Lucas’s vision flickered.

  A translucent panel slid into place at the edge of his awareness, bright and insistent in that way only system notifications ever were, like they were proud of themselves for existing.

  He glanced at it just long enough to register the skill.

  [Aerial Heart: Windprincess]

  Type: 7-Legendary (Inherent)

  Effect:

  The caster manifests as a Wind-aligned Magical Vessel (body).

  While active, the caster gains free-form control of ambient wind, allowing instinctive manipulation of airflow, pressure, direction, and momentum within perception range. The wind responds to intent rather than command.

  Damage to the caster is reduced. The caster’s redirection, disruption, and movement efficiency is greatly amplified.

  Duration: 3 hours

  Cooldown: None

  Limits:

  ? Requires emotional resonance.

  ? Overextension causes rapid mana exhaustion and loss of fine control.

  * This skill is inherent and does not count toward the skill limit.

  Info: Wind does not crush. It moves things to where they were never meant to stand.

  “Later,” Lucas muttered, and with a sharp mental shove he dismissed the entire thing before the system could finish congratulating him.

  The Fire Bear roared again, closer now, heat rolling off its body in waves that bent the air. Ash lifted from its fur with every movement, embers dropping to the ground and hissing where they landed. It lowered its head and charged, each step shaking the clearing as if the ground itself wanted to get out of the way.

  Lucas didn’t think.

  He moved.

  The wind caught him instinctively, not lifting him so much as unweighting him, peeling friction away from his feet so the first step carried him farther than it should have. He slid sideways, skirts snapping, boots barely touching the earth as the Fire Bear thundered past where he’d been standing a heartbeat earlier.

  Heat washed over him anyway, biting at his skin, but not fully. The air thickened between him and the beast, pressure shifting, the wind leaning in like a shield that didn’t block so much as misdirect.

  “Oh,” Lucas breathed, startled despite himself.

  He flicked his wrist.

  There was no incantation or a spell rune. Just intent and the wind answered.

  A blade of compressed air snapped forward, striking the Fire Bear’s flank with a sharp crack. Fur and embers exploded outward, the force enough to stagger it half a step.

  Its HP barely moved.

  Lucas grimaced. “Right. Of course.”

  The bear turned on him instantly, eyes burning brighter, irritation radiating off it like a second heat source. It swiped, a massive claw tearing through the space he’d occupied as Lucas darted backward, the wind tugging him just out of reach, boots skimming over roots and stones without catching.

  He attacked again, another slice, then another, arcing gusts that struck from different angles, aiming for joints, eyes, anything that looked even remotely vulnerable.

  Each hit landed, and… did almost nothing.

  The Fire Bear snarled, fur flaring as flames surged higher, embers whipping outward in a widening halo. The wind parted around the heat automatically, redirecting sparks away from Lucas’s face, but the creature was learning, adjusting, turning its bulk to keep its vital areas protected.

  “Okay,” Lucas said, breath steady despite his pulse racing. “So we’re not crushing.”

  The bear charged again.

  Lucas leapt, not up, but sideways, the wind catching him midair and slinging him in a tight arc around the beast’s shoulder. He landed lightly, spun, his skirts fluttering, and he sent a concentrated burst of pressure straight into the Fire Bear’s ear.

  The bear howled, rearing back, more enraged than hurt.

  The clearing scorched under its fury.

  Lucas skidded backward as a blast of heat rolled toward him, the wind buckling under the sudden intensity. He felt resistance for the first time, not pain exactly, but strain, like pushing against a current that didn’t want to yield.

  He clenched his jaw. “I need power.”

  That was the moment when a crow landed on his shoulder. Not gently, but confidently, like it had always belonged there.

  “Caw!”

  Lucas shot it a glare without slowing down, feet skimming over scorched earth as the Fire Bear’s charge tore a smoking trench through the clearing behind him. “Yes,” he snapped breathlessly, “I know. I need power!”

  The crow tilted its head, unbothered, feathers ruffling once to keep balance as Lucas pivoted hard, the wind catching him just in time to avoid a snapping jaw that closed where his torso had been a heartbeat earlier.

  Saevrin’s voice slid into his mind, smooth and maddeningly pleased.

  You now have a bonded companion, the god murmured. Corvael. And power you shall have.

  A new panel bloomed into existence at the edge of Lucas’s vision.

  [Heartcleave: Saevrin Kiss]

  Type: 6-Marvel

  Effect:

  The caster condenses wind along a curved path and releases it in a razor-thin arc.

  The resulting wind blade ignores minor resistances and deals high slashing damage based on control precision. The attack prioritizes clean severance over impact; armor and natural defenses are cut rather than battered.

  Activation requires a verbal incantation spoken aloud: “Kiss of the wind!”

