Chapter Seven — The Trial of Wings (Part 2)
The Sky Wyrm's scream ripped through the night — a thunderous call that made the Bloodwater River below churn more violently, as though the beast's rage had infected the current itself.
Kairo's heart pounded, his senses sharpened beyond human limits. Every fiber of his body knew this wasn't an ordinary fight. This was judgment.
The Wyrm dived again, wings flaring wide enough to eclipse the moon. Its scales glistened like shards of midnight glass laced with silver veins, each beat of its wings throwing the air into chaotic whirlwinds.
Kairo gritted his teeth, crouched low, then launched himself forward — the Tear's warmth flooding his veins like molten sunlight. His leap took him not toward the safety of the bridge, but toward the Wyrm itself.
For a flash, he thought he saw its eyes widen, as if surprised by his audacity.
CLASH! The impact shook the very air.
Kairo's hands closed around one of the Wyrm's horns, golden energy surging from his palms straight into the creature's body. It shuddered in pain, the roar echoing so deep it made the old bridge ruins quake. Still, its tail lashed out, catching Kairo mid-swing and hurling him into the maelstrom of wind.
He spun through the air — until the Tear flared again.
A voice welled up inside him:
"Rise, Child of Dust… prove the sky is yours."
His descent slowed, and his boots found the slick, floating remnants of the bridge. The Wyrm lunged in, jaws wide.
Kairo's mind burst with instinct — not his own.
His left hand raised just as the Wyrm's teeth closed, and an arc-shaped barrier of pure golden light roared into existence. The force of the impact was like a mountain collapsing, but the barrier held, humming with that strange heartbeat he'd felt the moment he first touched the Tear.
Energy spilled into the night, scattering sparks over the churning river like falling stars.
Lyren's voice cut through: "You're not fighting it… you're fighting yourself! Listen to the Tear!"
He didn't have time to argue — but her words dug roots into his mind.
The Wyrm pulled back, its body curling into a tight coil in midair before it unleashed a gust of frozen mist. The blast struck like knives, cutting into his armor and biting at his skin. Kairo stumbled, shivering, each breath a jagged cloud — and yet… warmth still pulsed in his chest.
He clenched his fists. "Alright," he murmured to the Tear, "If we're doing this… we're doing it together."
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Golden light swallowed his outline. The air lifted him once again, but now it felt deliberate, his own will intertwined with the Tear's.
With a burst of momentum, he shot upward — faster than the Wyrm could react — and slammed into the crook between its wings. The scales burned under the force, the heat leaving glowing lines across its hide like battle scars granted in an instant.
The creature shrieked, and in that cry, Kairo heard words hidden beneath the roar:
"You… are not the one…"
Whether it meant to deny him or challenge him further, Kairo couldn't tell. He focused, both hands pressed into its back, channeling every trembling ounce of his strength into the Tear's light.
And then — the call changed.
The Wyrm screamed, wavered, and its once vicious wings faltered. Slowly, painfully, it lowered itself toward the broken bridge.
Kairo leapt off before they landed, hitting the ground hard and rolling to a crouch. The Wyrm lay before him, chest heaving, the moonlight now casting its scales in shades of pale blue instead of midnight black.
Its massive head lowered until its eyes met his — deep and ageless, now softened by something he couldn't name.
"Trial… passed," the Wyrm's voice rumbled in his mind. "Your fire is not yet whole… but it will be."
Before Kairo could speak, the creature's figure dissolved into a storm of glowing motes — swirling around him before vanishing into the Tear itself, which pulsed faintly as though contented.
He stood there for a long moment, the night quiet except for the murmur of the river. His breath was ragged, but somewhere beneath the exhaustion was a feeling both terrifying and exhilarating:
The world had just changed.
And so had he.
Lyren approached slowly, eyes wide but smiling. "Looks like bloodwater's got a new legend tonight."
Kairo exhaled, a grin tugging at his lips. "Let's hope I can live up to it."