Chapter 14 – Winds of Thought
Riven plunged into the unseen. There was no sound, no shape—only endless falling.
Then: stillness.
His body hovered midair in a sky of ever-shifting clouds. Countless whirlwinds circled lazily above and below. Some twisted into birdlike shapes, others into faces that whispered forgotten truths.
The gate of Air manifested as a floating spiral of transparent rings, moving in rhythm with his breath.
Riven closed his eyes and exhaled.
A soft breeze coiled around his limbs, lifting him gently. The wind pulled at his thoughts. His memories scattered—names, places, people he had once known. His mother's cold gaze. His father's silent encouragement. The sterile hum of labs long gone.
Let go, the air murmured. To rise, you must become weightless.
His heart pounded. He didn't want to forget.
But he released the fear. The doubt. The burdens.
He opened his eyes. The wind stopped.
A single current wrapped around his chest, whispering praise.
Third Level of Body Foundation: Air Aspect.
His thoughts cleared. His spirit felt light, faster. His body no longer strained against movement—it flowed.
He landed softly on the next platform of the Cradle Plane.
One gate remained: Fire.
It blazed ahead, roaring with red-gold light. Unlike the other trials, this gate surged toward him.
The fire wrapped around his arms, not burning, but testing.
Show your resolve.
Riven saw the lab again. His old team. The moment of betrayal. The explosion.
Rage boiled within him.
Not at others.
At himself.
I made that choice. I survived. I will not waste it.
The flames coiled tighter.
His eyes glowed red.
Fourth Level of Body Foundation: Fire Aspect.
Strength surged through him—not just raw power, but purpose.
The final platform materialized.
All five aspects now stirred in his soul: Lightning. Earth. Air. Fire. Water yet to awaken.
As he stepped into the center of the Cradle Plane, the five elements spun around him, forming a spiral. The realm responded, warping.
Above, a new gate began to appear.
One not tied to the base elements.
A Void Gate.
Riven stared upward.
He wasn't ready.
Not yet.
The Cradle Plane trembled, then receded.
Riven awoke in the courtyard again, drenched in sweat, surrounded by scorched stone. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Lady Sera stood at the edge. Her cold eyes studied him.
Grandfather Viran approached.
"You touched all but one. And glimpsed the hidden gate."
Riven nodded slowly.
"Then the trial is passed," the old man declared. "Now we begin your true path."