  Cooldown: 12 seconds

  Limits:

  ? Requires active [Aerial Heart: Windprincess]

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  ? Failed incantations result in reduced damage and unstable trajectory

  Info: The wind does not roar. It leans close… and then decides where you end.

  He didn’t dismiss it this time and read while running.

  The Fire Bear slammed into a tree behind him, bark exploding outward in a spray of embers and splinters. Lucas vaulted sideways, the wind carrying him in a shallow arc that barely cleared the blast of heat as his eyes skimmed the text, his brain filing it away with desperate energy.

  Heartcleave.

  Marvel-tier.

  Verbal activation.

  Lucas felt his soul leave his body a little. “No,” he muttered aloud, skidding to a halt as the Fire Bear turned, enraged, flames flaring higher. “No, no, no. I have to say it?” Corvael cawed enthusiastically, wings spreading just enough to keep balance, as if this was the best idea anyone had ever had.

  Lucas groaned. “Of course you’re into this.” The Fire Bear charged again, and Lucas ran straight at it.

  At the last second, he dropped low; the wind flattening beneath him like an invisible slope, and he slid between the creature’s legs as heat blasted overhead. He popped back up behind it, spun, and forced himself to breathe.

  Clear space.

  Timing.

  He raised his right hand.

  “…Kiss of the wind!” he shouted, hating every syllable.

  Four runes snapped into existence around his palm, pale blue, rotating in perfect synchrony. Lucas felt a tug inside his mind, a pull like something asking permission.

  He didn’t hesitate.

  Yes.

  The wind leaned. A curved blade of pressure tore free, silent and precise, arcing across the Fire Bear’s flank. There was no explosion, no roar, just a clean, horrifying slice as burning fur parted like wet cloth.

  The Fire Bear screamed.

  Its HP dropped in a visible chunk this time.

  Lucas’s breath hitched. “…Oh.”

  The bear whirled on him, fury shining now, flames surging outward in a shockwave that turned the clearing into an oven. Lucas darted back, wind screaming around him as he narrowly avoided a claw that would have pulped him outright.

  Cooldown ticking.

  Twelve seconds.

  The Fire Bear lunged, jaws snapping.

  Lucas ran up.

  The wind caught him and threw him vertically, boots leaving the ground as he spiraled over the creature’s head, heat licking at his skirts. He twisted midair, landed in a crouch, and sprinted as the Fire Bear smashed down where he’d been, claws burying themselves in scorched soil.

  He risked a glance at the cooldown.

  Almost.

  The Fire Bear reared back, flames condensing around its chest.

  “Don’t you dare,” Lucas hissed.

  He leapt sideways as a cone of fire blasted through the clearing, the wind buckling but holding, redirecting the worst of it just enough that Lucas came out singed instead of dead. He hit the ground rolling, came up on one knee, arm already lifting.

  “Kiss of the wind!”

  The runes snapped back into place.

  This time, Lucas aimed higher.

  The blade curved upward, slicing cleanly through the Fire Bear’s neck fur and across one burning ear. The severance wasn’t deep enough to kill, but it hurt, and more importantly, it destabilized the creature’s balance.

  The Fire Bear stumbled, roaring in pain and rage.

  Its HP dipped again.

  Lucas didn’t stop moving.

  He sprinted, wind tearing at his ribbons, dodging another desperate swipe that shredded a tree instead. The Fire Bear was slower now, movements heavier, flames flickering unevenly as its body struggled to compensate for damage it couldn’t simply burn away.

  Cooldown.

  Almost ready.

  The bear charged one last time, a straight, furious rush meant to crush him outright.

  Lucas ran directly toward it.

  At the last moment, he jumped, and the wind caught him, flinging him sideways in a tight spiral that carried him past the creature’s shoulder. He twisted mid-flight, arm extended, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might rip free of his chest.

  “Kiss of the wind!”

  The runes flared bright, and Lucas accepted the pull fully this time, not resisting, not questioning.

  The blade carved a perfect arc across the Fire Bear’s chest, severing muscle, cutting through heat and hide alike, slicing clean. The creature staggered, took two more steps on sheer momentum, and then collapsed in a smoking heap that shook the clearing when it hit.

  Silence followed.

  The flames guttered, then died. Lucas stood there, chest heaving, arm still extended, skirts fluttering gently as the wind slowly relaxed around him. Corvael settled more comfortably on his shoulder, feathers sleek, utterly satisfied.

  The system chimed.

  [Attention! Trial: Fire Bear defeated.]

  Lucas let his arm fall and laughed, a little hysterical. “I… cannot believe that worked.”

  Corvael cawed proudly.

  Lucas glanced down at his transformed body, then at the fallen beast, then up at the canopy swaying gently overhead.

