The silence after the shadow figure's departure was deafening.
Aizak's heartbeat thundered in his chest, echoing the weight of what they had just experienced. Around him, his companions stood still—processing, steadying themselves, each changed by their trials. The crystals embedded in them still shimmered faintly, like a gentle breath after a storm.
Vaerion lowered his massive head, his amber eyes scanning the horizon beyond the temple gates. "You have awoken power," he rumbled, "and now that power calls to its counterpart. The Discordant Ones know you live. They will come for you… but so will allies."
Aizak nodded, gripping the hilt of his sword as he looked toward the path that led down the mountain. "We've stirred something bigger than us."
"You didn't stir it," Vaerion corrected. "You were born into it."
Fumiko spoke softly, "What was that figure? He didn't feel like a human… nor an elemental."
"A remnant," Vaerion growled. "A puppet of the Conductor—one who seeks to unravel the balance the Symphoni maintains. His heralds act on his behalf to sow chaos and draw power from it."
Tomomi crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "Then let's find him and end it."
"It's not that simple," Hitomi replied. "We barely passed the trials. That thing didn't even try to fight us. It watched."
A quiet breeze drifted through the broken arches of the temple. The time for peace was waning.
Chouka suddenly turned, her ears twitching. "We're not alone."
From the stairway they had climbed earlier, a rhythmic clank of boots sounded. A group of warriors emerged—draped in white armor with emerald crests, weapons drawn but not yet pointed. At their lead was a tall woman, silver-haired with eyes like glacial frost.
"Step away from the dragon," she ordered, her tone calm but commanding.
Akane stepped forward defiantly. "Or what? You'll scold us into surrender?"
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I am Commander Selene of the Royal Harmonic Guard. You've breached a sealed sanctuary and awakened an ancient force. By decree, you are to be escorted to the capital immediately for questioning and magical alignment evaluation."
Fumiko blinked. "Wait—you know about the Elemental Symphoni?"
Selene's gaze flicked to her. "Only what's permitted in restricted archives. But I know enough to recognize when fate starts singing louder than reason."
Vaerion stepped between the two parties. "They passed the temple's test. That is law older than your kingdom. You have no right to interfere."
"Yet the Conductor rises," Selene shot back. "And if we do nothing, cities will fall."
Aizak raised his hand. "Enough. We'll go with you—peacefully. But not as prisoners."
Selene studied him. There was something about Aizak's stance, his calm. She gave a slow nod. "As candidates for elemental resonance… and possibly more."
Vaerion exhaled a plume of smoke. "If they are taken, I will follow. I am bound by oath now. Harm them… and face my fury."
Selene didn't look intimidated. "So noted."
The journey down the mountain was a solemn one. Snow began to fall—light, like the world was holding its breath. They rode in silence on drake-back mounts provided by the Harmonic Guard, heading toward the capital of Aetheren.
As the temple disappeared behind them, Aizak turned to Vaerion, who now flew above them in a wide arc, his massive wings slicing through the sky like music through silence.
"You never said why you chose to help us," he called up.
Vaerion's voice boomed in reply. "Because the last time the Symphoni awoke… I was too late."
Aizak didn't ask more. Not yet.
Aetheren rose like a monument to magic itself.
Built across multiple floating tiers, its bridges shimmered with enchantment, and crystalline towers pierced the clouds. Elemental runes pulsed along the city's veins, guiding airships and guardians through invisible currents. To Aizak and the others, it was both breathtaking and daunting.
The Harmonic Guard's convoy passed through the outer gate, where citizens paused to bow. Their attention drifted toward the massive dragon soaring above—Vaerion's presence already causing rumors to spark like wildfire.
Selene led them into the inner sanctum of the capital, where the Spire of Accord towered—a place said to contain the world's most ancient archives on elemental balance. Here, scholars, warriors, and mages worked side by side to maintain the world's harmony.
They were escorted into a domed chamber filled with suspended orbs of light. Standing in the center was an old man cloaked in gold and navy, his staff humming faintly. His eyes were clouded, but he stared straight into Aizak's soul.
"I am Maestro Rin," he greeted, voice echoing unnaturally. "Keeper of the Symphoni's records."
Tomomi whispered, "He feels… tuned."
Maestro Rin smiled. "I was once an Echo. Long ago. You, however… you are something far rarer."
Rin stepped forward, his staff glowing as it hovered over each member of the group. "Akane… fire, forged from fury and love. Hitomi… water, still and deep as sorrow. Fumiko… wind, chaotic yet alive. Chouka… earth, hidden but unshakable. Tomomi… lightning, cracked open by truth. And you, Aizak…"
The staff trembled. Vaerion growled from outside the chamber.
"…you are not just aligned," Rin said, eyes widening. "You are harmonized. A living conduit."
Everyone turned to Aizak.
"I don't understand," he said softly.
"You will," Rin replied. "But not here. Not yet. You must first survive the Conductor's Prelude."
Selene stepped forward. "We captured a fragment of his herald days ago—its energy was… wild. Discordant. You've stirred his attention."
"Then what do we do?" Hitomi asked.
Rin turned, gesturing to the orbs overhead. "In seven days, the Eclipse of Harmony will occur. A once-in-a-century event where all elemental lines cross over Aetheren. If you're not prepared by then, the Conductor will use the eclipse to break the balance."
Akane clenched her fists. "So we train. We face whatever trial comes."
Chouka added, "And if he sends another herald?"
Vaerion's voice rumbled from above the chamber. "Then I burn him from the sky."
That night, the group was given rooms within the Lyricum, a grand hall dedicated to future elemental candidates. It was warm, filled with glowing vines and whispering walls that adjusted to emotion. But sleep didn't come easily.
Aizak stood on a balcony overlooking the city. The moon reflected in the pools below, serene and silver.
"You've changed," said a soft voice.
Fumiko leaned against the railing beside him.
"How so?" he asked.
"You don't look lost anymore."
"I'm still lost," he admitted. "I just don't want to run from it now."
She smiled faintly. "Good. Because I think we're all tied to this… to you."
Before he could reply, a sudden tremor shook the Lyricum.
Screams echoed from the outer gates.
A dark cloud twisted over the sky like ink spilled across parchment.
Selene rushed into the hallway with a blade of pure crystal. "Everyone! To the Spire! We're under attack!"
They burst into motion, running through corridors as alarms chimed through the air. From above, Vaerion let out a thunderous roar.
A shadow—a new one—descended from the sky. Not like the previous figure. This one had wings of glass and a face veiled in metal. It sang—a discordant, haunting song that bent the wind around it.
"A Songwraith," Rin whispered from the Spire steps. "One of the Conductor's unfinished verses."
Aizak stood before it as the others gathered behind. "Then let's finish the song."
With that, light flared from his crystal as Vaerion dove with flames trailing him like a comet, and the true battle for harmony began.