A Whisper in the Wind

  Arvanya's POV:

  A charged silence settled over the field, thick with anticipation. Muscles tensed. Eyes flickered with unspoken challenges. The air itself buzzed, the crackling tension between us almost tangible, like the split-second before a storm unleashes its fury.

  Sofia’s smirk was razor-sharp as she rolled her shoulders, her confidence as effortless as the water swirling faintly around her fingertips. “We’re not going easy on you, Arvi,” she said, her voice dripping with challenge. “Let’s see if a five-elemental can handle all of us.”

  Nico cracked his knuckles, his grin stretching wide. "This is gonna be fun. One side, Arvi alone; the other, all of us. Let's see if she can take us down." His voice practically vibrated with anticipation, the fire in his veins eager to be unleashed.

  Lila tossed a casual glance my way, but the flicker of competition in her eyes was unmistakable. "I'm not going to let you win that easily. You better bring your A-game," she teased, shifting her weight as if already prepared to lunge.

  Kai stood a step behind them, arms crossed, the very earth beneath him pulsing in quiet agreement. His smile was subtle but knowing, his head tilting slightly as he murmured, “Wonder how long you’ll last, Arvi.”

  Esme let out a short, amused laugh. “You’ve been trained, right?” Her smirk was light, but the expectation behind it was anything but.

  Dante cracked his neck, a flicker of flame curling around his wrist before dissipating. “Let’s see if your five dragons can actually keep up,” he said, his eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and challenge.

  A slow breath filled my lungs, my pulse thrumming in response to the unspoken dare in their words. Beneath my skin, my dragons stirred—heat coiling at my fingertips, the whisper of wind curling through my hair, the grounding presence of earth steadying my stance. Water and nature hummed in tandem, ready to strike.

  Calen, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over us like a judge preparing to pass his verdict. “Alright, enough talk.”

  His voice cut through the tension, crisp and unyielding. “Let’s see who the real winner is. Get your teams ready."

  The ground beneath my feet vibrated as I moved into position. Across from me, Sofia, Nico, Lila, Kai, Esme, and Dante stood in a tight line, their bodies taut with readiness, their elements simmering just beneath the surface.

  With a subtle gesture, Calen pointed to the spot where the barrier marked the limit. He raised the ball, gripping it firm. "First team to score three goals wins."

  His gaze flicked between us. "Let’s make it fair."

  A brief silence settled. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the ball high into the air. It spun, cutting through the wind, a moment of stillness before the inevitable storm.

  As the ball began its descent, Nico was the first to act. With a burst of fiery energy, he flared his fire dragon and swiped at the ball, sending it spiraling toward Dante.

  "Let's see how you handle this, Arvi!" Nico grinned.

  Dante caught the ball with his hands, flames licking at the edges. He reached out with his fire dragon, sending waves of heat to control the ball's movement. The ball spun wildly under his influence, but I wasn't about to let them have it that easily.

  I extended my hand, summoning my water dragon. The moment my fingers brushed the air, a stream of water erupted, pushing the ball toward me. As I caught it with my hands, I could feel the elemental currents surging through me.

  "I've got this!" I yelled, my voice steady as I pushed off the ground, using my air dragon to propel me forward. The wind howled around me, giving me a burst of speed, but Esme was ready.

  With a flick of her fingers, the wind shifted, knocking the ball just beyond my reach. I quickly adjusted, letting my water dragon flow and shifting the ball back into my grasp, but Kai was already moving.

  His earth dragon roared to life. He slammed his fist into the ground, and the earth shook as a massive boulder shot up, sending the ball high into the air. The ball hovered above us, and I knew I had to act fast.

  Lila was quick on her feet, her water dragon's tendrils extending toward the ball. But I wasn't about to let that happen. With a sharp motion, I called on my fire dragon, creating a controlled burst of flames to push the ball away from Lila's reach.

  I snatched it mid-air, twisting my body to avoid a gust of wind from Esme. The ball was now firmly in my hands.

  "Got it!" I shouted, feeling the surge of power from all five dragons running through me. I didn't hesitate—I turned and aimed for the barrier in front of the goal.

  "Not so fast!" Nico shouted, sending a wave of fire toward me, hoping to knock me off course. But I wasn't fazed. I called on my water dragon, and the flames evaporated on contact, sending a mist into the air. The ball was within reach.

  "Goal for Arvi!" Calen called out. "One-nothing!"

  The others groaned in frustration, but they were quick to regroup. They weren't going to let me get away with it that easily.

