Arka opened his eyes in his own bedroom.
His breathing was still ragged. The pendant around his neck was cold again, as if it had never lit up. But his body still felt strange—hotter, tenser. Elara's scent seemed to cling to his skin.
That morning, he went to school with stiff steps. The same uniform. The same shoes. But something inside him was already different.
Reno was waiting in the corridor as usual.
"The poor kid's back," he sneered with a grin. His friends laughed. "You ran away like a coward yesterday. Don't try it again today."
Arka lowered his head and tried to walk past. But Reno grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall. His head slammed into it. Pain shot through him.
"I know you're hiding something," Reno hissed close to his face. His breath reeked of expensive mint candy. "Show me. Or I'll make your life even more miserable."
Arka grabbed the hand clutching his collar. His muscles tensed without him realizing it. The wind in the corridor began to stir slowly.
"Let go," Arka said quietly.
Reno laughed. "Or what?"
He punched Arka in the stomach.
The pain triggered something.
The wind exploded.
It wasn't ordinary wind. It was sharp, hot, and furious. Reno was thrown backward into the lockers. Metal thundered. Several students screamed. Reno coughed, a thin line of blood trickling from his lip.
Arka stood where he was. His hands trembled. The power flowed through his veins like fire. He stepped forward without realizing it. Wind spiraled around his feet, lifting dust and scraps of paper.
Reno tried to get up. His face was pale with fear. "W-what are you...?"
Arka didn't answer. He only stared. His eyes felt hot. The pendant around his neck began to warm again. Elara's image surfaced in his mind—her lips, her touch, her whisper in his ear.
"You almost killed him," a soft voice suddenly said behind Arka.
Arka spun around.
Elara stood at the far end of the deserted corridor, part of her body still hidden in the shadows. Her green-and-white dress had changed into something darker and tighter, clinging to every curve of her body. Her black hair swayed gently even though there was no wind inside the building.
No other students saw her. It was as if she existed only for Arka.
Reno was still coughing on the floor. Arka held his breath and forced the wind back into his body. The power resisted. He had almost crushed Reno's neck just now.
Elara stepped closer from the shadows. Every step made the fabric around her thighs shift, revealing smooth, pale skin. She stopped right beside Arka, far too close.
"Good," she whispered. Her fingers touched the back of Arka's still-trembling hand. "But next time, don't let your anger take control. The hunters will catch your scent."
Arka swallowed. Elara's scent filled his nose again. Sweet and wild. Elara's chest rose and fell slowly beneath the tight fabric. He could see the outline of her nipples pressing against it.
"You're... real?" Arka whispered.
Elara gave him a faint smile. "In the shadows, yes." Her hand rose and gently stroked the side of Arka's face. Her soft fingers pressed against his jaw. "I can't fully enter this world for very long. But I can feel it when you lose control."
Reno finally got to his feet unsteadily, staring at Arka with eyes full of hatred and fear. He said nothing. He simply turned and limped away, followed by his now-silent friends.
Elara didn't care. She remained standing close to Arka, her body almost touching his. "Your power is leaking because you still resist it. The more you hold it back, the wilder it comes out."
Arka stared at her lips. "I almost killed him."
"Almost," Elara repeated softly. Her fingers moved down to Arka's chest and pressed against the pendant. "But next time, it might be more than almost."
The wind stirred through the corridor again, gentle this time, surrounding the two of them. The fabric covering Elara's body swayed, clinging more tightly to her waist and chest. Arka felt heat spread from the spot where Elara's fingers touched him.
"Tonight," Elara whispered right into Arka's ear, her breath warm, "come to the same place. I'll teach you how to bind the wind... before it binds you."
She took a step backward into the shadows. Her body began to fade.
"Don't let your anger take control again, heir," her voice could still be heard even though her body had nearly vanished. "Or you'll lose more than just control."
And Elara disappeared completely.
Arka stood alone in the suddenly deserted corridor. His heart pounded. The pendant around his neck was still warm. At the far end of the corridor, Reno glanced back once more from a distance, his eyes filled with hatred.
The wind around Arka slowly spiraled, as if waiting for its next command.