Fire moved before permission was given.
The western horizon burned brighter than it should have, heat rolling across the air in violent waves. Even from the Sky Dominion, the imbalance was impossible to ignore.
Yang felt it immediately.
"Fire is surging," he said. "Uncontained."
Rui stood beside him, eyes fixed on the distant glow. "Changhe doesn't wait for consensus," he replied. "He acts when he senses weakness.". The wind shifted uneasily.
Yang turned sharply. "You believe he is testing us.". Rui nodded. "Fire thrives on instability. If the balance is already cracked, he will push until it breaks.". As if summoned by his name, a burst of heat tore through the sky. Flames spiraled upward, forming a path of fire that cut cleanly through the clouds. At its center stood Prince Changhe, his expression bright with amusement, flames dancing lazily around his shoulders.
"You look busy," Changhe said lightly. "I thought I'd help."
"Your help is rarely controlled," Yang replied coldly. Changhe laughed. "Control is overrated."
The Fire Realm border was already unstable.
Stone glowed red beneath their feet, earth cracking as heat forced its way upward. Wind roared overhead, feeding the flames instead of dispersing them.
Rui stepped forward instinctively. "If this continues, the ground will collapse."
"And if I pull the wind back too quickly," Yang said, "the fire will explode."
Changhe watched them with open interest. "See? This is why I love chaos. It reveals what people are really made of."
"Enough," Yang snapped. "Stand down, Changhe." Changhe's smile sharpened.
"Make me." Fire surged outward.
Yang reacted instantly, forcing the wind into tight spirals to contain the blast. The air screamed under the strain. Flames bent but did not extinguish, feeding off the pressure.
Rui slammed his palm into the ground.
The earth rose in thick barriers, absorbing the heat, grounding the shockwaves before they could spread. Pain shot through his arm, but he held steady.
"Yang!" Rui called out. "You're feeding it!"
Yang adjusted immediately, loosening his grip. The wind shifted from compression to flow, redirecting the flames instead of crushing them.
Changhe's eyes flickered with interest "Oh," he said softly. "That's new."
Fire receded reluctantly.The ground cooled. The air steadied.For the first time since arriving, Changhe's flames dimmed slightly.
"You've changed," Changhe said, looking at Yang. "You used to force the wind until
everything else broke." Yang did not answer.
Changhe's gaze slid to Rui. "And you must be the reason." Rui met his eyes calmly. "Fire burns brightest when unchallenged. Balance tempers it."
Changhe chuckled. "Careful, Earth Guardian. Fire likes to consume things that try to contain it."
"Enough," Yang said sharply. "You endangered the realms."Changhe shrugged.
"I proved a point."
"What point?" Rui asked.Changhe's smile faded just a fraction. "That the Brilliants are waking up. And when they do, old rules stop applying."
Silence followed.
The heat lingered in the air long after the flames vanished. Later, as they stood alone at the edge of the platform, Yang spoke quietly.
"You put yourself in danger again." Rui did not look at him. "So did you."
Yang hesitated. "You didn't have to step in."
Rui turned. "Neither did you. But you trusted me to guide the wind." The wind stirred gently between them. Yang exhaled slowly.
"Fire won't stop. Changhe won't stop." Rui nodded. "Then we won't either."
Their eyes met.Not enemies.Not friends.
But no longer standing apart.
Far away, the Brilliant of Fire pulsed once—bright, restless, eager.
And beneath the calm surface of the Water Realm, something began to move.