In April 515, Markus walked in the training hall in the early hours of the morning. He was a stage three: Learned of the Wind.
Only when he walked in, he found himself surrounded by eleven people. The members of the student council. They were here to stage an intervention.
"This cannot keep going, President Markus Windwave. You can either listen to us and change or we will unburden you from your role and replace you." June said
"What..? You want to rise up against me?" Markus asked incredulously, his essence rushing up in him.
"I'm invoking my first right to force you to listen to reason." Anax said
Instantly Markus' consciousness was pulled inwardly and he found himself in a white void.
"Imagine a setting for us." Anax said
"Where are we..?" Markus asked
"Your mental plain. A realm— or rather a field, that is within your mind. This is an imperial power that anyone with the smallest fragment of celestial energy can invoke." Anax said
Markus thought of a familiar place, the training hall.
Instantly he found himself in that hall. Then he saw a man's figure there. He was in his forties. He was muscular and was 190cm tall. He had a white skin tone with black hair and black irises. He stood tall with an imperial dignity and stance. His clothes were lavish and luxurious, a double breasted black suit with streaks of red which matched the aura he exuded.
He was none other than Emperor Anax. The Seventh Emperor of Destruction.
"We finally met face to face." Anax said, approaching Markus
"This is what you look like?" Markus asked as he looked Anax up and down
"Indeed. Now onto you. As of recently you have become obsessed and negligent. You have lost your way, in an albeit difficult position. However, falling deeper into your path now will only doom you. You cannot ascend this way. So I suggest you change your plans. Help them. Return to your duties and hope that the wind will guide you on your right path. Even if you were to fight them, you would lose. You cannot even use whirlwind anymore can you? There is no more trust between the wind and yourself. Unless you plan to lose your connection to the wind altogether, change. As per our promise, you must consider this." Anax said
"I am considering it! Along with my execution in two months! Or did you forget about it. If I don't keep at it and try to become an expert— both of us are dead in two months!" Markus shouted
"Do you know the definition of insanity?" He asked
"What does that even—" Markus began to say before he was interrupted
"It is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. You can deny it till your death but eventually you have to accept it. Forcing the wind is a losing battle. Unless the wind wants you to use it, and wants you to advance, you will not. It is a force of nature beyond your control. So stop trying to meditate, train and await the whispers of the wind in a forsaken hall. It's time you did something different. It's time you change." He said
Markus was stunned for a while. The ghost of the last emperor was at times useful but it was never this helpful. This… determined to guide him.
"Why are you getting involved? Why do you care—" Markus asked
"Because you will die this way. I aim to avoid your certain death." Anax said solemnly
Markus was stunned for a while. Anax was many things but he did not joke about death. And certainly he was not joking now. So Markus was forced to think and consider.
Under the confines of their promise, Markus thought about it in detail. It was unknown what exactly was going on inside his head and although time had been vastly accelerated in this mental world, a few moments still passed in the real world.
Eventually Markus spoke to Anax again.
"I've been a shitty president and an even shittier wind user. The wind is all about control and submission yet I've been trying to force myself into the next rank. I promised to serve the students and win. I promised to do my best. I swore to myself I'd stick by the people who helped me… I've broken every promise…" Markus said softly
"You have." Anax said
"And it only took you several hours inside this realm to figure that out." He added
"Is it too late?" Markus asked
"Maybe. Maybe not. But change must happen now." Anax said as his figure began to fade from the training room
Markus' essence had run out and he was ejected from his mental plain back into the real world.
"We don't want it. But we must do something. We planned to have a competition against the Royal Academy of the Capital in the central region in four weeks. We have not completed the paperwork nor hired instructors or gained insight into our opponents! We need to learn from our mistakes and change if we want to have a chance." Triss said, standing against him
"This can't go on anymore Markus. Assume your duties or withdraw." Helen said tightly
"… I can't stop. Stopping is not an option for me… but I can't go on like this. You are right— I've not behaved like a president. I did not even think about buying information, ensuring you all are prepared or even bothered to check in with anyone. I'm tired of failing. But at least you all can have a chance at winning. I cannot help you in this next battle. But I will do my best to help you before it. If you'll allow me that is. I'm sorry everyone. Let me fix this mess and do what I should have done." Markus said, bowing before them
They were stunned.
