The alley became a storm. Lightning streaked off Eryndor's fists, cracks spiderwebbed through stone, and wind hissed around his movements, turning his body into a blur. Kael met him without hesitation, mask gleaming, cloak whipping like a blade with every strike.
They clashed at the center, fists colliding with a sound like thunder.
Eryndor spun into Gale Feint, twisting his body mid-step so Kael struck only air, then reappeared behind him with a crackling palm strike. Kael pivoted sharply, blocking, but Nerve Ignite slipped through, forcing his muscles to twitch for half a second.
That was enough.
Eryndor dropped low, sliding with Pulse Step, then drove an uppercut laced with lightning into Kael's ribs. Sparks exploded, forcing the masked figure back into the wall. The cloak tore, smoke curling where the strike had landed.
But Kael did not fall.
Instead, he exhaled slowly, and power rippled through him. His mask glowed faintly, the runes pulsing. "You've pushed me far enough," he said, voice steady but heavier now. "No more restraint."
The air shifted. Kael moved, and for the first time, Eryndor struggled to follow. Each strike came sharper, faster, like a blade carving through wind. Eryndor blocked what he could, but every impact rattled his bones.
Kael's knee slammed into his stomach, and the boy staggered, coughing blood. A follow-up strike nearly took his head off, but Eryndor vanished with Pulse Step, reappearing at Kael's flank. His arm snapped out, lightning arcing wildly—Arc Lash unleashed at full force.
The crack tore through the alley, slamming Kael back again. Sparks rained, and for a moment the air smelled of burnt stone.
Eryndor's chest heaved, arms trembling, but he grinned through bloodied lips. "Still standing?"
Kael straightened, slower this time. The glow in his mask dimmed, and at last, he lowered his hands. "Enough," he said. His tone wasn't anger—it was finality.
Eryndor, though ready to surge again, froze as Kael spoke.
"You wanted judgment. Here it is," Kael said. He stepped forward, steady but no longer threatening. "You've awakened lightning and wind together. That alone sets you apart. But understand—your strength, as it stands, is small. Among the ranks of power, you are barely beyond the Spark Tier."
Eryndor frowned, but Kael's voice carried on.
"I stand at the Tempest Tier. My control over my element bends to my will, reshaping every strike. Against me, you should not have lasted a heartbeat. And yet you did."
His eyes glimmered behind the mask. "That… is what makes you dangerous. You learn as you fight. You adapt faster than anyone I've seen."
Eryndor smirked faintly, though the ache in his body begged him not to. "So you admit it—I'm better than you thought."
Kael gave no answer to that. Instead, he stepped past him, cloak dragging across the cracked stones. "Grow stronger. If you survive long enough to reach the Aether Tier, we will meet again. Until then, live… or die."
And with that, Kael vanished into the night.
The alley fell silent, save for Eryndor's ragged breaths. His fists still sparked faintly, his body trembling, but the storm within him had not died—it had only grown louder.
"Eryndor!"
Lyanna's voice cut through, and she rushed forward, kneeling beside him. Her hands hovered over his bruises, her eyes wide with worry. "You're insane—you could've been killed!"
He chuckled weakly, leaning back against the wall. "But I wasn't. That's what matters."
She shook her head, half-angry, half-relieved, before letting out a sigh. "You're impossible."
He smirked, blood on his lip but pride in his eyes. "Yeah, but admit it—you've never seen anyone fight like that."
Lyanna didn't answer right away. She just studied him, the faint sparks still dancing along his arms, the wind brushing against his shoulders like unseen wings. Finally, she smiled, soft but fleeting. "No… I haven't."
They stayed like that for a moment, before she pulled back, her expression shifting. "I'll go my way for now. You need to rest… and figure out what you've awakened. But remember this, Eryndor—you're not alone in this storm."
And with that, she stood, offering him one last look before slipping into the night.
Eryndor leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as lightning hummed faintly in his veins.
Spark Tier, huh? Then I'll climb. And when I reach the top… I'll show them all.
The storm inside him whispered in answer.
This was only the beginning.