The morning was dark over the Windy Stronghold, though the sun had broken through the heavy gray clouds. The silence was only a thin veil covering the sounds of pain and tears that filled the valley after the Battle of the Black Ashes.
Eren sat on a rock near the shattered gate, his injured shoulder covered in a bandage stained with red and black blood and ash, as the wind slowly passed around him, as if silently comforting him.
Lylin walked among the wounded, touching the faint golden flame with her hand to help cleanse their wounds of the remnants of ash that were trying to seep into their bodies, tears welling in her eyes.
"We've lost so much..."
She said in a low voice as she looked at the rows of bodies covered in gray cloth.
Eren raised his head, pain evident in his eyes despite his efforts to remain still.
"But we saved so many more... If we hadn't fought, the Black Ashes would have consumed everything."
Leylin was silent for a moment before sitting beside him, golden flames dancing weakly between her fingers.
"Do you think this is enough? If the Ashes return again... we won't last."
The wind smelled of ash and blood with every breeze, while soldiers stood around the stronghold, repairing barriers and silently burying their comrades.
Decision Meeting:
In the hall of the Stone Temple, Eren, Leylin, and Xerath met with the few surviving Wind Commanders.
Xerath placed an ancient map on the battered wooden table and pointed to a distant mountain surrounded by circles inscribed with ancient Wind symbols.
"Here... on this mountain, it is said that the original Wind Temple is where the Shadow Spirits were first sealed."
Leylin and Eren exchanged glances, and Xerath quickly said, "Are you saying there might be a way to eradicate the Black Ashes once and for all?"
Zerath nodded slowly.
"If we don't find a way to close those shadows, this war will never end. But it's a perilous journey. The mountain is surrounded by storms and beasts that feed on the wind, and there are hunters watching the entrances."
Eren clenched his fist, the wind slowly swirling around his hand despite his fatigue.
"We must try. I don't want to watch any more of the people I love fall."
Lylin placed her hand over his, the flame flickering slightly. "We will go together."
Planning the Journey:
Zerath pointed out hidden paths through the deep forests to reach the mountain without being detected by the hunters. He instructed the guards to prepare supplies and weapons that combined wind and fire.
Outside the temple, rain began to fall on the valley, slowly washing away the black ash, while the water mixed with the blackness, leaving dark streaks on the ground.
Leylin stood in the rain, a golden flame lightly looming in her hand, as she said in a low voice, "These ashes... they won't disappear until we destroy their roots."
Eren approached her quietly and extended his hand toward the rain, where the wind swirled around the droplets to form a transparent ring of air, intertwined with sparks of Leylin's flame.
"When fire, rain, and wind unite... we will break the shadows."
Leylin looked at him, smiling despite the pain, before shaking her head.
"Let's begin preparing, before the next storm comes."
As the rain washed the remnants of ash and blood from the ground of the stronghold, the marks of the ashes remained etched in their hearts, reminding them that the journey ahead would not be merely a search for answers...
It would be a battle to save fire, wind, and all who believe in freedom in a world threatened by shadows.