  "We're not done yet," Dante said, fire crackling around him as he took the ball in his hands and sending a fiery arc toward the goal. "Let's see if we can burn through your defenses!"

  Esme swirled her air dragon around the ball, lifting it into the air and away from Dante's flames. The ball floated, hovering just out of reach as they worked together to control it.

  But I wasn't far behind. I reached out and summoned the winds. The air spiraled around me as I grabbed the ball mid-flight. The moment it was in my hands, I twisted my body, sending the ball flying toward the barrier once more.

  But this time, Kai was there, and he wasn't letting me get away that easy. His earth dragon formed a barrier of stone in front of the goal, but I quickly called on my fire dragon, using it to melt the stone. The ball passed through, and I rushed to the barrier.

  "Goal for Arvi!" Calen shouted. "Two to nothing!"

  The others were starting to get frustrated. Their coordinated attacks were powerful, but they were struggling to contain me.

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  Lila smirked. "You won't get the third goal so easily, Arvi. We've still got this."

  The ball was up for grabs again. Nico shot forward, and Dante worked in tandem, sending flames toward me. They tried to block my every move, but I used my water dragon's fluidity to slip around their attacks. Esme used her air powers to lift the ball away from me again, but I didn't give up. I could feel the pulse of my dragons as I reached out, the ball practically falling into my hands as I swiped it from the air.

  I quickly twisted the ball in my grasp, my fire dragon's flames lighting up the scene as I prepared for my final move. The others were coming at me from every direction—Dante's flames, Nico's fire, Esme's wind, and Kai's stone walls.

  But it didn't matter.

  With a burst of combined elemental power—fire, water, air, earth, and nature—I sent the ball hurtling forward, and this time, there was no stopping it. As I called on my nature dragon, I felt the earth beneath me shift, the roots of the trees surging upward, adding an extra burst of force to my kick. The ball flew toward the barrier.

  But something was different. A sudden surge of energy rushed through me—wild, untamed, and more powerful than ever before. My dragons… they felt stronger. Their presence burned within me, not just as separate forces but as one overwhelming power. It was as if they had unlocked something within me, something I had never felt before.

  I wasn't done yet. With a sharp twist of my wrist, I summoned my water dragon, guiding the ball through the gaps in the stone, just beyond the barrier’s reach. The stone cracked and crumbled around the ball as I willed it forward, my heart pounding.

  The energy inside me didn't fade. It pulsed, thrummed, as if something deep within me was stirring awake. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn’t focus on it now.

  The ball rolled across the ground, finally coming to a stop beyond the barrier, past any attempt to block it.

  "Goal for Arvi! Three goals—Arvi wins!" Calen shouted, his voice full of awe.

  The others stood frozen, jaws slack with disbelief. Nico let out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be damned. You really did it, Arvi."

  Sofia, shaking her head, laughed. "We gave it our all, but you're unstoppable."

  Kai, still catching his breath, grinned. "I knew you were strong, but that was something else."

  Dante smirked, the heat of the battle still lingering in his eyes. "You really earned this win, Arvi."

  Esme chuckled, brushing off the dust from her sleeves. "Alright, alright, you win. Next time, we’re bringing our A-game."

  Lila gave me a teasing look. "You've got us beat this time, Arvi. But don’t think we’ll go easy on you next time."

  I stood tall, breathing heavily but smiling wide. "Next time, bring it. I’ll be ready."

  Calen stepped forward, grinning. "That was one hell of a match. You showed them, Arvi. You really are something else."

  I forced a grin, but my mind was elsewhere. My heart still raced—not just from the victory, but from the strange, undeniable shift in my powers.

  Something was happening to me. Something I didn’t understand.

  And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I should be excited… or afraid.

  Just as I was thinking about it, the rustling of leaves sent a jolt through me. My head snapped toward the trees—the same direction we had come from. A scent drifted through the air, threading through the lingering dust and sweat from the match. It curled around me, unmistakable, sinking deep into my bones. Him.

  Hell.

  In all the excitement of the match, I had forgotten—I had used all my powers, and in doing so, my fake scent had been wiped away. My real scent was now everywhere, lingering in the air, wrapping around the field like an invisible beacon. Panic shot through me. My heart pounded, a rapid, humming beat against my ribs.

  He would know.

  I acted on instinct. My air dragon stirred, a restless force coiling deep within me, its energy crackling against my ribs. I let it loose. The wind erupted around me in a wild spiral, whipping dust and leaves into a chaotic dance. The pressure surged outward, slamming against my surroundings.

