Chapter 4
The black shadow drew closer.
Elara pulled Arka behind a massive tree whose trunk shimmered green and gold. Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between the roots. Elara's chest was still pressed against Arka's. Her scent—sweet, wild, and slightly damp—made Arka's head spin.
"Quiet," she whispered. Her lips nearly brushed Arka's ear.
The creature passed by. It looked like a human burning from within, its black skin cracked and its eyes glowing red. It paused, sniffing the air, then moved deeper into the forest.
Only then did Elara release him. But she didn't move away. Her hand was still on Arka's waist.
"They can smell your blood now," she said softly. "Ever since the jade pendant lit up in the human world, the hunters have begun moving between both realms."
Arka swallowed. "Explain. Everything."
Elara stared at him for a long moment. A gentle breeze lifted her black hair. Her thin dress shifted, revealing the slow rise and fall of her breasts. She drew a deep breath, as if making a decision.
"Sit," she ordered gently.
They sat on the tree's broad roots. Elara faced Arka. Their knees touched. Purple light from the sky fell across her pale skin, making her look like something other than an ordinary creature.
"That pendant," Elara began, her fingers touching the jade pendant at Arka's throat, "isn't an ordinary object. It was made from the blood jade of an ancient royal family. Three hundred years ago, the last king of the Wind bloodline embedded his life into this stone before the kingdom was overthrown."
Elara's fingers slowly caressed the pendant's surface. The touch made Arka's chest burn.
"Your blood is a continuation of that blood," Elara continued. Her voice was low, almost a whisper between breaths. "Your mother... wasn't an ordinary woman. She was the last guardian, and she fled to the human world carrying the pendant and the baby in her womb. You."
Arka froze. "My mother...?"
Elara nodded. For a moment, sadness flickered in her eyes. "She hid you. Erased your trail. But ancient blood can't stay hidden forever. When you got angry at that school, the pendant recognized its heir. The power awakened."
The wind around them slowly began to swirl, as if in agreement.
Elara leaned closer again. Her knee now pressed against Arka's thigh. "Wind Power isn't just about moving air. It can cut, protect, and even open a path between two worlds. But the stronger you become, the clearer your trail will be. The hunters in the human world have already begun to sense your presence."
Arka watched Elara's lips move. "Will they come to my school?"
"They already have," Elara replied. "Tonight, while you were unconscious, one of them managed to break through the rift. What you saw in that alley was only the beginning. The real ones are far more dangerous."
Elara raised her hand and placed it on Arka's chest, directly over his heart. "I can feel it beating faster now. Your blood is awake. Your body is beginning to change."
Arka felt heat spread from Elara's palm. The muscles in his chest tensed. His breathing quickened. Elara didn't pull her hand away. She let her fingers press lightly, as if testing him.
"If you want to survive," Elara whispered, "you have to learn to control this. And I'll teach you."
She stood, then pulled Arka to his feet. Their bodies nearly touched. Elara's thin dress separated their skin by only a nearly nonexistent layer of fabric. Arka could feel the warmth of her breasts pressing against his chest.
"First," Elara said, her voice softly hoarse, "feel the wind around you. Don't fight it. Let it in."
Arka closed his eyes. He tried. The wind that had been calm moments ago now moved in rhythm with his breathing. Leaves spun around the two of them.
Elara smiled. "Good."
Suddenly, the ground trembled again. Harder this time. Elara turned toward the forest.
"They found the rift in the human world," she said quickly. "One hunter has made it through completely. It's heading for your home."
Arka's eyes flew open. "My mother—"
Elara held his face in both hands. Her soft fingers pressed against his cheeks. "I'll take you back. But listen, Arka... after tonight, there's no going back. Your blood has been called. The hunters won't stop."
She brought her face closer. Their lips nearly touched.
"Choose now. Stay a poor boy hiding in the shadows... or accept who you really are."
The wind around them exploded with force. The green light from the jade pendant blazed brightly, illuminating Elara's face, far too close, far too beautiful, far too dangerous.
From far away came a long, rasping cry—the same sound as in the alley last night, but closer, hungrier.
Elara gazed deeply into Arka's eyes.
"Your decision, heir."