Half of them expected nothing. Whilst the other half came here for a fight. Instead they got an apology and promise to change—
"He's telling the truth…" Amy said.
One could use the wind to detect if someone was lying. A change in their breathing, an acceleration of it due to increased heartbeats, usually indicated someone was lying, or at least highly distressed.
Markus was calm. Certain.
"Markus… let's get to work." Helen said, placing her hand on his shoulder and raising him from his bowed position
Markus left the training hall and went to the student council chambers. Grabbing drafting papers, he began to create the paperwork for the competition against the Royal Academy.
With it, he called for elite instructors of every element to come in and assist the members.
Then he drafted one more thing. A resignation statement.
After he made all three, he went over to Amy.
"Please review these." He said as he gave Amy the first two
"Wait can we—" Amy said
"I'm sorry Amanda. But it was a mistake for me to get involved with you. Let's move forward and let it remain in the past." Markus said as he looked her in the eyes
'I cannot let you get drawn into my world. Even if it hurts us both.' Markus said, holding his own grief back
He then turned to Helen, who was dealing with a stack of papers.
"I will handle those. In the meantime I want you to have this." He said as he handed over a signed resignation letter
"Are you resigning? But I thought—" she began to say
"For the day where I am no longer fit to do my duties. I left the date blank so all you have to do is fill in the date and give it to the headmistress. That's my commitment." Markus said
"… this means more than you think." She said
Markus nodded and took the stack of papers. After several hours Amy stopped by.
"It's all sent. We await the royal academy's response but the instructors will come next week. But why did you ask them to disclose their competitors in the paperwork?" She asked
"I'm not sure sending spies to the capital is a good choice."
Markus said
"That is true. I'll see if there are any willing sources." She said before taking her leave
Markus spent two whole days on paperwork. However once he did get out, he walked the halls and saw the people stare at him.
"He's finally quit?" Some students asked in whispers
"Doesn't he hold his head too high after losing?" Others said in louder whispers
As Markus kept walking, he saw two young men brawling. Both upperclassmen who were about to graduate.
"Break it up." Markus said
"Shut it pipsqueak." One of them said
Markus called upon the winds but he felt… almost nothing.
Forcing himself had caused him to diverge from the true path of the wind.
So Markus did not call on the wind. Instead he let his essence flow around the two guys and then solidified it, creating a mould around them and locking them in place.
"Please call the guards over." He said to one of the students
When the guards arrived he released his essence and let the guards finish the job.
A while later, he knocked at a massive wooden door.
"Come in." The headmistress said
"Good morning headmistress. I would like some advice." Markus said with a bow
"Oh? You seem… changed. You are not a stage four yet— and isolated from the wind. You're here and ask me how to reconnect yourself to the wind?" She asked
"I am aware elites are attuned to the world and their element to a great level. I would like to ask how that works." He said
"The fifth principle is synchronisation. You must show control and chaos within yourself and strike this balance. You do this by sensing how the wind itself is swayed by the influence you exert and adapt by introducing more aggression and chaos or withdrawing your influence and allowing yourself to be guided. Naturally this requires the whispers of the wind, the intuition which is needed to become an expert." She said
"Thank you. Although I cannot sense it, I know as of recently I've been too harsh and chaotic with my use of wind. I suppose I must now wait to be guided." He said
"Indeed. But can you afford to wait?" She asked
"… I've no choice but to wait. Thank you for your wisdom." He said before leaving
"You spoke with Anax again, didn't you." She asked
"I did." Markus said as he left
Back in the halls, he saw the gazes.
Bearing them, he continued forth.
Five days later, four elites had arrived. They began to instruct the members of the executive council.
Markus meanwhile was inaugurating a new club.
"By the authority of the student council, I announce the creation of the club of companion mediation." Markus said as he allowed a new club to be created
This new club allowed students to pair with animal creatures and meditate together, bringing more balance to the student meditating as the compatible companion enhanced the effectiveness of meditation.
Markus himself was the first to release his essence. He drew in a white dove. Meditating together, Markus felt the freedom of a bird. The same freedom which was closely tied to the wind. And this fragment of freedom loosened the strain between himself and the wind.
It was not much. But it was something. Changes were underway and at full speed ahead.