The morning sun filtered through the city haze as Amina and Zashirmiq stepped out of his home, the door clicking shut behind them.
Just as they turned toward the main street, a familiar figure approached.
"Fatima," Amina greeted with a nod.
Fatima offered a light smile. "Morning. Just came to give you both a heads-up."
She stopped a few steps away, hands resting lightly at her sides. "We head out in five days."
Zashirmiq gave a short nod. "Understood. We'll be ready."
Fatima's gaze lingered on them both for a moment.
She noticed the faint shift in Amina's posture, the quiet calm between them. Something unspoken, yet not hidden.
Her lips curved slightly. "Good."
Then she turned, cloak swaying behind her as she walked away. "See you both then."
They continued toward the twins' shop.
They entered the twins' shop to the warm scent of dried herbs and polished metal. Hina looked up from the counter and smirked.
"Finally," she said, hands on her hips. "You two were supposed to be here two days ago."
"Something came up," Zashirmiq replied smoothly.
Hira exchanged a glance with her sister, their eyes sparkling with unspoken understanding. "Uh-huh. We figured."
She gestured toward the back. "Your stuff's ready. Two armors and a sword. Mind grabbing them?"
Zashirmiq nodded and stepped through the curtain into the storage room.
The moment he was out of sight, Hina and Hira rounded on Amina like hawks.
"So…" Hina began, grinning. "You two finally did it."
Hira elbowed her playfully. "About time. Congrats. We're honestly happy for both of you."
Amina's lips curled into a smug, satisfied smile. "Thanks. And now, when exactly are you two planning to stop pretending and take that step yourselves?"
Hira blinked. "What? We're just friends."
Amina raised a brow. "Right. And I'm the Queen of Rastaria. Who are you lying to, me or yourselves?"
Both twins flushed.
"You two better stop wasting time. You already lost the first spot to me," Amina said with a smirk. "Don't tell me you're planning to wait until everyone else joins too."
Hina gave a dramatic cough and waved her hand, eyes gleaming. "So… how was he?"
Amina crossed her arms, looking entirely too pleased. "Better than even my wildest dreams," she said, voice low and confident. "Let's just say we didn't want to stop. Kinda lost track of time."
Hira whistled. "No wonder you're both late."
Just then, Zashirmiq returned, carrying the armors and sword. He laid everything on the table.
Hina stepped forward and handed one of the armors to Amina. It had a sturdy look, with dark maroon plating lined with flexible black weave at the joints.
"This is yours," she said, patting the breastplate lightly. "It's reinforced but light. Should be able to protect you from anything below level 30."
She followed that by giving her a sleek, silver-edged sword wrapped in thick cloth.
"We know you prefer elemental ranged combat, but figured you'd want something that won't break if you're forced into melee."
Amina unwrapped the sword. It was a medium-length blade with a faint curve, the hilt wrapped in dark crimson leather.
She gave a small nod, satisfied. "Beautiful work."
Hina then handed the second armor to Zashirmiq. It had thicker plating and a darker shade of steel-blue.
"It's a bit heavier, but you've got the strength to carry it. It even offers better protection than Amina's," Hina said, then added with a chuckle, "We didn't bother with a sword. The one you're using right now... yeah, we can't make anything close to it at our current level."
Zashirmiq gave a small smile. "Thanks. These are exactly what we needed."
After a few minutes of small talk, the twins waved them off with playful goodbyes.
As they headed out to try their new equipment, Amina spoke.
"I've been thinking," she said. "You should avoid showing your Space Domain for now."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because no one else has it. It's too rare. I think it's better to keep it hidden and only use it when really needed."
"Plus," she continued, "we can buy other energy domains from the mall, so let's use those instead."
Zashirmiq nodded. "Hmm, I agree." He opened the system panel.
System Mall
Nexium Coins: 11,320
Fire Domain: 10,000 Nexium Coins
Lightning Domain: 10,000 Nexium Coins
Space Domain: 1,000,000 Nexium Coins
Zashirmiq stared for a moment.
