As Rannah and Hannah passed through the archway, a new sense of foreboding hung in the air. The temperature dropped sharply, and a powerful gust of wind howled through the narrow passage ahead, tugging at their cloaks as they pressed forward. The tunnel felt different from the last—wider, with walls lined with intricate carvings of swirling shapes, mimicking the flow of wind itself.
Hannah rubbed her arms to ward off the sudden cold. "This has to be the Trial of Air," she muttered. "But I don't like how quiet it is. I was kind of expecting a storm."
Rannah nodded, her eyes scanning the path ahead. The Heart of the Earth pulsed softly in her hand, its glow dimmer now, as if bracing itself for what was to come. "It’s the calm before the storm," she said quietly. "Whatever we’re about to face, it’s waiting for us."
The tunnel finally opened up into another vast chamber, but unlike the previous trials, there was no clear path forward. Instead, they stood at the edge of a dizzying drop, a massive chasm that stretched beyond what their eyes could see. The far side of the cavern was lost in a swirling vortex of wind and dust, the only thing visible being a narrow, crumbling bridge that spanned the seemingly endless abyss.
Rannah and Hannah exchanged a glance.
"You have got to be kidding me," Hannah muttered. "A bridge? With that wind? We’re supposed to walk across that?"
The wind howled even louder now, as if the mountain itself was laughing at their predicament. Rannah stepped cautiously toward the edge of the cliff, peering down into the abyss below. She couldn’t see the bottom. The swirling air currents tugged at her hair and cloak, threatening to pull her into the chasm if she got too close.
"There’s no other way," Rannah said grimly, her eyes fixed on the fragile-looking bridge ahead. "This is the trial."
Hannah groaned. "Of course it is." She stepped up beside her sister, her hand tightening around her staff. "Any idea what we’re supposed to do? Because walking across that thing in this wind seems like a death sentence."
Rannah stared at the bridge, then at the Heart of the Earth in her hand. The artifact pulsed faintly, almost as if it were responding to her thoughts. "It’s a test of trust," she said slowly. "We have to trust the elements. The Heart can help us, but we need to work with the air, not against it."
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "You want us to just walk across and hope the wind doesn’t toss us into the abyss?"
"Not hope," Rannah corrected. "Trust."
Hannah exhaled sharply. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds way better," she said sarcastically. But there was no other option, and they both knew it. The only way forward was across the bridge.
Rannah stepped onto the first plank, her heart pounding. The wind immediately whipped at her from all sides, but she planted her feet firmly, gripping the Heart in one hand while steadying herself with the other. The air felt alive around her, swirling and shifting, testing her balance.
"Hannah, stay close," Rannah called over the roar of the wind. "Move with the air. Don’t fight it."
Hannah hesitated, then followed her sister onto the bridge. The moment her foot touched the first plank, the wind intensified, as if sensing the presence of both sisters. The bridge creaked ominously beneath them, and the air became a forceful, invisible wall, pushing them backward with every step.
"I don’t think the air wants to be friends," Hannah shouted, clutching her staff tightly as she leaned into the wind.
Rannah didn’t respond. She was focused on the Heart of the Earth, trying to connect with its ancient magic. She could feel the wind pushing against her, but there was something deeper—something beneath the surface. A rhythm. The wind wasn’t wild or chaotic; it was following a pattern, a pulse in sync with the world itself.
"We have to match the rhythm," Rannah said, more to herself than to Hannah. She took a deep breath, then stepped forward again, this time moving with the wind, not against it. The pressure eased slightly, and she took another step, then another. It wasn’t easy, but the more she surrendered to the flow of the air, the more it seemed to guide her.
Hannah watched her sister carefully, then mimicked her movements. The wind still pushed at her, but she found that if she timed her steps with the gusts, it became easier to move forward.
They inched their way across the bridge, one step at a time, the wind howling around them like a living creature. Below them, the abyss seemed to stretch on forever, a dark, endless void that threatened to swallow them whole if they made one wrong move.
About halfway across, the wind changed. It shifted direction, coming at them from the sides now, trying to knock them off balance. Rannah stumbled, her foot slipping on the narrow plank. For a terrifying moment, she teetered on the edge of the bridge, the abyss yawning below her.
"Rannah!" Hannah shouted, reaching out.
Rannah’s hand shot out, grabbing hold of the edge of the plank. The Heart of the Earth pulsed in her other hand, its glow flaring as it anchored her to the bridge. With a grunt of effort, she pulled herself back to her feet, her heart racing.
"I’m fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Just… keep moving."
Hannah nodded, her face pale, but she didn’t argue. Together, they pressed on, step by painstaking step, the wind growing fiercer with every inch they gained. The far side of the cavern seemed impossibly distant, but they could see it now—a stone platform just beyond the swirling vortex.
"We’re close," Rannah said, though she could barely hear her own voice over the wind.
As they neared the end of the bridge, the wind reached a fever pitch. It screamed in their ears, whipping their hair and clothes around them like a storm. The bridge creaked and swayed beneath their feet, threatening to collapse at any moment.
With one final burst of energy, Rannah and Hannah sprinted the last few steps and leaped onto the stone platform. The moment their feet touched solid ground, the wind stopped. The air around them fell eerily still, as if the storm had never existed.
Breathing heavily, the sisters collapsed onto the platform, their bodies trembling from the effort.
"That was..." Hannah panted, her voice hoarse. "That was insane."
Rannah nodded, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The Heart of the Earth pulsed faintly in her hand, its glow soft and reassuring. They had passed the Trial of Air.
But as the calm settled around them, a new sound echoed through the cavern—a low, rumbling growl. Rannah’s head snapped up, her heart pounding in her chest.
From the shadows of the platform ahead, something was moving. Something large.
"The trial isn’t over yet," Rannah whispered, her eyes narrowing as a massive figure stepped into the dim light, its body swirling with the power of the wind.
Hannah groaned. "I knew it was too easy."
Together, the sisters rose to their feet, their hands already glowing with magic. The Trial of Air had one last test in store—and this time, it wasn’t just the elements they had to face.