Kai

I can feel it.

The ground beneath my boots vibrates, almost like a low hum that I can't escape. My pulse is erratic, and I know that something's coming. Something bigger than the battle we just fought. The air has changed again—charged, electric, as if the storm hadn't truly passed.

I glance at Alex, trying to gauge if he feels it too. I don't have to ask. His expression says it all—his brow furrowed, his eyes distant, like he's listening to something beyond the world we know.

"We should find the others," I say, my voice low, steady, despite the unease twisting in my gut. "They'll need us."

Alex nods, but he doesn't speak. He doesn't need to. His hand slips into mine, his fingers tight around mine, and for a brief moment, I let myself feel the comfort of his touch.

We've been through so much, Alex and I. He's always been my rock, even when everything around us crumbles. When we were kids, and everything was falling apart, it was him who kept me grounded, even when the world wanted to swallow us whole. And now, after everything that's happened, after everything we've faced together, I can't imagine living in this broken world without him by my side.

I turn toward the horizon, where I know Lyra and Finn are. It's almost like we're drawn to each other, the way the current of the earth pulls us toward our destiny. We've all been through hell, and no matter how much we fight to protect one another, there's still so much we don't understand.

Alex squeezes my hand, and I glance over at him, trying to catch his eye. But his gaze is still distant, focused on something I can't see. His connection to the world is different from mine—his elemental powers are still evolving, still growing stronger with each passing day. And even though he's learning how to control it, I can see that it's taking its toll on him. I don't know if he can feel it, but I do: the storm is coming. The real storm.

"Are you okay?" I ask, unable to keep the concern from my voice.

Alex's lips curl into a small smile, though it's tinged with something I can't place—sadness? Worry? "I'm fine," he says, though I know he's lying. "Let's find Lyra and Finn. We need to stick together."

I nod, squeezing his hand back, and we start walking, moving through the terrain like we've done so many times before. But this time feels different. The air is thick with the promise of something we can't outrun, no matter how fast we run.

Alex

I don't know how to explain it.

The connection I feel to the world around me is stronger than ever—more intense, more overwhelming. The power I can feel surging through me isn't just mine. It's the earth, the air, the water. It's everything.

And yet, there's something else beneath it all—something darker. Something that makes the ground tremble and the air crackle.

I look at Kai, and I can't help but wonder if he feels it too. He's been my rock, my anchor, ever since we were kids. We've been through so much together. He's seen the worst parts of me—my brokenness, my struggles—and he's still here, still by my side.

But I can see it in his eyes. He's worried about me.

"I'm fine," I lie, even though I can't believe it myself. The truth is, I'm not fine. Not when I can feel this strange pull in the back of my mind, this overwhelming urge to do something—something I can't yet understand. My abilities are growing, but they're not yet fully in my control. And that terrifies me.

We reach the place where we last saw Lyra and Finn. The air is still heavy, charged with the aftermath of the battle, but there's an eerie calmness that surrounds us. It feels wrong.

Kai stops walking, his head tilting slightly to the side, his eyes narrowing as if listening for something. I follow his gaze, but all I see is the empty horizon, the remnants of the storm still hanging in the air like a lingering memory.

"I don't like this," he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper.

I don't like it either. But I can't shake the feeling that the storm isn't over. Not by a long shot.

Kai

Something's wrong.

I can't quite place it, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. The world feels off balance, as if we're on the edge of something. And the way Alex is standing, eyes wide, scanning the horizon—it's like he can feel it too.

"This isn't right," I say, more to myself than to him.

I hear movement behind us and turn quickly, my heart racing. Lyra and Finn appear from the trees, their expressions grim, their clothes torn, blood splattered on their skin. But it's not just the battle that's left a mark on them. There's something in their eyes—something heavier than exhaustion.

"We need to move," Finn says, his voice clipped, sharp. "It's not over."

"We know," Alex replies, though his voice betrays him, full of unspoken fear. We all know. Whatever we just faced, whatever we just fought—it's only the beginning.

Lyra glances at me, her face unreadable, her eyes narrowed as if weighing the same things I am.

"Where do we go from here?" she asks, her voice steady, but I can see the uncertainty in her eyes.

I swallow hard. I wish I had an answer.

But I don't.

"We keep moving," I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. "We stick together. Whatever's coming, we face it as one."

It's not much of a plan, but it's the only one we've got.

We turn and start walking, the weight of what's ahead pressing down on all of us, but we move forward. Together.

Mother Nature

They think they've won.

They think they've defeated the creature, the harbinger of the storm. But they don't know what I know.

The balance is fragile. One victory does not erase the deep cracks in the world. The war is not over. It has only just begun.

They are connected to the earth, to the forces that rule this world, in ways they don't yet understand. They will face the darkness that even I cannot control, and they will be tested in ways they can't even imagine.

But they will rise. They must rise. For the world—my world—is still dying. And they are the key to saving it.

I will watch them, guide them, until they can no longer deny their roles.

The storm may be over for now, but another is coming.