"Space is... expensive."
Amina glanced over. "Looks like not all energy domains cost the same."
The system responded a moment later:
Not all energy domains are equal. Rarity, power scale, and other aspects determine the final cost. Fire and lightning are common. Space, on the other hand, is one of the top-tier domains.
Zashirmiq nodded. "Okay. We can afford one. Fire or lightning. Which one do you think I should get?"
"Neither. Both match me," Amina said. "No point in doubling up. You should get something different. It'll balance the team better."
Then she reached into her storage ring and pulled out the Windborne Zephyr Fruit.
"Use this instead. It unlocks the Wind Energy Domain, and it doesn't cost us any coins. We should save those for emergencies."
"But I wanted you to have it," he said.
"Well, once you get the Wind Domain, it'll unlock in the system mall and I can buy it from there when we have extra coins. I don't need a new power at this moment, but you do."
He gave her a look, then took the fruit and bit into it.
The energy hit him like a cool breeze, rushing through his limbs and lifting his senses. Not overwhelming, but sharp and focused.
Wind Domain: UNLOCKED
New Skills Acquired
Wind Carver
Zephyr Step
Gale Edge
Zashirmiq exhaled, feeling the power settle into his core. Then he turned to her and said,
"It's done. I got three skills."
"Three? Good," she nodded. "Let's check them out."
He activated each one, showing her what they could do and explaining briefly:
Wind Carver: Releases a flurry of wind blades in one direction. Can cut multiple enemies in a wide area, damaging and slowing them.
Zephyr Step: Uses wind power to enhance movement speed and reaction time.
Gale Edge: Infuses weapons with wind to increase sharpness, strike speed, and overall damage.
The next few days were spent on the outskirts, fighting, testing, adapting.
Hollowed humans and low-tier beasts offered the perfect testbed for new powers. Zashirmiq and Amina moved with purpose, their armor gleaming under the shifting light, the scent of ash and blood gradually becoming familiar again.
The first fight began with missteps.
Zashirmiq activated Zephyr Step and surged forward.
Too far.
He overshot the incoming Hollowed human by two strides and had to spin awkwardly just to realign himself. The creature lashed out, claws grazing the edge of his shoulder.
He winced and struck back, his sword shimmering with wind as Gale Edge carved through the Hollowed's side.
"You're too fast," Amina called, hurling a firebolt that crashed into a second attacker.
By evening, they had fought several groups, and Zashirmiq was beginning to understand the rhythm. Zephyr Step wasn't just movement. It was flow. Not teleportation, not instant, but continuous and adaptable. His dodges became shorter, tighter. His attacks sharper.
Still, he wasn't satisfied.
The second day brought another threat.
A group of Hollowed humans, eight strong, rushed from opposite ends.
Zashirmiq didn't wait. He dashed forward using Zephyr Step, sliding under a swing and twisting midair, landing behind them.
His sword flared with Gale Edge. He slashed once, twice, striking limbs instead of vitals. The wind-sharpened steel sliced through armor as if it were hide.
The group stumbled. He swept a hand.
"Wind Carver."
Blades howled through the space between them, cutting light but wide. Enough to stagger, not kill. Slowed, dazed.
Amina's flame grenade landed a second later, exploding in a burst of heat.
Three burned. Two fell.
Zashirmiq blinked forward again using Zephyr Step, this time stopping exactly where he needed to be. A clean reverse slash severed the last attacker's spine.
He exhaled.
"This is different from teleport. Teleport is a jump. But this... this makes everything faster. My steps, my strikes, even my instincts."
Amina nudged him with her elbow, smirking. "Then keep up. Training's not over."
By the fourth morning, it was instinct.
Zashirmiq no longer thought before using Wind Carver. He simply moved. His steps were sharper, more balanced. He dodged before danger arrived. Slashed before an opening appeared.
And they were ready to face whatever came next.