Jace the Elemental

"I'm glad Elias was here to blind it, otherwise that would've been rough," Orion panted, still catching his breath

"It would have been a much more difficult fight, that's for sure," Aurora agreed. "Now, time to move." 

They quickly continued on, reaching another doorway. 

Stepping into the next chamber, they were met with a sight far different from the previous dangers. An ancient magical grove stretched before them, its beauty almost surreal. Towering willow trees swayed gently despite the lack of wind, their long, silver-green leaves shimmering as if touched by unseen magic. Soft light filtered through the canopy, casting a calming glow over the moss-covered ground.

At the center of the grove stood a large stone table, its surface adorned with five glowing sigils, each representing a basic element, Water, Fire, Wood, Earth, and Wind.

The group cautiously approached the table.

"What are we supposed to do here?" Felix asked, eyes scanning the sigils.

"It must be a puzzle of some sort," Aurora mused. She reached out and placed her hand on the Wind sigil in front of her. Instantly, it pulsed with a brighter glow. "Interesting," she murmured.

The others, seeing her action, followed suit, each pressing a hand to a sigil that matched their affinity. One by one, the symbols brightened, the soft hum of magic growing stronger.

As Elias touched the final sigil, the entire table flashed a brilliant red. A sharp, pulsing energy surged outward, forcing them to recoil as they instinctively pulled their hands away.

The sigils dimmed, leaving only the unsettling silence of the grove.

"What the hell was that?" Orion muttered, tension creeping back into his voice.

Aurora narrowed her eyes, studying the table. "It seems we did something wrong…"

"Maybe all at the same time?" Felix suggested.

The group exchanged glances before stepping forward again. This time, they placed their hands on the sigils simultaneously. The symbols brightened as before, only to pulse red once again.

However, instead of vanishing immediately, the red glow lingered for five seconds before fading back to normal.

Aurora frowned, a thought forming in her mind. "Everyone, do it again."

She pressed her hand to the sigil, the others following her lead. Once more, the symbols flared red—but this time, they remained glowing for ten full seconds before resetting.

"It seems that every time we're incorrect, the puzzle locks us out for longer," she mused, her eyes narrowing in thought.

"So we can't just brute force our way through the options?" Orion groaned. "Damn."

"There has to be a solution we already know," Felix murmured, stroking his chin.

They all fell silent, each lost in thought. Seconds ticked by before Orion's eyes suddenly widened. "Wait… do you think it's based on elemental relationships?" He turned to Aurora.

"What do you mean?" she asked, giving him space to explain his thought process.

Orion grabbed a stick and quickly sketched a rough diagram in the dirt. "Since I only have the five basic elements, I've done a lot of research into them to make up for not having a rarer affinity," he began. "One of the fundamental things you learn is how the elements interact with each other."

He tapped the first symbol as he continued. "Earth nourishes Wood. Wood feeds Fire. Fire creates Wind. Wind carries Water. And Water replenishes Earth."

Aurora slowly nodded. "That makes sense, but.."

"But which one do we start with?" Lucian interrupted her.

Aurora blinked, slightly surprised, Lucian was usually the silent type.

"I'm not sure," Orion admitted. "There's debate about which element starts the cycle, but no definitive answer."

"Well, we could always just try them all," Felix suggested. "The lockout times can't be too bad if there are only five options."

"True, and doing something is better than nothing," Aurora agreed, stepping toward one of the symbols, when a voice they hadn't heard before suddenly spoke.

"Wood."

Elias's voice was rough and strained, as if even that single word caused him massive pain.

"Elias?" Aurora turned to him, completely caught off guard. If she had been surprised when Lucian spoke earlier, she was absolutely stunned now. She had never even heard Elias's voice before, his sister always spoke for him. "Why wood?" she asked, quickly regaining her composure.

Elias simply pointed toward the willow trees.

"You're saying the trees are the clue?" Aurora asked, piecing it together.

Elias smiled and nodded. The trees had to be there for a reason.

Aurora met his gaze and nodded back. "Let's try it." She looked toward Lucian, who stood closest to the Wood symbol.

Following Orion's suggested sequence, they placed their hands on the symbols in order.

This time, the symbols began glowing brighter, then, instead of flashing red, they pulsed with a soft green light. A moment later, the vines of one of the willow trees shifted, parting like a curtain to reveal a hidden door.