Chapter 71: The Wind’s Riddle
The sun hung high over the academy’s outer grounds, its warmth bathing the gravel path where Darius stood among a cluster of students, their eyes fixed on the towering obelisk before them. The structure, a sleek column of pale stone etched with swirling air runes, hummed faintly, its peak catching the breeze like a silent sentinel. The ornate archway beside it, its frame carved with similar runes, shimmered with a silver glow, promising entry to the Study of Air classroom but offering no clues. The group—ten or twelve, a mix of first- and second-years—shifted restlessly, their robes fluttering in the natural wind, the air thick with mana and the scent of grass from nearby fields. No obvious mechanism presented itself; the obelisk’s runes pulsed but didn’t respond to touch, and the door remained sealed. Whispers of confusion rippled through the group, their voices mingling with the wind’s soft whistle, the campus’s distant hum of spells a faint backdrop.
"Maybe we channel wind into the runes?" a student suggested, her braids swaying as she squinted at the obelisk. "Like, focus a gust right here?" She pointed at a spiral rune, its edges glinting. Another, his glasses fogging slightly, shook his head. "Tried that—nothing. Maybe it’s a sequence, like a puzzle." A third, arms crossed, muttered, "Could be a mana sink, draining our spells to test control." Their ideas bounced, drawing from past lessons—Darius thought of Thalassa’s talk of mana’s flow, how she urged them to sense the world’s pulse. "What if it’s resonance?" he offered, stepping forward, his voice steady but curious. "Like, syncing our mana with the structure’s hum?" The group turned, nodding, their banter light but edged with frustration. "Worth a shot," a girl with a sharp grin said, "but this thing’s stubborn." Laughter broke the tension, their camaraderie growing as they bonded over the shared puzzle, the wind’s whisper teasing at a solution just out of reach.
Individual efforts kicked off, each student testing the obelisk with their own flair. The braided girl unleashed a sharp wind gust, her hands weaving mana with precision; the runes flared briefly, a low hum vibrating the air, but faded quickly. The glasses-wearing student traced a rune with his finger, aligning his mana carefully, sparking a faint breeze that swirled around the obelisk’s base before dissipating. Another shaped an air orb, its spin tight and glowing, and launched it at the structure; the obelisk trembled, its hum rising, but the door stayed shut. Darius watched, his curiosity spiking, the structure’s pulse reminding him of the pond’s mana in Study of Water. He stepped up, summoning a Wind Surge, his hands guiding a controlled gust toward a cluster of runes. The obelisk’s hum deepened, the air tingling with energy, but the runes dimmed, unresponsive. "Close, maybe," he muttered, earning a nod from a nearby student, their frustration shared but softened by the group’s easy chatter.
The students rallied for a collective attempt, pooling their wind spells in a burst of creativity. "Let’s hit it together!" the sharp-grinned girl called, her voice carrying over the breeze. They aligned their mana, hands raised, and unleashed a combined gust—swirling winds spiraled around the obelisk, kicking up dust and leaves, the runes glowing brighter as a loud, resonant sound echoed, shaking the ground. The air pressure surged, rustling their robes, and for a moment, hope flared—Darius added his own Wind Surge, focusing on the obelisk’s peak, the hum peaking sharply. But the sound faded, the runes dulled, and the door remained sealed, the structure unmoved. Groans mixed with laughter, the group’s frustration bubbling over. "That was loud!" a student chuckled, brushing dust from his hair. "Yeah, but loud’s not enough," another quipped, sparking more laughs. Darius grinned, his mind racing, the obelisk’s hum a challenge he tied to refining Anemoi Shades’ targeting and Zephyr’s fluidity, his excitement for Study of Air growing despite the dead end.
As their chatter quieted, a sudden gust swept through, sharp and deliberate, scattering gravel and startling the group. From the swirl of air, a figure appeared—a woman, young and striking, with short, wavy hair dancing in the breeze, her flowing robes embroidered with silver air motifs that shimmered like the runes. Her smile was bright, almost mischievous, her eyes sparkling with a carefree energy that clashed with the academy’s usual solemnity. "Time’s up!" she sang, her voice light but carrying a teasing edge. She floated briefly above the obelisk before landing gracefully on the ground, her robes settling like a soft wind. "I’m Professor Sylph, your Study of Air teacher, and honestly? I’m a bit disappointed." She sighed dramatically, hands on hips, her pout exaggerated but playful. "Not one of you figured it out? Really? I thought tournament survivors would crack this by now."
The students exchanged stunned glances, their earlier confidence deflating. The braided girl spoke up, her tone defensive. "There’s no obvious way to do anything! The runes don’t respond right." Sylph raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "No obvious way? Oh, come on, you’re mages! Where’s the creativity?" She vanished in a blur of wind, reappearing beside the door, her laugh bubbling like a breeze. "I expected more from you lot. Are you even ready for my class?" Her teasing tone eased the tension, her playful demeanor drawing hesitant smiles, though confusion lingered. Darius watched, intrigued, her carefree attitude a stark contrast to Thalassa’s serene authority, yet her presence commanded attention, the obelisk’s hum seeming to pulse in sync with her energy.
