"Let's see if your instincts are awake yet."
Without another word, Director Ansh stepped forward—and shoved Ryu right off the balcony.
"Wha—!"
Ryu's scream disappeared into the wind as he plummeted down, the floating castle shrinking above him.
His heart thundered. He tried focusing… channeling his ember… pushing the gravity away like Ansh did…
Nothing.
He slammed into the soft grassy field below—not fatally, but hard enough to make him groan. His back was aching, his pride worse.
A second later, Ansh calmly leapt off the balcony and floated down like a feather.
Show off.
He landed beside Ryu with a smug grin.
"That was tragic. Wanna try again or just give up now?" Ansh teased, crossing his arms.
"I hate you," Ryu muttered.
"No you don't. You love this training. Builds character. And sore bones."
Ryu groaned again.
"Listen up," Ansh said, getting serious. "You've got 72 hours. Get back to the Floating Castle… by yourself. No teleportation. No shortcuts. Climb, fly, crawl—I don't care how. Just make it back."
Ryu blinked. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope. If you fail... there's nothing more I can do for you."
Then, with a wink, Ansh said, "Enjoy the hike, kid," and vanished into a swirl of mist.
---
Ryu lay there in the field, staring up at the enormous floating castle thousands of feet above. "Old man, huh? You'll see."
---
The Journey Begins
The town of Xyther bustled just beyond the cliff fields, and Ryu limped his way there. His clothes were torn, and his stomach growled like a beast.
While wandering through the streets, he met a cheerful girl with dark green braids named Tali, who ran a small fruit stall. She noticed his condition and handed him a mango.
"On the house. You look like you got thrown off a mountain or something," she said with a wink.
"…close enough."
Later, an old man named Maren who ran a waterwell offered him a bottle of cold streamwater.
"You're the boy from the castle, aren't you?" he asked. "Saw you fall like a stone yesterday. Was beautiful—like a firework made of pain."
"Thanks. I think."
Ryu stayed the night near the outskirts, practicing his control over gravity under the stars. By day, he climbed trees, rooftops, towers—anything to increase his elevation. Each time he tried to use his ember to lessen gravity's pull… he failed. But each time, a little less.
---
The Final Push
With 3 hours left on the 72-hour mark, Ryu stood atop the tallest cliff in Xyther. He was bruised, exhausted, and soaked in sweat.
The Floating Castle shimmered high above, taunting him.
"This is it," he whispered.
He closed his eyes. Focused. This time, he didn't force the power—he felt it. The ember pulsed in his chest, syncing with his breath.
He jumped.
For a terrifying moment, he plummeted again—but then, something clicked. The air lightened. The pressure shifted. His fall slowed… and then reversed.
He was flying.
Wobbling and drifting, but flying.
With every inch upward, he fought gravity and doubt. But when he finally touched the marble floor of the Floating Castle's balcony…
Ansh was already there, sipping tea.
"Took you long enough."
"I made it," Ryu said, collapsing to his knees.
"72 hours exact. Impressive. Still not fast enough, but you didn't die. So... progress!"
Ryu raised his head. "Told you I'd do it, old man."
Ansh sipped again. "Old man? I'm aging gracefully, thank you very much."
"You call throwing kids off castles graceful?"
Ansh smirked. "Only the worthy ones."
Ryu barely caught his breath after reaching the Floating Castle when Director Ansh looked at him with a grin.
"Alright, enough rest, you spoiled brat," Ansh said, arms folded. "Your second task begins now."
Ryu groaned. "Already?"
"Yes," Ansh smirked. "You have to find Anshu… and train with him."
Ryu blinked. "That mysterious guy?"
"Yup. But finding him won't be easy," Ansh said, stretching. "He doesn't stay in one place, especially not for kids who cry after one fall."
Ryu rolled his eyes. "You threw me off a castle!"
Ansh ignored him, clapped his hands once—and in a burst of shimmering light, Anshu appeared.
He stood with a glowing silver aura that looked like a second layer of skin around him. Calm. Cool. Dangerous.
Anshu looked at Ryu and smirked. "Oh… you didn't die. That's surprising."
Ryu sighed. "Thanks for the warm welcome."
Anshu stepped closer and handed him something small—a wristwatch. It looked normal until Ryu put it on. Instantly, a blue hologram popped up from it, displaying a blinking red dot on a map.
Ryu squinted at the screen.
"Wait... this location is… what?!"
He zoomed in, then out. The red dot was on the other side of the planet—over 20,000 kilometers away.
A small message appeared on the hologram:
"Task: Reach Anshu. Time Limit: 198 Days. Time Starts Now..."
Before Ryu could even react, Anshu gave a small wave. "See you when you find me."
And with that, he vanished.
"Wha—Hey! You're not even gonna give me a ride?!"
Ansh laughed. "What fun would that be?"
Ryu stared at the map again, wide-eyed.
"20,004 kilometers… that's insane!"
"Best of luck," Director Ansh said, chuckling as he slowly faded away like smoke.
"Swiss! Disappeared again!"
Ryu stood alone in the floating castle, staring at the red dot across the globe.
"Hah... this old man," he muttered, shaking his head with a tired smile.
---
And So, the Journey Begins…
From the sky-high castle to the lands below, Ryu's journey had only just begun. With nothing but a hologram watch, his embermark powers, and a ridiculous time limit—he set off on his next trial:
To chase the storm known as Anshu.