Rain had withdrawn, leaving the sky a clear, open blue. Sunlight brushed gently against the temple walls, tracing thin, gleaming lines across the wet stone. The dampness clung between the cracks, and a faint scent of earth drifted through the courtyard.
Branches swayed softly in the breeze, and birdsong slipped through the leaves. Spring seemed in no hurry to say its farewell; summer's weight had not yet settled, nor had the coolness fully vanished.
The Master had taken his usual place, watching the outside through the window. Though his gaze wandered across the courtyard, his thoughts ran deeper. The past two days had been spent intensifying the warriors' training. Both physical and spiritual exercises had grown heavier than before. He was no longer preparing them for a possible threat, but for a real opponent.
A soft knock broke his thoughts as the door shifted open.
Master:
"Come in."
Sakura and Ayoi's punishment had ended today. The Master had spoken with them that morning about the wielder of the fire jewel, yet it was clear that some questions had remained unanswered.
Ayoi opened the door slowly. She greeted the Master with respect, stepped inside, and sat on one of the indicated cushions. As she felt the familiar firmness of the mat beneath her knees, her shoulders relaxed without her noticing.
Ayoi:
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Master… There are just a few things still on my mind."
The Master was unusually calm today. A tired but gentle smile rested on his face. He sat on the cushion across from her and inclined his head slightly, encouraging her to speak.
Ayoi:
"That man… he implied that he's searching for the other jewels too. Just like us."
The Master's brows lifted involuntarily. This shed partial light on a question that had lingered in his mind for some time.
So he doesn't have all the missing jewels…
Master:
"That is both good… and bad."
Ayoi nodded quickly, speaking before he could continue.
Ayoi:
"Yes, exactly. But… I don't think he's alone."
The Master raised a single brow, studying her carefully as if weighing the possibility.
Master:
"What makes you think that?"
Ayoi frowned. Her gaze dropped to the mat for a moment, as if trying to return to that instant.
Ayoi:
"The sleeping powder."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"You said it has to be inhaled for the spell to work. But at that moment… there was nothing in his hands. I'm certain of it."
The Master's expression hardened. Crossing his arms, he straightened slightly.
Master:
"So you think someone else released the powder into the air?"
Ayoi lifted her head. Her ice-blue eyes flickered with a shy sense of pride at being understood.
Ayoi:
"I'm not sure… but it's possible."
The Master stroked his beard thoughtfully. It wasn't a possibility to dismiss outright, yet there were still gaps.
Master:
"You said he was chasing you with flames."
He paused briefly.
"In such a situation, the powder would have to be spread from several meters away. At that distance, it would be difficult for the spell to reach you."
Ayoi's expression shifted. She could feel her theory cracking, and it frustrated her more than she expected.
Ayoi:
"What if… it was scattered in front of us instead of behind?"
The Master gave her a calm but measured look.
Master:
"Then you would have seen them."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm not saying it's impossible. It could be. But as it stands, there are parts that don't quite add up."
Ayoi lowered her head again. She let out a quiet breath, as if accepting that she had nothing more to add. Then she looked back at him.
Ayoi:
"So… what's our plan now?"
The Master didn't answer immediately. His gaze drifted toward the window; the light in the courtyard deepened the lines on his face.
Master:
"We will need to set out and scout soon."
A brief pause followed.
"But first…"
His voice softened, almost a whisper.
"…there are things I must take care of."
Ayoi didn't ask what he meant. Not because she didn't wonder, but because she knew this wasn't the time. She nodded as if she understood and slowly rose to her feet.
The silence in the room accepted that the conversation had ended.
---
Ayoi slid the door shut behind her and made her way toward the temple veranda, as if she had been longing for fresh air. It was one of the places she came to without thinking whenever her mind grew too full. With each step, the wooden floor creaked softly, the sound lingering briefly in the temple's quiet.
Her silky dark hair lifted gently in the breeze.
She approached the railing, resting her palms against the rough wood as she leaned forward. The courtyard stretched below; it looked as though no trace remained of the tension from two days ago. Everything was as calm as it should have been.
