The Tale of Hera Hikaru

|Chapter Five| |The Original Soul Of Thunder|

The atmosphere inside the cave was tense, almost suffocating, as Hera and Suki stood before Hikari. The once legendary warrior had remained in isolation for years, his aura commanding, powerful, yet oddly still. His eyes glimmered with intensity, a storm hidden beneath their depths. Hera felt the weight of his gaze pressing down on her, scrutinizing her every move, every breath. She had been through so much to get here, but now, standing before Hikari, her confidence began to falter.

Beside her, Suki gripped her pendant, her pink sapphire glowing faintly in the dim light of the cave. The usual ease in her posture was gone, replaced with a tension that mirrored Hera's own. Both of them had prepared for this moment, but nothing could have readied them for the overwhelming pressure of being judged by someone like Hikari.

Rika, who had accompanied them on this journey, stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold with a calm expression. She had always been a strong and reliable mentor, but now, her role was done. The time had come for Hera and Suki to step into their own power.

Hikari's voice finally broke the silence, his tone low and commanding. "You seek my training, but power alone is not enough." He took a step closer, the soft echo of his boots against the stone floor filling the chamber. "Strength without control, without purpose, is meaningless."

Hera's grip tightened on her scythe, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. The moment she had feared. What if she wasn't worthy? What if all her training, all her hard work, amounted to nothing?

Suki's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "We've come this far. We've trained... we're ready."

Hikari's eyes shifted to her, and for a moment, the intensity of his gaze softened. But it was fleeting. "Ready?" he echoed, his voice carrying a hint of challenge. "We shall see."

Without warning, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, a deep rumbling that seemed to come from the very core of the earth. Hera's eyes widened as cracks formed in the stone floor, spreading out like veins of energy. Suddenly, the ground split open, revealing three paths, each bathed in a different elemental glow. The one on the left shimmered with the blue hue of water, the middle path crackled with golden lightning, and the path on the right pulsed with the green energy of the earth.

Hera exchanged a glance with Suki, both of them unsure of what was to come next. Before they could ask, Hikari spoke again. "Each of you has a connection to an element. The path you choose will test your bond with that element. Only by passing through will you prove yourselves worthy of my teachings."

The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Hera's stomach twisted in knots. She had trained to control her power over water, but this... this was something else. The cave radiated with a raw, untamed energy that she had never encountered before. It was as if the very elements themselves were alive here, waiting to test her resolve.

"Go," Hikari ordered, his eyes sharp as they bore into theirs. "Show me your worth."

Rika stepped forward then, her expression firm but supportive. "This is where I leave you," she said softly. "Your journey continues without me now. Remember what you've learned, and trust in each other."

Hera and Suki nodded, grateful for her guidance but understanding that this part of their path was theirs alone. With one final glance at them, Rika turned and left the cave, her silhouette disappearing into the darkness beyond the entrance.

The moment Rika left, Hera felt the pressure increase tenfold. She stared at the shimmering blue path before her, the water within it swirling in unpredictable currents. Every step she took closer felt like a step deeper into the unknown. She could sense the energy around her, pulling at her, testing her.