Whispers Of The Wind

Ayame hovered above the misty slopes of Mount Fuji, eyes scanning the forest below. She knew Rei had already found the first Guardian. Now it was her turn—to prove herself, to ensure Akihiro wouldn’t have reason to doubt her capabilities. Every detail mattered. The winds, the shadows, the faintest ripple of energy—she sensed it all. Somewhere down there, the next Guardian waited, unaware of the danger approaching.

The forest lay quiet, deceptively calm. But Ayame’s instincts were sharp, honed through countless battles. She knew the shadows wouldn’t wait. The demons were always quicker than expected. And she couldn’t afford mistakes—not now.

Sora walked along the narrow forest path, sketchbook in hand, trying to calm herself. The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and dew. Her short blond hair fluttered with every gust, her gray eyes following drifting clouds. The world felt sacred, untouched by human chaos. For a brief moment, she let herself imagine a life untouched by rules or fear—a life where she could just… exist. Years of being overlooked at the orphanage in Tokyo flickered through her mind, but she pushed them aside. Here, maybe things could be different.

Then a ripple in the air shifted everything. Shadows slithered between the trees, curling like smoke. Her pulse spiked.

“What… what are you?” she whispered.

From the treeline, a flash of light tore through the gloom. Ayame descended, wings unfurling like banners of silver moonlight. Two angels, Kiel and Ryou, flanked her, blades of radiant energy tracing arcs through the mist.

“I—I’m staying! I’m staying! Just—holy—ARE THOSE WINGS?”

Ayame didn’t glance at her. “We’re angels. Yes.”

“ANGELS?!”

“Later,” Ayame said firmly. “Now breathe. Stay calm.”

Sora’s body froze as a shadow lunged, its jagged claws scraping the ground. Without thinking, her hands flung outward—and the wind responded. Gusts twisted violently around her, spinning leaves, dust, and debris into chaotic spirals.

Ayame’s eyes narrowed. Powerful… but uncontrolled. She signaled Kiel and Ryou. “Form a perimeter. Protect her.”

The shadows surged. Sora screamed, and the forest answered with whirling winds that slammed the nearest demon against a tree. Another shadow lunged from the mist, its black claws slicing through air. Sora’s panic erupted into a surge, hurling it back with violent force. She staggered, knees buckling, breath ragged.

“You’re doing it,” Ayame shouted over the cacophony. “Even if you don’t believe it, you’re protecting yourself and us! Focus!”

Another surge of wind flung debris, scattering smaller demons. But one large Corruptor slithered too close. Its tar-like essence hissed as it struck a tree. Sora’s eyes widened—she had almost let it through.

“Step back!” Ayame commanded. Wings flaring, she created a protective barrier, while Kiel and Ryou deflected others with precision strikes.

Sora fell to her knees, hands shaking, and a massive gust whipped outward—nearly capsizing her on the forest floor. Trees bent, leaves and dirt spiraled, and the mist twisted around her like living fingers.

“I—I can’t… I’ll destroy everything!” she cried.

“You won’t!” Ayame said firmly, diving to her side. “Control your breathing. Let the wind follow your heartbeat. Fear feeds it. Calm guides it.”

Sora tried, trembling, focusing on the rhythm of her pulse. The wind calmed slightly, spiraling in gentler arcs. She gasped, amazed at the partial control. Memories of running from the orphanage flooded back—always small, always overlooked. But now, harnessing this power, she realized she wasn’t small anymore. Not invisible. Not helpless.

Ayame’s voice softened, though her wings remained ready. “Your power is raw, yes—but it’s yours. You’re a Guardian. Step by step, you’ll learn to control it.”

Eventually, the last of the shadows was sent fleeing into the trees, and the forest settled into an uneasy calm. Sora sank to the ground, panting.

“You protected everyone,” Ayame said gently. “That’s what matters. Your heart guided your power, even if your mind couldn’t yet.”

“I… a Guardian?” Sora whispered.

“Yes,” Ayame said. “Step by step. You’ll grow stronger. You’re not alone.”

Sora’s breathing had become shallow, her eyelashes fluttering as if struggling to stay open. The air around her still swirled with the remnants of her wild, uncontrolled energy, a lingering echo of the storm she had just unleashed.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard, and then you wonder why you collapse,” Kiel muttered from the side, watching as the currents of wind wrapped around Sora like a living thing.

Ayame shot him a sharp look, and he immediately went quiet.

Ryou stepped closer, hands ready. “Her aura’s dropping. If we linger any longer, the demons could sense the leftover energy.”

Ayame nodded, more serious than before.

Sora slumped halfway upright, then tumbled gently to the forest floor. Her chest rose and fell in uncertain rhythms. The air quivered, little whirlwinds of leaves and dust marking how unstable her power still was.

“I…” she whispered through barely parted lips, “…whatever I just did… it shouldn’t happen again…”

Ayame knelt beside her, placing a hand lightly on Sora’s forehead. “Quiet. You’re okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Sora tried to speak, but her voice broke, nothing more than a weak sigh. And then her eyes closed.