Ayoi took a deep breath. The air that filled her lungs was cool, refreshing. Yet the tightness in her chest did not fade. The Master's words circled slowly in the back of her mind, like a sentence that had yet to find its meaning.
Then, a movement stirred at the far end of the veranda. Without even turning her head, Ayoi knew who it was; the rhythm of the footsteps was familiar.
Ryuji stopped a few steps away. He neither came closer nor stepped back, as if simply being there was enough.
Without realizing it, Ayoi felt her shoulders ease.
She turned her head and met his gaze, just as she had expected. A smile appeared on her face.
Ryuji:
"Nice to see you resting again," he said, referring to the days of their punishment.
Ayoi:
"You're telling me? My hands are ruined from pulling weeds and wringing cloth!"
They laughed together. When the sound faded, a brief but strange silence settled between them. Ayoi noticed it, and her cheeks flushed; she quickly composed herself before looking away.
Ryuji:
"Honestly, I think the Master's punishment was a bit excessive. If you hadn't shown courage and gone into the forest, we'd still be stuck making no progress."
Ayoi turned forward again, leaning against the railing. Her fingers traced the roughness of the wood as Ryuji stepped beside her. Unlike her, he leaned back against it.
Ayoi:
"The Master isn't wrong. He must have been really worried about us. It wasn't anger… he was afraid we'd make a mistake."
Ryuji nodded, then lifted his gaze to the sky. The wind brushed through his messy dark brown hair.
Ryuji:
"Sometimes you have to beat your wings to rise. If you're afraid of falling, you'll never leave the ground."
He paused, swallowing.
"That's what he's doing. Because he cares. But this is what we're training for… to fight, to face danger."
Ayoi weighed his words. He wasn't wrong; perhaps no one truly was. Quietly, she turned and leaned back against the railing like him.
Ryuji:
"We haven't smelled any smoke for two days…"
Ayoi raised her brows, as if just realizing it. She slid her hand behind her hair and rubbed the back of her neck.
Ayoi:
"That's actually worrying. Do you think he's planning something bigger?"
Ryuji nodded slowly, folding his arms.
Ryuji:
"I don't think he just gave up and ran. Even if he did, we'd track him down and take the jewel back."
His gaze found Ayoi for a moment. His brows knit together, his voice turning cold.
"Even if he didn't have the fire jewel … I'd still hunt him down. For trying to hurt you and Sakura."
Ayoi's face reddened further. She turned away slowly. Strands of her hair clung to her face in the wind. She tried to brush them away, but her movements were clumsy.
Ryuji reached out, his touch hesitant, and tucked the strands behind her ear.
For a moment, Ayoi thought her heart might leap out of her chest. She quickly pulled back.
Ayoi:
"Ah… right… the jewel!"
Her voice came out uncontrolled.
"We'll take it back… you're right."
Ryuji raised a brow, clearly confused. Ayoi held her breath, trying to steady her heartbeat.
Without saying anything more, she turned and headed toward the door leading inside. She gave him a quick wave and disappeared. Ryuji returned the gesture faintly, still staring at the spot where the door had closed.
But he wasn't the only one watching.
Farther along the veranda, someone else had witnessed the moment.
Daichi.
There was an expression on his face that was hard to define. He hadn't heard their words, but what he saw had been enough. He had witnessed something unexpected… or perhaps realized something he had been quietly anticipating was shifting in another direction.
Daichi tore his gaze away and walked slowly across the courtyard, without hesitation. The birds continued singing, as if nothing had happened.
---
The Master had given the warriors a day of rest; there was no training. Sakura sat on her bedding in the common room, arms wrapped around her knees. The silence of the room made the weight of recent days feel heavier.
Her thoughts circled the same point again and again.
Who was the wielder of the fire jewel? How had he learned to use it? How could he control such power with that level of mastery?
The questions echoed in her mind, unanswered. Clearly, they would remain in the dark a while longer. But Sakura had no intention of waiting. Her curiosity had already outpaced her patience.
She had only one option.
Borrow the Master's spellbook.
The door creaked open. Sakura looked up and met Daichi's gaze. Without a word, he walked in, dropped himself onto his bedding, and closed his eyes. He stayed like that.
