The temple grounds were quiet that morning, unusually so. Ravon had left for the capital to attend an urgent council meeting, entrusting the trainees to keep up their training and patrol duties. Though they felt confident in their recent progress, Kael couldn't shake a subtle tension in the air. Something felt… off.
As the sun climbed, Elira and Daran prepared for their sparring session. Kael, still wrestling with the shock of nearly being captured by Urshifu and Nyra days ago, was nearby, tending to a meditation circle Ravon had left for them.
"I still think Ravon left us on purpose," Daran said as he flipped into a stance. "A test to see if we can handle ourselves."
Elira rolled her eyes. "He wouldn't leave without a reason. But yeah… maybe he's watching us somehow."
Kael chuckled but remained silent. His thoughts were elsewhere. Ever since the battle in the forest, something had shifted inside him. He'd felt moments—just flashes—of something more than fire. But each time he tried to summon it, the feeling slipped through his fingers like mist.
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A low growl echoed from the entrance of the temple.
"What was that?" Elira said, standing alert.
Kael stood quickly, his instincts already on edge. "Something's coming."
From the shadows beyond the gate, a massive creature emerged. It was like nothing they had seen before—towering, covered in blackened scales that shimmered with dark energy. Smoke poured from its nostrils, but no heat radiated from it. Its eyes glowed with a deep crimson hue.
Daran stepped forward. "I don't like that look. Defensive formation?"
Kael nodded. "Now!"
The three sprang into action. Daran launched a barrage of earth spikes from the ground, aiming to pin the beast's legs. Elira sent gusts of razor-sharp wind, hoping to blind it. Kael, without hesitation, summoned twin pillars of fire and hurled them with all his strength.
But as the flames struck the monster's chest, they dispersed. The fire seemed to dissolve on contact.
"What?" Kael shouted. "It didn't even flinch!"
The beast roared and surged forward, its tail sweeping across the yard like a battering ram. It knocked Daran off his feet and into a stone wall with a grunt. Elira leapt back, narrowly dodging the swipe.
Kael tried again, summoning a concentrated fire blast. Still nothing. The monster charged him this time, and Kael rolled to avoid the crushing strike.
"It's immune," Elira shouted, sending a gust to try and slow it. "To fire—it's absorbing it!"
The three fought with everything they had, but it wasn't enough. Daran's earth walls were shattered. Elira's winds only slowed it slightly. And Kael's strongest fire moves bounced off like pebbles against iron.
Exhausted, bleeding, and cornered, the trio found themselves in the inner sanctum of the temple. The monster roared as it stalked toward them, its intent clear.
It raised a claw and struck Daran aside, sending him unconscious into the rubble. Elira stood protectively in front of Kael, who was still trying to recover his breath.
"Elira, no!" Kael rasped.
She held her ground. "You have to run, Kael. Now."
The creature growled and lifted its claws, ready to strike her down.
And then—it happened.
Kael's eyes widened in horror. The memory flooded back—the moment Urshifu stood over his mother, ready to deliver a final blow. The same helplessness. The same scream stuck in his throat.
"No!!!"
He thrust his hand forward.
And from his palm—not flame—but a powerful stream of water burst forth, glowing with a brilliant blue light. The beam struck the creature square in the chest, knocking it backward into the temple wall with such force that it cracked the stone.
Elira turned, stunned. "Kael… that was—"
Kael stood frozen, his arm still extended, steam rising from his skin as the opposing energies of fire and water clashed within him. For a moment, silence.
The creature staggered to its feet but now seemed wary. It hissed and turned, retreating into the shadows from where it had come.
Kael dropped to his knees, breathing hard, his hand trembling.
Elira knelt beside him. "You did it. That… that was water. You have water powers."
Kael nodded slowly. "It came when I… when I thought I was going to lose you."
Daran groaned from the rubble, waking up just in time to catch the end of the scene. "Did… did Kael just water-bend a monster into next week?"
Elira laughed, tears in her eyes. "Yeah. He did."
Kael looked at his hands, one still warm with fire, the other tingling with the chill of water.
"I think I'm finally starting to understand."
The balance within him had been there all along—fire and water. And now, both had awoken.
He turned back to look at the place the creature had vanished. The damage it left behind—scorched stone, shattered tiles, and the lingering sense of dread—was proof that this was only a taste of what Khaos had planned.
"Next time," Kael said softly, "I'll be ready."
Elira helped him to his feet, and Daran stumbled over, clutching his ribs but smiling. "We might need a few weeks of rest, but hey—at least we didn't die."
Kael smirked. "Thanks to a little water."
But far in the distance, atop a mountain where shadows never lifted, Khaos stood on a balcony overlooking the storm below. The air pulsed with energy.
He clenched his fists.
"So… the water awakens. Interesting."
Beside him, Nyra raised an eyebrow. "You said he was just a fire wielder."
Khaos's eyes narrowed. "I was wrong. And now… we change the game."
He turned to a darkened chamber, where several cloaked figures knelt before a glowing map of the continent. "Prepare the next phase. If Kael is awakening, the others won't be far behind. We strike before the Guardians return."