Professor Sylph’s short, wavy hair danced in the breeze, her silver-embroidered robes catching the sunlight, her playful grin softening the sting of her disappointment. The students shifted, their earlier confidence shaken, the obelisk’s runes glinting mockingly under the midday sun. The air carried a faint tang of mana, mixed with grass and dust from their failed attempts, the campus’s distant hum of spells a reminder of the academy’s relentless pace. Darius’s notes, tucked under his arm, felt heavy, his mind buzzing with curiosity about Sylph’s next move, her teasing hinting at a lesson just out of reach.
Sylph spun on her heel, her robes flaring, and pointed at Darius, her eyes sparkling. "You," she said, her voice bright but sharp, "mentioned resonance, didn’t you? Not a bad thought, but your application’s all wrong." The group turned, some nodding, others murmuring, as Darius’s cheeks warmed, his earlier suggestion now under scrutiny. "It’s not just about mana," she continued, pacing before the obelisk, her steps light as if walking on air. "Resonance is about air pressure, control, making the wind sing. You lot blasted it like a battering ram—too much force, not enough finesse." She flicked her wrist, a gentle breeze swirling around her, the obelisk’s hum rising briefly, then fading. "Think vibration, not explosion. Air’s alive—it wants to move, not be bullied."
The students exchanged glances, their confusion deepening but tinged with intrigue. The braided girl spoke up, her voice hesitant. "So, we’re supposed to... make it hum? Like a wind chime?" Sylph’s grin widened, her laugh bubbling like a gust. "Exactly! It’s a giant chime, a wind organ. You align the air pressure, not just your mana, to make it sing." She clapped her hands, the sound sharp, and gestured for them to gather closer. "Come on, let’s try together. Talk it out—what’s your plan?" Her tone was encouraging, her carefree demeanor pulling them in, the tension easing as the group huddled, their voices rising in a mix of ideas and excitement.
The sharp-grinned girl suggested, "Maybe we layer our gusts, like waves, to build pressure?" The glasses-wearing student nodded, pushing up his lenses. "Yeah, and focus on the top runes—they hummed loudest before." Another added, "What if we sync our breaths, like in meditation class?" Darius, his curiosity reignited, chimed in, "Thalassa had us sense mana’s rhythm—maybe we match the obelisk’s hum, control the air’s flow." The group buzzed, their earlier frustration morphing into collaboration, their camaraderie a steady current as they planned. Sylph watched, her arms crossed, her smile sly, clearly enjoying their scramble to piece it together.
They positioned themselves around the obelisk, hands raised, eyes focused. "On three," the braided girl called, her voice steady. "One, two—three!" They unleashed a collective gust, softer this time, layering their wind spells like ripples merging in a pond. Darius focused, his Wind Surge gentle, aiming for the obelisk’s peak, feeling for its hum. The runes flared, a deep, resonant sound rising, louder than before, the air trembling with pressure that rustled their robes and stirred the grass. The obelisk vibrated, its hum almost musical, the ground shaking faintly as the wind swirled upward, a spiral of shimmering air. The students gasped, their eyes wide, hope surging—Darius felt the rhythm, like Thalassa’s pond, his mana syncing with the structure’s pulse. But the sound peaked and faded, the runes dimming, the door still sealed, the obelisk silent once more.
Sylph burst out laughing, her voice a bright chime that cut through the disappointed groans. "Oh, that was good!" she said, doubling over, her robes fluttering. "Such an interesting way to fail! You’re all so serious, piling on like that—love the effort, though!" She straightened, wiping a mock tear, her grin infectious. "I never get tired of this—bullying new students, seeing how you think. You’re a nice bunch, decent mages, but not quite the wind masters I expected." Her tone was teasing, but her eyes sparkled with warmth, softening the critique. The students chuckled, their frustration melting into amusement, Darius grinning despite the sting, her playful "bullying" a strange kind of encouragement.
Sylph stepped forward, her demeanor shifting to something sharper, her hands raised. "Watch," she said, her voice suddenly focused. She flicked her fingers, a precise gust spiraling from her hands, soft but deliberate, weaving into the obelisk’s runes. The structure roared to life, its hum swelling into a deafening, harmonious note, like a giant flute played by the sky. Wind pressure surged, a visible wave rippling outward, flattening the grass, pushing the students back a step, their robes snapping in the gale. The runes blazed silver, the air alive with shimmering currents, the obelisk’s peak glowing as if channeling a storm. Darius’s breath caught, his hair whipping across his face, the sheer power of her control leaving him awestruck. The other students gaped, some whispering, others laughing in disbelief, the display a testament to Sylph’s mastery.
She lowered her hands, the wind settling, the obelisk’s hum fading to a soft pulse. "That’s how it’s done," she said, her grin returning, playful but proud. "Resonance, control, air pressure—not just mana. You’ll get there." She clapped once, the sound sharp, her eyes sweeping the group. "Alright, enough bullying—you’re a fun bunch, and I like you. Let’s start the real lesson." Her robes flared as she turned toward the door, the runes glowing brighter, the air humming with promise. Darius’s heart raced, his anticipation soaring, the wind’s whisper a call to the power he’d unlock in Study of Air, ready to dive into Sylph’s lesson and chase the mastery she’d just shown.