  “…Pearl is never letting this go,” he muttered.

  The system did not wait for him to recover, because a new notice burned itself across Lucas’s vision, bright and merciless.

  [Attention! Trial: Defeat 5x Fire Bear]

  Lucas opened his mouth. “Nope—”

  Fire flared in the distance.

  Heat rolled through the trees in a low, angry wave, leaves shriveling as orange light pulsed between trunks far ahead. Lucas swallowed, the protest dying in his throat as instinct took over and his feet began moving.

  He reached the edge of the next clearing and stopped.

  Five Fire Bears stood there.

  Not illusions, or weaker copies. Five massive, burning hulks, each one identical to the monster he’d barely survived moments ago. Embers drifted from their fur like snow made of sparks. The ground beneath them was scorched black, cracked and smoking, and the air shimmered with heat distortion.

  Lucas felt something cold slide down his spine. “How,” he breathed, voice small despite the wind circling him, “am I supposed to win?”

  Corvael shifted on his shoulder. Then the crow let out, “Caw!”

  Another panel slid into view, and this time Lucas didn’t flinch. He read it with the focus that only came when panic and possibility collided.

  [Saevrin’s Favor: Heartstorm Field]

  Type: 6-Marvel

  Effect:

  The caster establishes a localized stormwind field centered on themselves.

  Within the field, shifting currents amplify ranged attacks made by allies, increasing projectile velocity, accuracy, and effective range.

  Attacks carried by the wind gain improved penetration and stability. Enemies within the field suffer constant directional interference. Movement becomes inefficient, casting precision is degraded, and ranged attacks experience erratic drift and power loss.

  Activation requires a verbal incantation spoken aloud: “Wind, favor me.”

  The wind actively favors allied intent over hostile force.

  Radius: Medium (scales with control)

  Duration: 30 seconds

  Cooldown: 90 seconds

  Limits:

  ? Requires active [Aerial Heart: Windprincess].

  Info: The storm does not rage. It chooses sides.

  [Flutterstep: Gale Skip]

  Type: 6-Marvel

  Effect:

  The caster is instantly displaced along a wind-carved path, moving at extreme speed to a target location within short range.

  The movement is treated as continuous airflow rather than teleportation. The caster ignores terrain interference, minor obstacles, and ground-based hazards during displacement. Direction may be adjusted mid-motion through intent.

  Activation requires a verbal incantation spoken aloud: “Flutter—go!”

  Activation produces a visible burst of petals and wind ribbons.

  Cooldown: 10 seconds

  Limits:

  ? Requires active [Aerial Heart: Windprincess]

  ? Cannot pass through solid barriers or sealed spaces

  ? Repeated rapid use causes loss of spatial precision.

  Info: Windprincess does not run. The wind carries her where she needs to be.

  Lucas let out a breath that was almost a laugh. “O-okay,” he said, voice trembling once before steadying. “I can work with this. BEARS!”

  As he yelled, the Fire Bears roared back as one; the sound crashing through the clearing like a physical force. Flames flared higher, heat slamming into the trees, bark blackening where the shockwave hit.

  Lucas stepped forward. Not cautiously, or hesitantly.

  He glided.

  The wind carried him into the clearing in a smooth, effortless sweep, boots barely touching the scorched ground as petals of pale blue and white spiraled around him, caught in invisible currents. His outfit fluttered with every movement, ribbons snapping and streaming behind him like banners, hair lifting into a shining arc as the air itself seemed eager to show him off.

  The Fire Bears hesitated.

  The way their movements grew heavier the closer they came. The way the flames bent strangely, heat pushed aside instead of crashing into him directly. The storm wasn’t raging.

  He lifted his chin, and the wind curled around his shoulders, warm and cool at once, alive with intent that wasn’t quite his own but matched it perfectly.

  Lucas raised his hand. “Wind,” he said, voice carrying clearly across the clearing, steady now, no longer small. “Favor me.”

  The words settled into the air like a promise, and the storm chose its side.

  Currents snapped into place around him, invisible lines of force tightening and aligning. Dust and embers were pulled into clean, spiraling paths instead of drifting randomly. The Fire Bears shifted, claws scraping against scorched earth as their footing subtly betrayed them, each step just a little less efficient, each charge just a little more awkward.

  Lucas smiled and took another step forward, skirts fluttering, ribbons snapping in the wind, and for the first time since the trial began, he didn’t feel like he was reacting.

  He was setting the rhythm.

  The Fire Bears roared again and charged.

  Lucas just smiled and countered, “Flutter—go!”

  He moved.

  The wind lifted him, carried him, wrapped him in motion and momentum, and the clearing filled with swirling petals, bending air.

  This will end in just one way.