Something was clearly wrong.
Sakura stood slowly and walked to the head of his bed. She clasped her hands together, watching him.
Sakura:
"You look like a snapped practice dummy. What happened to you?"
Daichi opened his eyes slowly. The usual spark in his lavender gaze was gone, replaced by a faint disappointment. He rested his hands behind his head.
Daichi:
"It's nothing important…"
Sakura rolled her eyes.
Sakura:
"You're the most positive and rational one among us, Daichi. Whatever put you in this state isn't 'nothing.'"
Daichi:
"People get disappointed sometimes, Sakura. That's all."
Her frustration grew. She turned to leave, but Daichi stopped her.
Daichi:
"Do you think… there's something between Ryuji and Ayoi?"
The moment she heard it, Sakura felt as if boiling water had been poured over her. Her pupils shrank. She stared at him, unsure what to say.
Sakura:
"What? What does that even mean?"
Her voice came out sharper than she intended. Even Daichi hesitated for a moment.
Daichi:
"I mean… they were on the veranda just now. They seemed a bit… close."
Sakura's brows furrowed. Her fists clenched without her noticing, nails digging into her palms. She strode to the window and saw Ryuji standing alone.
Sakura:
"For heaven's sake…"
She took a breath.
"Seriously?"
There was undisguised irritation and disappointment in her voice.
Daichi stepped closer, lowering his voice.
Daichi:
"Are you… okay? You seem a little upset."
Sakura turned sharply. For a moment, she felt exposed—like her thoughts had been caught in the open. She hardened her expression to suppress it.
Sakura:
"Of course I'm upset."
Her words came quickly.
"We're a team, not couples! Our goal is to retrieve the jewels."
She tried to control her anger, but the sharpness in her voice remained.
"With an enemy like this, at a time like this… if they're flirting—" she paused briefly, "I'm sure the Master wouldn't approve either."
Daichi interrupted her immediately, shaking his head slowly.
Daichi:
"No, don't do that!"
His gaze dropped, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"There's nothing clear yet. You'd only put them in a difficult position."
A brief silence followed. Then his voice softened further.
"And… the heart doesn't ask for permission. It chooses when and whom it wants."
Sakura took a deep breath, holding it before letting it out slowly. She said nothing. Instead, she returned to her bedding and dropped onto it, harder this time. Resting her elbows on her knees, she clasped her hands under her chin.
Daichi seemed to realize he had shared this with the wrong person. Without another word, he turned and left the room.
When the door closed, Sakura shook her head slightly, as if trying to scatter her thoughts.
No.
That wasn't the issue right now.
She had one goal.
The book.
And she would find a way to get it.
---
As the weight of the day slowly lifted from the temple, lights went out one by one, and whispers faded into the quiet of the night. While everyone prepared for sleep, one room remained awake in the stillest corner of the temple.
The Master had withdrawn to his chamber. The dim glow of an oil lamp cast flickering shadows along the walls, slowing time itself. Beside the lamp, he held an old spellbook in both hands. Its pages were yellowed, its edges worn by years. His eyes moved across the lines, his expression grave—not for what he read, but for what he did not.
Elementals.
The name given to the four magical jewels. The ring of fire, the earring of air, the necklace of water, and the bracelet of earth… each capable of harnessing the power of its element. For a century, they had been protected, hidden to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. But now… they were all missing. And one of them had already fallen into the grasp of exactly the kind of wielder they had feared.
To suppress the power of one jewel without the others was physically impossible. Facing them was not merely a matter of strength, but of mind. That was why the Master trained his students not only in body, but in thought.
He had taught them many spells… but would it be enough?
The flame of the lamp flickered.
The Master did not move the fingers resting on the page. Because his true fear was not the magic they didn't know… but the war they were not yet ready to face.
He took a slow breath and released it.
Gently, he closed the book and placed it in its usual spot. The lamp flickered once more, then with a single motion, he extinguished it.
Darkness filled the room.
The door slid open silently.
Sakura's golden eyes, even in the dimness, went straight to their target:
the book the Master had just set down.