRSHH! KRRRSHH!
She does not rise again.
One.
Water roars—WOOOOSH!—dragging greater volume from afar, wilder and heavier.
I run through the torrent—SPLAAASH!
The pressure crashes against my chest—DOOOM!—yet my feet continue forward.
I see a brief opening.
An instant.
Enough.
I appear before him and halt the motion of his hands with my grip—GRRAKK! The water in the air collapses—SPLASHHH!—falling back to the earth like rain stripped of will.
I slam him into the ground.
DUUUMM!
The earth trembles—GRRRKKK!
He falls.
Two.
The ground rages—GRRRRRAAAAKKK! Cracks spread, pillars of stone rising violently—KRAKK! KRAKK!
"Disruptive," I mutter.
I leap from one pillar to another—THUD! THUD!—evading bursts of fire—FWOOSH!—and blades of wind—WHIIISSH! Lightning strikes again—CRACK!—leaving a thin mark along my side—tzzzt…
The wound closes before blood can fall far—srkkk…
I land atop the highest pillar—DUMM!
The earth wielder stands below, both hands pressing into the soil—GRRRR!
I dive downward—SWOOOSH!
The ground attempts to swallow me once more—KRAAAKK!
Too late.
My impact forces the earth itself to rebel against its master.
DUUUUUMMM!!
Stone shatters—KRAAASH!
He is thrown backward—WHAM!—and the spreading cracks cease—grrr… krk…
Three.
The field opens once more.
Four remain before me.
Fire, Wind, Lightning, Poison.
And the one standing far behind them.
Fire strikes—FWOOM!—wind magnifies it—WHOOOOSH! Poison spreads—pssshhh… Lightning seals the gaps—CRACK!
Yet there is a pattern.
Each time one of them moves, there is a faint pulse—dum… dum…
Not from their bodies.
From the one behind.
I step back half a pace—srkk…—avoiding a slicing gust—WHIIISH!
"So that is it," I whisper.
Lightning appears directly before me—TZZZT!
I meet his gaze.
A fraction of a second.
Enough.
He moves—CRAAACK!
My hand reaches first—GRRAKK!
The bolt courses through my arm—TZTZZZTT!!—yet my grip is stronger.
He is flung away—WHAM! DUMM!
Not defeated.
But wounded.
Poison seeps into the air—pssshhh… My breath grows heavy for a moment.
My body purges it—srkkk…
Fire and Wind charge together—FWOOMMM! WHOOOOSH!—a massive vortex of flame engulfs me—ROOOOAR!
I stand within it.
Heat wraps around me—crackle… crackle…
I step out—THUD.
Four pairs of eyes now fix upon me.
And one more… remains silent in the distance.
That pulse returns.
dum… dum… dum…
I draw a slow breath.
The future flickers behind my vision—krrr…
One path.
I see myself walking through them—thud… thud…
Passing beyond.
Reaching him.
A faint smile forms upon my lips.
"There," I murmur, staring at the distant figure behind them.