  Sofia yelped, throwing up her arms to shield her face. Kai cursed as he dug his heels in, his stance shifting against the unseen force. Dante’s grin faltered, his fingers twitching like he wanted to grab hold of something. Calen staggered back, his sharp eyes widening in rare surprise. Esme gasped, her hair whipping wildly around her. Lila pressed her heels into the ground, her arms outstretched for balance, her mouth parted in shock.

  The moment stretched, the wind howling in my ears. I pushed down on the chaos, forcing it to obey. My air element wrapped around me like an invisible shield, twisting and shifting, scattering every trace of my presence. I willed it to mask my scent, to erase the lingering trail before it could betray me.

  Slowly, the air settled. The pressure lifted as if it had never been there, leaving only the rustling of leaves in its wake.

  A sharp voice cut through the lingering silence.

  "Arvi, what the hell?!" Nico’s voice rose above the last dying gusts, his stance wobbly as he struggled to stay upright. "Why did you—"

  The words died in his throat.

  A figure emerged from the trees.

  Lucian.

  I went rigid.

  The wind had done its job—my scent had vanished, erased before it could betray me. But the way his gaze swept the field, sharp and searching, told me everything.

  His head tilted slightly. His nostrils flared. His brows knitted together, just barely—a fraction of a frown, but enough to make my pulse hammer against my ribs.

  He had smelled it.

  And now, he was hunting for it.

  His gaze prowled over the others, slow and methodical. Calen. Esme. Dante. Lila. His expression darkened, his movements careful, predatory. He wasn’t alone—Ryker and Zane flanked him, their eyes keen with curiosity.

  I swallowed, forcing my breath to stay even, though my chest ached from the effort.

  Did I just make a mistake?

  Would he put the pieces together? Would he realize that scent—whatever had caught his attention—belonged to me?

  Before the tension could thicken, Lila and Sofia moved, cutting through the uncertainty like a blade.

  Lila slung an arm around Ryker, her voice light, almost playful. "What’s going on? Why is Lucian looking around like that?"

  Ryker shrugged, but before he could answer, Lucian’s voice cracked through the air, sharp as lightning.

  "Who created that wind?"

  The question lashed through the group, sending a ripple of unease. His eyes sliced from Calen to Esme before locking onto me.

  My stomach twisted. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to stay still, to keep my breathing steady. He was staring too hard, too intently. He knew something wasn’t right.

  Before I could shape an answer, Nico, blissfully oblivious to the weight of the question, spoke up.

  "That was Arvi," he said with an easy grin. "I think she got too excited after winning the match and just—poof!—whipped up a storm."

  Lucian didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

  His stare burned into me, unreadable—anger? Suspicion? Something else entirely? His jaw ticked, his hands curling slightly at his sides, like he was on the verge of something.

  For a second, I thought he was going to push, to demand an explanation. The air between us tightened, thick with unspoken questions.

  Then—

  He closed his eyes.

  A slow breath filled his chest, sharp and controlled. The exhale came out in a shudder, the tension in his body easing, just for a moment.

  He was steadying himself.

  The others exchanged looks, confusion clouding their expressions. A few murmured under their breath, unaware of what had really just happened. To them, my wind had been nothing more than a burst of excitement. But I knew better.

  His eyes snapped open—colder, sharper than before.

  The silence between us thickened as his gaze flicked to the group, his voice low, calm—too calm.

  "Did anyone else come here with you?"

  His eyes lingered on me for a heartbeat longer, as if measuring something, searching.

  Kai shifted uneasily. A flicker of doubt crossed his face before he answered, “No. It was just us.”

  His gaze darted back and forth between Lucian and me, suspicion lingering like a shadow.

  Lucian didn’t respond, but I could feel it. He wasn’t convinced. Not even close.

  Calen tilted his head slightly, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion. “Did you think someone else was here?” he asked, his voice light, almost amused.

  Lucian’s expression stayed frozen, but there was something behind his eyes—something that disappeared as quickly as it appeared. A small, almost imperceptible shift. He shook his head. “No.”

  The tension snapped as if it had never been there. Lucian’s tone changed, precise and commanding. “We’re here to check on your preparations for the competition,” he said smoothly, like nothing had just happened. “And to help you train if needed.”

  Ryker smirked, arms crossed, his eyes sliding toward Lila. “And to make sure certain people don’t end up injured before the game even starts.”

  Lila rolled her eyes but shot him a grin. “Oh, please. I can handle myself just fine.”

  Zane chuckled, his gaze resting on Sofia. “That’s what worries us.”

  The air lightened with a few chuckles, but my heart was still pounding in my chest. Lucian had let it go for now, but I wasn’t naive enough to believe he had forgotten.