That night, Arka stood at the edge of the small river behind his house.
The water flowed slowly, black beneath the moonlight. The jade pendant around his neck felt heavier than usual. Every pulse was like a question he couldn't avoid.
He lifted the jade pendant and stared at the faintly shimmering green jade. If he threw it into the river now, maybe everything would stop. The hunters would stop searching. The power would go out. He could go back to being the poor, scorned boy who only had to keep quiet to stay safe.
But Elara.
Her face appeared in Arka's mind. The small smile that never reached her eyes. The whisper in his ear. The body pressed against his back as they fought. The secret she was hiding.
If he threw away the jade pendant, Elara would have to face everything alone.
Arka clenched the jade pendant tightly. “I won't throw you away.”
The wind around him immediately began to move, as though it had been waiting for that decision. Leaves flew through the air. Ripples spread across the river's surface.
He closed his eyes. “I accept it. Not to get revenge. Not to become stronger. But to protect her.”
Green light exploded from the jade pendant.
It wasn't ordinary light. It entered his body, seeping into every blood vessel and every bone. Arka crumpled to the ground. He gasped for breath. His muscles tensed until they nearly hurt. The wind around him spun violently, forming a vortex that lifted the river water to waist height.
Power surged.
It wasn't merely the wind he knew. This time, he felt something deeper. He could sense every breath of air, every movement of distant leaves, even the heartbeat of a small creature in the grass. His body felt lighter and denser at the same time. His skin was warm. His eyes felt hot.
When he opened his eyes, the world looked different.
Colors were sharper. Shadows were deeper. He rose slowly. The wind followed every one of his movements without being commanded.
Elara emerged from behind a tree.
She wasn't smiling. Her eyes looked at Arka with a mixture of pride and fear. Her dress swayed in the now wilder wind.
“You chose.”
“I chose you.”
Elara fell silent for a moment. Then she stepped closer. The distance between them shrank. She raised a hand and touched Arka's chest directly over his heart.
“Your power has now surpassed the initial threshold. Ordinary hunters won't be enough anymore.”
Arka grabbed Elara's wrist. “You're hiding something. I know. But I still choose this.”
Elara lowered her head. Her black hair fell across part of her face. “There's a reason the jade pendant wasn't given to you by chance, Arka. Someone has been planning this for a long time. Someone who wants your blood... and me.”
Arka tightened his grip. “Who?”
Elara lifted her face. Her eyes were wet. “Not yet. If I tell you now, you'll leave. And I won't be strong enough if you go.”
The wind around them grew stronger, as if responding to Arka's emotions. The trees along the riverbank swayed violently. The water rose higher.
Elara pressed her body against Arka's. Their chests touched. “This power will keep growing. The more you want to protect me, the stronger it becomes. But there is a price to pay.”
Arka stared at her lips. “I've paid enough already.”
Elara smiled sadly. She pressed her forehead against Arka's. “Not yet. This is only the beginning.”
Suddenly, the ground trembled. It wasn't from the wind. It came from far away, from a direction invisible to ordinary eyes.
Elara turned quickly. Her expression changed. “They felt this surge. The ones in the ancient kingdom... they've fully awakened.”
Arka felt something cold creep up his back. He had crossed the line. There was no turning back.
Elara held his face in both hands. “Promise me. Whatever happens after this, don't throw away the jade pendant. Don't throw me away.”
Arka nodded. “I promise.”
The green light in the jade pendant flared again, calmer this time, as if accepting the decision. The wind around them slowly died down, but it didn't disappear. It remained, waiting.
In the distance, in a darker world, someone opened their eyes atop a cracked throne. And smiled.