The chamber assigned to Rui Jiang was not a prison.
It was worse.
There were no chains, no guards, no locked doors—only air. Controlled, measured, ever-present. The kind that reminded you with every breath that freedom was being granted, not owned.
Rui sat on the stone platform at the center, his back straight, his breathing steady. The earth beneath him felt distant, muted by layers of floating stone and sky-forged sigils. He could reach it if he tried hard enough.
He chose not to.Resistance would confirm
Yang's suspicions.
Patience might undo them.Footsteps echoed through the chamber.The air shifted before Rui even looked up.
Yang entered alone.
No elders. No council members. Just the Guardian of Air, dressed in dark robes marked with silver lines that moved subtly with the currents around him. The wind responded instantly, tightening, sharpening, as if aware of the tension between them.
"You should be feeling the strain by now," Yang said. "Absorbing unstable air is not without cost."
Rui lifted his gaze. "Concern sounds strange coming from you."Yang's expression did not change. "This is not concern. It is assessment."
Rui nodded once. "Then assess honestly."
Yang stopped a few steps away. The distance between them felt deliberate—close enough to crush, far enough to remain controlled.
"You crossed a boundary," Yang said. "Earth does not interfere with air."
"The wind was already failing," Rui replied calmly. "I stepped in before it collapsed."
"That decision was not yours to make."
Rui's eyes sharpened slightly. "And letting the lower realms suffer would have been better?"
The wind stirred—agitated, uncertain.
Yang noticed.His jaw tightened. "You assume too much authority for someone standing in my realm." Rui did not look away.
"And you assume control is the same as balance."
Silence stretched.
Yang studied him closely now. Rui's magic was contained, quiet—nothing like the chaos Yang had sensed within the wind. There was no hunger in him. No ambition. Only restraint.That unsettled him.
"You speak as if you understand my element," Yang said.
"I understand what happens when it breaks," Rui answered. "And who pays the price when it does."
For a moment, neither spoke.
The air around them slowed—just slightly.
Yang felt it again. That same hesitation.
"You will be brought before the council," Yang said at last. "The other Guardians will hear this explanation." Rui inclined his head.
"That is fair."
Yang paused. "Until then, you remain here."
Rui looked up. "You are afraid of what I might do."Yang met his gaze, sharp and unyielding. "I am afraid of what you might be right about."
~~~~
The council chamber opened to all four directions of the world.To the east, endless water shimmered under distant light.To the west, fire burned low but constant, alive with heat.Below, the earth stretched wide and patient.Above, the wind held everything aloft.
Prince Gong of the Water Realm arrived first.
His presence was calm, steady, his eyes observant rather than judgmental. Water followed him like a quiet promise, responding smoothly to his steps.
"This place feels tense," Gong said mildly. "Even the currents are restless."
"That is because the wind is wounded," a sharp voice replied.Flames flared as Prince Changhe of the Fire Realm stepped forward, his expression amused, eyes bright with interest rather than concern.
"I heard the Guardian of Air finally lost control," Changhe added lightly. "I had to see it for myself."Yang ignored him.
Rui was brought to the center of the chamber and released. He stood composed, hands folded, gaze steady.
Gong studied him carefully. "You look
unharmed."
"I am," Rui replied.Changhe laughed softly.
"How disappointing. I expected more damage."
"The discussion is not for your entertainment," Yang said coldly.
Changhe smiled wider. "Everything is entertaining when balance starts cracking."
The wind shifted again—uneasy, listening.
And for the first time, all four Guardians felt it.
Whatever was happening to the elements…
it was no longer confined to the sky.