As the wind continued to blow aggressively, Sora stood tall, staring directly at Teshii. His grey hair fluttered wildly in the gusts, but his eyes remained steady – calm and focused. A faint smile curled on his lips.
He opened his mouth, ready to explain–
Until–
"Oi!"
Ikazuchi's voice cut through the howling wind like a blade.
Sora blinked, turning his head to Ikazuchi, tilting it slightly in confusion.
"Huh?"
Ikazuchi stood with his arms crossed, visibly shivering as the wind whipped around him.
"C-Can you stop the f*cking wind already?"
Sora blinked again – then his eyes lit up with realization.
"Oh! Right, sorry."
He lifted his hand calmly, manipulating the Element of Air with a fluid motion. The aggressive winds gradually died down, calming into a gentle breeze.
The sudden shift in air pressure was almost immediate – leaves settled, and clothing stopped flapping, and everyone finally caught their breath.
"…Thank you," Ikazuchi muttered under his breath, brushing his fingers through his now-settled hair.
Sora chuckled softly, then turned his head back to Teshii with a renewed smile.
"Okay, um… you see…"
Literally Last Week…
In the same city near the university, Sora – wearing his high school uniform – walked through the bustling streets. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and his backpack hung loosely off one shoulder.
He let out a heavy sigh.
"What a long day of school…" he muttered, his voice laced with fatigue.
His expression darkened, a shadow passing over his green eyes.
Where should I go now?
I… don't really want to… go home.
A flash of memory darted through his mind – an image of three women, slightly older than him. Their faces were blurry, but the weight they left on him was anything but.
I seriously don't want to see them again…
Let alone let them do those nasty things to me.
Then–
BUMP!
Sora accidentally collided with a passing woman.
"Oh! Sorry, young man!" the woman said quickly, clearly apologetic.
But…
Sora froze in place.
He instinctively took a step back. His reaction wasn't because he disliked the woman – it was fear. Pure, silent fear.
"Y-Y-Yeah… it's fine," he said quickly, his voice trembling as he continued walking, forcing himself forward with uncertain steps.
Where am I even going?
Do I even have a path?
His eyes lowered toward his hand. He slowly raised it – and–
FWOOOSH!
A gentle, invisible current of wind swirled around his fingers. The air responded to him like a loyal companion. His narrowed eyes stared into the wind he summoned.
I wonder…
If there are other people like me out there?
Suddenly–
Breaking News!
Sora froze mid-step and turned his head to the left, where a TV behind a shop window had switched to a live broadcast.
There have been three mysterious phenomena reported across Japan!
Sora tilted his head, confused.
"Three phenomena?" he muttered to himself
The screen displayed three separate images, each labelled with a timestamp and location. The broadcaster zoomed in on the first image – an enormous thunderbolt crashing down on a hillside.
Here is an image from a few months ago. As you can see, a massive thunderbolt struck this hill. But this wasn't a normal thunderbolt. According to local witness, the lightning struck the exact same sport repeatedly, and the energy seemed… uncontrollable.
Sora crossed his arms, watching closely. A few people around also stopped to stare at the screen, curiosity drawing them in.
"A thunderbolt hitting the same spot over and over?" one of them said, scratching their head.
"That can't be too strange, right?" another replied. "Sometimes lightning does that."
Sora continued listening, taking in both the news and the public's reactions.
They might be right…
Maybe it really was just lightning…
Then the screen shifted to the second image – a snow-covered mountain.
This next image comes from a northern region, showing a series of strange glacier formations along a mountain slope. Some experts believe this could be frozen rainfall… but the shape and distribution of these glaciers have led to speculation. Could something else be at play?
Sora's brows furrowed. His gaze locked on the image.
Could this… be a sign of someone else with powers like mine?
Wait, no… it could still be natural weather. Like the news said, maybe it's just frozen rain.
But then the final image appeared.
And Sora's heart skipped a beat.
It showed sand – floating mid-air. Spiralling around, defying gravity.
Sora's eyes widened in shock.
Is that sand… levitating?
In this final image, you'll notice something even stranger than the floating sand. Right here–
The camera zoomed in.
There appears to be a person… standing at the centre of it all.
The image focused on a figure amidst the swirling sands, as if commanding them with unseen hands.
Sora's breath caught in his throat.
No way!
There IS someone like me!
A grin slowly formed on his face, a rare, bright flicker of hope shining in his green eyes.
"Okay!" Sora whispered to himself. "Starting tomorrow… I'm leaving that place. I'm going to find them!"
His voice turned quieter, firmer.
"I'm not staying there anymore. I seriously don't want to deal with those people at home."
He spun around and took a determined step forward–
BUMP!
Sora stumbled backward and hit the ground softly.
"Ugh… ow…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up to apologize – "Sor–"
His words cut off as his eyes widened.
The person he'd bumped into… was a woman.
"Are you okay?" she asked kindly, extending her hand to help him.
Sora's body stiffened. His lips trembled.
"Y-Yeah," he mumbled quickly, getting up on his own without accept her hand. He bowed slightly and darted away, leaving her and the crowd behind.
As he ran, his expression shifted – excitement replaced by unease.
Those three…
They really affected me.
Back to the Present…
Sora scratched the back of his head as he explained how he knew about the Elements.
"So, yeah…" Sora chuckled. "When I saw those images on the news, I thought there were other people like me. So I went to the hill, the mountains, and the sand dunes to try and find them. But every time I got there… you guys were already gone. And now… I've finally found you."
"I see," Teshii said, smirking.
"YOU WENT TO MY HOUSE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION?!" Ikazuchi said.
Teshii reacted quickly covering Ikazuchi's mouth.
"You're an interesting one, Zephyr."