Ayame paused for the briefest moment, just enough for that hidden, rarely admitted feeling to stir inside her—worry. She immediately quelled it.

“Alright,” she said firmly. “Let’s move.”

Her wings spread like layers of light. With precise grace, she lifted Sora into her arms. Sora’s body was almost unnaturally light, her energy still thrumming blindly, untrained, like a storm just shy of breaking.

Kiel stepped forward. “I’ll cover the rear. If anything—”

“They won’t get near,” Ayame cut him off, her aura flaring so sharply it silenced the forest around them. Even the birds froze mid-song. “I won’t let them.”

Ryou nodded, glancing nervously at the still-pulsing energy around Sora. “The Academy will shield her. Once she’s there, they can’t follow.”

Ayame lifted her gaze to the sky, clouds slicing through the treetops. She drew a deep breath, tightened her wings, and took a deliberate step forward.

One last glance at Sora, and for a fleeting instant, she allowed herself a thought she would never voice:

If Rei has already found his Guardian… I will not lose mine. I will not disappoint Akihiro. Not this time.

With that resolve, she moved forward, cradling Sora carefully, her wings cutting through the crisp morning air. Sora’s body relaxed slightly against her, still fragile but alive, her storm of energy beginning to settle.

The forest around them exhaled softly, and the quiet returned, broken only by the distant whisper of wind through the trees.

Later in A-Academy, Sora awoke in a sunlit room, pale light spilling through the windows. Her head ached, and her chest still raced. Ayame and Rei stood nearby, watching her carefully.

Mizuki leaned against a wall, already sitting up in her own bed, curiosity shining in her gray-blue eyes. “Finally, someone else,” she said cheerfully.

Sora blinked at the trio of wings, at the sunlight, at the misty garden below. “Where… am I? Who… are you?”

“I’m Ayame,” the first figure said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Sora’s face. “This is Rei. And this is Mizuki—she’s a Guardian too.”

“A Guardian?” Sora echoed weakly, voice trembling. “And… angels? Really?”

“Exactly,” Ayame replied. “Your wind almost consumed everything. We’re here to help you control it.”

Sora looked down at her hands. Memories of the forest—whipping winds, swirling leaves, flying shadows—made her stomach twist. And yet… for the first time in a long while, she imagined herself here, in this new place, as if maybe she could finally belong somewhere. Maybe this could be a chance to start over, to grow into someone who mattered.

“So… no pressure, then,” she muttered.

Mizuki grinned. “At least you’re not alone. I freaked out too when I first tried my powers.”

Ayame folded her wings, expression softening. “If we’re lucky, there will be five of you. Five Guardians to protect Earth.”

“Then we just need three more,” Rei said.

Sora thought of the orphanage she had run away from in Tokyo years ago. She had felt invisible there, misunderstood. Here, she could start over. Maybe this could be her chance at a life she had never had.

“I… I can do this,” she whispered.

Ayame nodded approvingly. “Yes. Step by step.”

Sora’s gaze drifted to Mizuki, then to Ayame and Rei. Something in their calmness, their confidence, felt… like a place she could belong.

Later, Mizuki sat at a table, trying to practice controlling her power. A small glass of water hovered before her. She focused, attempting to shape it into a smooth swirl—but a flick of her finger sent a spurt shooting across the room.

“Whoa!” Sora ducked, laughing as a jet of water splashed Mizuki’s face.

“I… I’m trying!” Mizuki sputtered, wiping water from her hair. Another flick, another stream, and Sora shrieked, dodging a small arc across her lap.

Ayame pinched the bridge of her nose. “Focus. Not a sprinkler system.”

Rei tried to stifle laughter, while Sora grinned, “At least I thought controlling wind was messy. Water… this is hilarious.”

By the end, Mizuki had soaked half the room, Sora had a damp sleeve, and everyone was laughing—an odd, precious reprieve after the chaos of the forest.

High above Tokyo, Akihiro perched atop a gleaming skyscraper, the sun glinting off glass and steel. Below, the city pulsed with life—streets humming with cars, pedestrians weaving through the crowds, and the distant murmur of trains threading through the metropolis.

His wings stretched wide, catching the sunlight, casting faint shadows over the rooftop. He scanned the streets below, attuned to the faint ripples of Guardian energy. Two had been found, but the others remained out there, hidden among millions.

Every second mattered. The demons were searching too, moving unseen through alleyways and shadowed corners, but their master’s identity remained unknown. Who orchestrated this? Each misstep could shift the balance of power, tipping it toward chaos.

Akihiro clenched his fists, letting the wind whip around him. We must reach them before the darkness does. Every Guardian matters. Every choice matters. Time is slipping…

And above the city, shadows stirred. They twisted through the sunlight, slinking across rooftops, whispering promises of chaos yet to come.