The morning was dull when Eren and Leylin emerged from the Black Forest, the cold wind whipping their faces, carrying the scent of smoke and ash, as if the earth itself was breathing from the pain of the previous night.
They walked silently through the trees, a tired look evident in Leylin's eyes, but the golden flame still flickered faintly at her fingertips.
Eren looked at her, the wings of the wind fluttering quietly behind him.
"Can you feel its power?"
She raised her hand and looked at her flame.
"It's here... my sister's fire... but it's incomplete, something is missing."
Eren nodded.
"We must return to the Windy Stronghold. We'll need everything we have before the next confrontation."
The journey back was long, but the wind seemed to open the way for them, pushing the branches away and carrying the early morning birdsong as if to protect them.
They arrived at the Valley of the Winds at sunset, where Zerath was waiting for them at the entrance, leaning on his staff, his gray eyes filled with questions.
"You've returned..."
He said in a quiet voice.
Lylin stepped forward, showing the golden flame flickering in her hand.
"I've recovered part of it, but it's unstable."
Zerath nodded and looked at Eren, who unleashed a blast of wind around him, sweeping away the dust from the ground and shaking the grasses.
"I've grown stronger, Eren."
But Eren was silent for a moment before saying,
"Nazar isn't finished yet... There's something new coming."
Zerath's expression softened slightly, and he closed his eyes.
"It's the Black Ash... The Hunters last used it fifty years ago, when the previous Wind Heir tried to break the Wind Chains."
Leylin and Eren exchanged glances, and Leylin asked, "What is Black Ash?"
Zerath slowly opened his eyes and said, "It's the remnant of ancient shadow spirits, capable of devouring fire and transforming it into shadows, and breaking and corrupting the wind... It's more than just a weapon, it's a curse."
Leylin stepped forward, the flame trembling in her hand. "Then we must face it... There's no escape."
Zerath placed his hand on Eren's shoulder.
"But to face Black Ash, you must open your bonds even further. The union of wind and fire is not merely an attack, but a protection, a strength, and a stability."
The three of them sat in the central training ground of the Windy Stronghold, where the winds constantly swirled between the stone pillars, carrying echoes of the Inheritors who had come before them.
🍃 Wind and Fire Training:
Eren closed his eyes, feeling the wind pulse within his chest, while Leylin stood opposite him, extending her hand, the flame burning gently within it.
"Let the wind pass through you... Let it breathe with my flame."
Leylin whispered.
Wins of golden flame stretched between her hands and Eren's, while the wind began to swirl around them, extinguishing the excess heat and keeping the flame steady.
Warmth surged through Eren's chest as he felt the heat of the fire within his wind for the first time, without it burning him, but instead giving him strength and stability.
"This...is different."
He said, opening his eyes, seeing a band of flame and wind swirling around their hands.
Leylin smiled, a warm tear falling from her eye.
"Only then will we be ready for the Black Ashes."
At that moment, a strong wind blew, and the golden flame lit up within the wind, filling the entire arena with a warm light.
Zerath watched silently as the wind stroked his white beard.
"You have begun the true path... Prepare, for facing the Black Ash will be a test of whether fire and wind are truly worthy of freedom."
That night, Eren and Leylin slept beneath a star-filled sky, but the winds still blew gently around their stronghold, guarding them. A small golden flame glowed in Leylin's hand, pulsing with the winds... preparing for the day the Black Ashes would come to devour everything.
But this time... they were ready.