Ikazuchi pushes Teshii's hand of his mouth and stepped back, looking away, arms crossed.
Then–
"Teshii."
Moriya, arms crossed, called out to him.
Teshii turned his head toward Moriya. "What is it, Woody?"
Then – Teshii paused, blinking, as if a new thought struck him.
"You know what, actually? Woody is a shi*t name," he said, putting a thoughtful hand on his chin. "How about Timber?"
Moriya just stared at Teshii in disbelief… but ultimately let it go.
"After Chameleon disguised himself as Sora earlier," Moriya said, "can we really trust this one?"
Sora blinked, surprised. "That guy… disguised himself as me?"
"Yeah," Reito nodded. "His power lets him change his appearance to match other people."
Sora's expression shifted to sheer disbelief. "What?!"
Teshii chuckled, then turned his attention back to Moriya.
"To answer your stupid question, Timber – yes, we can trust Zephyr. Remember? We felt that surge of elemental energy when he was nearby."
"That's right," Moriya muttered, now recalling the moment.
Teshii turned his gaze back to Sora. "Okay, Zephyr. We're heading back to the safehouse. Once we're there, we'll explain everything to you."
Sora's eyes lit up, and he gave another bow. "Yes! Thank you very much, sir!"
"But–"
Sora looked up at him, confused. "But what, sir?"
"I'll have to get Bossman and Bosslady to contact your parents," Teshii said, crossing his arms. "You are still a high schooler, after all."
Meanwhile in the Tomita Estate…
Hikaru stood just outside the estate gates, waiting for them to open. He stared at the massive building in front of him – the grand Tomita Estate – with the vast tribal forest, where Moriya lived, stretching out behind it.
I still can't believe the girl I like – Mei – lives here.
Then–
BZZZT-CLNK!
Hikaru's eyes widened as the gates slowly began to open.
Huh?
He took a deep breath and stepped inside. The cobblestone path beneath his feet crunched gently as he made his way toward the main building. And there – standing right at the front entrance – was Yuki Osamu, the head maid of the Tomita Estate.
The moment she saw Hikaru approaching, she immediately bowed with grace and respect.
"Welcome, Master Hiikaru."
Hikaru smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
"Um, Yuki… like I said before, you can drop the 'Master' bit. Just Hikaru is fine."
Then – his eyes widened slightly. He noticed something different.
Yuki's face no longer wore that distant, sorrowful look she used to have. Her expression had softened – radiating warmth, peace, and quiet joy. Ever since she reunited with her son, Reito, she had become a completely different person – lighter, more at ease.
She offered a soft smile and extended a gentle gesture toward the door.
"Please come in, Master Hikaru. Miss Mei is waiting for you."
Hikaru nodded, stepping forward toward the building. As he passed her, he gave Yuki a quiet smile of his own.
I'm so glad Yuki has found happiness again… ever since reuniting with Reito.
As Hikaru waited for Mei in the living room, he glanced around and noticed a framed photo resting neatly on a nearby shelf – a younger Mei with her parents.
Even back then… she was very adorable.
He turned slightly, his nose picking up a distinct and soothing aroma drifting through the air.
The smell of herbal tea is so nice.
Then–
CREAK…
The door to the living room slowly opened. Hikaru turned his head toward the sound.
It was Mei, dressed casually in her volleyball hoodie.
"Hikaru!" she called out with a warm smile.
Hikaru smiled back and walked toward her.
"How are you, Mei?"
"I'm great, Hikaru. How about you?" Mei asked, a faint blush already tinting her cheeks.
"I'm great also," Hikaru replied, cheeks reddening just the same.
An awkward silence fell between them.
Both looked away at the same time, flustered.
Mei's blush deepened into a brighter red.
This… is so awkward.
She turned her gaze back to Hikaru.
"So… you said you wanted to talk about something?
Hikaru looked at her and nodded slowly.
"Yeah… that's right."
Mei's eyes suddenly widened as a realization struck her.
Wait?! Is he… going to ask me to be his girlfriend?!
B-But… I-I…
"Mei," Hikaru said gently.
Mei looked directly into his eyes, her blush still glowing across her cheeks.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
If he is… asking me out… I'm definitely going to say yes.
Hikaru is the love of my life after all.
"You see…" Hikaru began.
After Hikaru explained everything to Mei about the situation…
"I see," Mei said, her lips curling into a pout. "I honestly thought… never mind."
"Yeah," Hikaru nodded. "Aoi wanted you to come with me to talk with her."
"But why though?" Mei asked.
A faint flush of pink appeared on Hikaru's cheeks.
"T-That's because…" Hikaru muttered, looking away awkwardly. "Aoi thought you and I were dating."
"W-Wha?!" Mei exclaimed, her face suddenly flustered and red.
"She didn't want you to get the wrong idea," Hikaru explained.
"O-Oh… is that so?" Mei murmured, voice quieter now.
Silence settled between them once again.
Both Hikaru and Mei looked away from each other, their blushes deepening, the awkward tension slowly building.
"If that's the case…" Mei said softly. "I don't mind going with you to Aoi's home."
Hikaru blinked, surprised.
"You don't?"
"Yeah," Mei nodded. "I really have nothing to do today. But… if it was a day with you, I'll b–"
Then–
Hikaru suddenly gave Mei a tight, heartfelt hug.
Mei's face turned red – redder than ever, like a ripe tomato.
"H-Hikaru!" she stammered.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Mei!" Hikaru said, holding her tightly. "I love you so much, Mei! If only I had the bravery to ask you to be my girlfriend!"
Silence, once again.
"H-Huh?" Mei whispered, her entire face glowing red, completely stunned – on the verge of passing out from Hikaru's unexpected confession.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!