Chapter 113-Strange warning

Chapter 113: 113-Strange warning

After getting the basics of earth, fire, and water under her control, Maisa finally turned her attention to the fourth element, air.

She had already learned one important lesson during her training: no two elements behaved the same way. Earth demanded patience and strength from her in order to move for her, which was like Varitreya. Fire responded to intensity and emotion, much like it’s owner who is an emotional grenade. Water required her to stop forcing it and instead learn its rhythm just like Zolani, whose presence is free and without any pretence or force.

Air, she soon discovered, was different from all of them. It was everywhere, invisible and untouchable. Yet somehow, it felt more alive than the other elements.

Maisa stood alone in the training grounds and slowly raised her hands, concentrating on the air surrounding her. At first, nothing happened no matter how hard she tried.

"Lumi seems the easiest to read with her bookish need nature... why can’t I even feel her element?"

She closed her eyes and tried again, reaching beyond what she could see and attempting to feel the movement of the atmosphere around her.

The moment she did, she smiled but regretted it immediately as something pushed back. Hard.

Maisa’s eyes flew open. "What the hell!"

The air around her suddenly became heavy, pressing against her body with a force she hadn’t expected. Her lungs tightened as though the atmosphere itself had turned against her. She stumbled backwards, instinctively reaching for her throat as her breathing became difficult.

"What...?"

She couldn’t finish her training because of how dangerously the air had changed so suddenly. It felt wrong, thick, and oppressive.

Then came the most terrifying realization. She wasn’t simply struggling to breathe. The air itself was becoming poisonous.

Panic flashed through her. Maisa immediately released her control and staggered away, desperately trying to escape the affected area. She ran several steps before finally reaching a clearer patch of ground. She bent forward, breathing deeply and allowing the fresh air to fill her lungs.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. "What was that?"

She looked back toward the place she had been standing. Nothing appeared different. The grass still moved gently beneath the night breeze, and the trees stood peacefully in the distance. There was no visible sign that anything had happened, but Maisa knew better.

She had felt it as it had been caused by her. Her expression slowly changed as a memory surfaced. It was the scene at the hotel in Old Scaris when hearing when Lumi had lost her temper.

Maisa remembered the moment Lumi’s anger had overwhelmed her control, turning the air around them dangerous. At the time, Maisa had barely understood what was happening. She had only known that something about the atmosphere had changed, that the very air had become something they couldn’t safely remain inside.

Now she understood it first hand, Lumi hadn’t simply been angry, her magic had responded to that anger, and the air had obeyed her emotions. That realization sent a chill down Maisa’s spine.

Earth could shake and move on command, fire could burn, and water could overwhelm at any rate but air?

Air could be everywhere without being seen. It could surround someone before they even realized they were in danger, and it could suffocate people if handled wrongly.

Maisa stared at her hands. For the first time since beginning her elemental training, excitement was replaced by genuine caution.

Air magic wasn’t simply powerful. It was unpredictable, and perhaps that was what made it the most frightening element of them all because even vampires needed to breathe.

She swallowed and glanced back toward the training grounds. "Lumi..."

Now she finally understood what her mate had been capable of that night, and for the first time, Maisa wondered what would happen if she ever lost control of the air the way Lumi had.

She had learned enough to understand what the mysterious benefactor was giving her. They weren’t simply keeping her healthy. They were teaching her and strengthening her.

They were helping her weaponize the very bond that everyone else seemed to fear and that realization bothered Maisa more than the gifts themselves.

One night, she sat alone in the library with the mysterious manual open before her. The candles beside her flickered as she stared at the pages.

"Who are you?" The question had been haunting her for days among many others.

How did this person know about her bond? How did they know what was happening to her body? How did they know about the elements? How had they obtained medicines specifically designed to suppress the backlash? And more importantly, how had they known she would need them?

She had never told anyone about the backlash, and not even her mates had known everything.

The True Heart was supposed to be ancient and nearly forgotten, yet someone was quietly preparing Maisa for it. Preparing her to control it, become stronger and stay at the top of her game.

Her fingers slowly closed around the edge of the book. That should have frightened her away, but instead, another set of questions frightened her even more.

Why would anyone want to make her stronger? Why would someone secretly help a redblood become capable of controlling four different elemental powers? Why give her something that could potentially make her powerful enough to threaten vampires far above her rank? And what did they gain from it?

Maisa leaned back in her chair. Her eyes narrowed. She knew the truth. There was no such thing as a free gift, especially not in the vampire world. She had learned that much.

She was an outcast vampire tied to four powerful vampires, and now, she had become someone secretly projected. She couldn’t understand why, and that scared her.

She looked up with cautious eyes. "What happens the day the benefactor shows up to collect the debt I owe for these gifts?"

She closed the manual and stepped out of the library. In as much as she was getting stronger and learning to stand on her own two feet, she was also playing into someone’s game.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the matter of her benefactor to the back of her mind. The person stayed hidden and was yet to make any demands, so for the time being, they weren’t a priority.

She retired to her red blood dormitory and took a quick shower. Sapphire had gone for a sleepover with one of her other friends, so she was alone in her dorm.

Maisa opened her black mirror and tapped into the student Council’s page. There were many photos of the Student Council from Old Scaris that were taken by fans, all of which came out great.

Maisa scrolled through the page. Her fingers traced through each and every one of her mates with longing. "I miss you..."

Their faces, voices, and presence, she longed for it all. She had only planned to look for a while and then sleep, but even at sunrise, she was still awake and scrolling.

Just then, a message came in.

[The new players are here, Maisa. You need to get stronger and master the elements. You’ll need it for what’s coming.]

There was no greeting, no sender name, or explanation as to what the message meant.

"Who sent this message? And who exactly are these new players, and what do they want with me?" She wondered. "And if they are new... who are the old players?"