The higher they climbed, the colder the breeze grew. The air turned heavy, thick with Astral. For Asori, every step was a reminder he was no longer in his quiet mountains, but on ground that could kill him if he let his guard down.
Eryndor moved with calm, as if the altitude didn't touch him. The sage's white hair flowed like part of the very wind roaring around them.
—Why does it feel… like the air is crushing me here? —Asori panted.
—Because the Astral flows denser here on Mount Aeryon. —Eryndor didn't even turn his head—. This is where bearers of the past trained to make themselves worthy. In fact, there's one like it in every kingdom. The Air Orb has awakened after many years. Here your body will gain endurance… and also pain.
Asori shivered. His master spoke with such certainty it felt as if everything were already written.
At a clearing ringed by crags, Eryndor stopped.
—All right, boy. Your training begins here.
Asori dropped his pack with relief.
—What are we doing? Drills? Meditation?
Eryndor looked at him, grave.
—Stay transformed. All day.
Asori's stomach tightened.
—All day?! Master, we tried that yesterday and I barely lasted fifteen minutes.
—Then you'll have to break your limit. —Eryndor smiled with a teasing edge—. And if you pass out… there's always the princess to wake you with a kiss.
—Why do you say things like that?! —Asori yelped, scarlet.
—Because embarrassment is good fuel, too. —Eryndor shrugged.
Asori clenched his teeth. He didn't want to admit it, but the mere thought of Blair pushed him forward. With a growl, he let the white aura wrap him. Wind burst outward and his eyes lit blue.
It wasn't long before the air tore with a guttural roar. From the brush came a Class C Megalo, a massive wolf wired with dark Astral veins. Its fangs looked like blades stained with shadow.
—A Megalo… here? —Asori instinctively stepped back.
—Many —Eryndor said, settling onto a rock as if to watch a show—. I won't intervene. Survive.
The wolf sprang with brutal speed. Asori rolled just in time; the ground shook under the impact. His instincts were sharper, but his body still clumsy.
—Come on, come on! —he grunted, slipping a second claw strike. The wind nudged him sideways, buying him a precious heartbeat. He countered with a blast of air, knocking the beast down.
Eryndor spoke without leaving his rock:
—The wind doesn't exist to shield you. Use it to move. Make it part of you.
Asori snarled. Every dodge tore out more energy than he had to give. But little by little, he began syncing his breathing with the currents. For the first time, the air cued him before the blow—like a whisper along his skin.
Suddenly it wasn't one Megalo, but three. Two wolves and a reptilian thing pushed out of the trees, eyes glowing like coals. Sweat slid down Asori's brow.
—Three against one? —he groaned.
—Do you think war will line up for you one at a time? —Eryndor replied, almost amused.
Asori vaulted into the air, spinning. Compressed wind in his arms detonated against the creatures, knocking two aside. But the third caught his ribs. Pain folded him, spitting him to the ground.
—Get up! —Eryndor thundered—. As long as you breathe, fight.
The boy roared, forcing the wind to bear his weight. The three Megalos circled—and even so, he charged again.
After nearly an hour of fighting, Asori dropped to his knees, gasping. The transformation flickered, his aura dimming like damp embers. The Megalos unraveled into smoke.
Eryndor looked down at him.
—Do you know why you fell?
—Because I'm weak… —Asori gritted.
—No. Because your mind is still full of noise.
The sage crouched and, to Asori's surprise, tied a blindfold over his eyes.
—From now on, you fight blind.
—What?!
—The wind will be your eyes. Learn to listen.
Asori swallowed. A roar rumbled nearby: another Megalo. Blindfolded, the fear doubled. His legs shook.
—Breathe —Eryndor said—. Inhale when the wind swells, exhale when it softens. Feel how it curves around you.
The claw came, and by instinct Asori ducked. The wind had murmured the attack. A wild grin split his face.
—I felt it!
Eryndor nodded silently.
Blindfolded, Asori fought one Megalo, then two. At first he flailed, striking air, but little by little his body flowed with the surroundings. The wind was a patient teacher: pointing, guiding, pushing him to move before the moment.
Every second was hell—and a revelation.
