The sky above the Kingdom of Wind was a kaleidoscope of motion.
Clouds curled like brushstrokes, drifting in lazy spirals across the cerulean expanse. Floating isles bobbed on invisible currents, tethered by golden bridges that shimmered with light. Windchimes sang in unfamiliar tones, and stairways built from gusts alone beckoned the brave skyward.
Sophia stepped off the airship's ramp with her hood drawn low. The trip from Terravahl had taken two days, and her time in the Obsidian Labyrinth still lingered in her bones like a second skin. The ground beneath her feet was deceptively solid—though she knew it was wind magic, woven dense enough to hold weight.
The city of Aeria was beautiful. And false.
Noah walked at her side, his hand never far from the hilt of his blade. He didn't trus