When the sun fell, Asori slumped to the ground, his transformation all but gone. But Eryndor hauled him up in one hard pull.
—We're not finished. Stay transformed all night.
—All night?! —Asori groaned, muscles burning.
—Megalos don't sleep. Why should you?
Darkness filled with eyes gleaming between the crags. Asori swallowed and set his stance.
The attacks came in spurts, no rest. Long hollows where only the wind could be heard, followed by charges that blew him off his feet.
Each time he fell, Eryndor said the same words:
—Switch off the emotions. Silence the noise.
And amid the pain, Asori began to do it. Rage dimmed; fear dimmed; guilt dimmed. All that remained was the air: the steady flow wrapping every muscle.
For the first time, he moved without thinking. His body reacted on its own. The wind lifted him, turned him, hurled him forward.
Hours later, with the moon at its peak, Asori was still standing—reeling, but transformed. The white aura still cloaked him.
Eryndor watched with a thin, proud smile.
—Good, boy. Today you stopped being a child who fights against the wind… and started being the one who rides it.
Asori could barely breathe, but a tired smile tugged at his mouth. The Sweet Kiss pulsed faintly in his chest, reminding him who he was doing this for.
—Blair… I'm still on my feet.
That night, while Asori kept fighting under the stars, the Sweet Kiss throbbed with each beat. In her room at the castle, Blair found no peace. She tossed in the sheets, unable to ignore the strange pulse that bound her to him. She felt every collapse, every ragged breath.
Mikan, sprawled on the bed beside hers, watched with a half-mocking smile.
—Not going to sleep?
—I can't… —Blair whispered, a hand to her chest—. I can feel him fighting, falling, getting up… I can feel his fear.
Mikan stretched like a lazy cat.
—Then trust him. The kid has a weird habit of surprising everyone. I thought he'd be out cold after Jason's kick, but he held on. Your boyfriend's tougher than he looks. He'll live.
Blair shut her eyes, a knot in her stomach. For the first time, she wished with everything in her that Mikan was right.
There was a brief hush. Only the wind outside and the creak of wood spoke. Then Mikan's voice cut back in.
—By the way… how do you "feel" him, exactly? Got some odd ability you forgot to mention? Or are you just so in love you're making things up?
Blair blinked, surprised—and couldn't help a tiny laugh. That spark eased her tension, just a little. Then she told Mikan everything: how she'd met Asori, how she'd used the Sweet Kiss to save him, and how that bond had etched itself into both of them ever since.
Mikan arched a brow.
—So you gave your first kiss to a stranger… wow, you're more intense than I thought.
—I did it to save him! Literally! —Blair shot back, face blazing.
—Yeah, yeah… I get it. —Mikan lifted her hands in surrender, though her grin stayed sly—. That's how your love story began.
—It's not that! —Blair puffed her cheeks like an offended child.
The ninja laughed hard, then softened and looked at her more seriously.
—Fine. But answer me this. What you feel for him… is it because of the bond? Or would it exist anyway, without that kiss?
Blair went still. Her fingers drifted to her lips. For a moment, doubt hit her. What if everything she felt was only a reflection of the Sweet Kiss? What if the bond muddled what truly lived in her heart?
But the answer rose up, clear and firm. She remembered every moment with Asori: their arguments, his clumsy words, shared laughter, spilled tears. She remembered the way he looked at her when they'd just met in the forest—that inexplicable connection born with no spell at all.
She smiled, determination shining in her eyes.
—The bond was just a nudge. What I feel for Asori… is real.
Mikan studied her, as if weighing the truth in her voice. At last she smiled, satisfied.
—Then there's nothing more to say. Though… —she rolled onto her side, cheek to her arm— if you slip up, I'm still stealing him.
Blair ground her teeth, but a smile tugged at her lips.
—Try it.
They both laughed, tension slowly unwinding. It wasn't just a joke; in that laughter, a new bond was being forged.
When silence returned, Blair lay back, staring at the dark ceiling. She could still feel the pulse of the Sweet Kiss, synced to her own. She closed her eyes and, from the deepest part of her heart, could only whisper:
—Asori… come back soon.