AN HOUR EARLIER

Aer stepped through the void once more, fighting against its currents to appear amongst the highest clouds of Paradise. A beautiful sunset graced the sky to her west, and she bounced on a particularly fluffy cumulus, dangling her feet off the edge and looking down upon the two clans. She still had some time before her meeting with Hong Tang Seira, and there was something very important she needed to do.

Her mana sense stretched out over the entire landmass, feeling the air for any human-like movements. Many Huang Clan members were up and about dozens of miles away, but their direct contact with the old hag made them less than ideal.

Instead, she looked closer. A few miles away, a pair of figures were engrossed in conversation, and with a wave of her spirit, the wind carried their voices back to her.

“Tonight was incredible, Mai. You’re… you’re even more beautiful than last time. I love you.”

“I love you too, Rynn…”

A moment of silence.

“But now I really need to go. We’re almost at my house, and my father would be furious if he saw me with a Sun.”

Another silence, and the woman spoke again. “Ugh, none of the Warriors understand me as much as you, Rynn. But are you okay, having to hide our love from everyone?”

Aer sat up, eyebrows raised. A Sun and a Warrior, together? That was unique combination indeed. Especially the Warrior, given that she would have been raised to be repulsed at the mere sight of a Sun. This woman might be exactly what she needed...

“Of course, Mai. So long as I have you, I don’t need the rest of the clan.”

She let a current of wind guide her cloud towards them, but before she could get to them, another figure stormed onto the scene.

"Stupid Sun! That insolent brat’s sister has ruined me, and you still dare stand in my way?"

How very interesting. She leaned over the cloud, letting her Saintly eyes and mana sense take in every detail of the interaction.

An old Torch stumbled towards the couple, the stench of alcohol staining the air around her. “I’ll teach you a lesson! I’ll make you wish you never crossed my path!”

Aer snorted. The Warrior had yet to gain the red streaks in her hair, so this Torch probably thought she was preying on a pair of Suns. She’d quickly learn her mistake —

"Stand back, Mai! I'll protect you!" Sun stepped forwards, his handsome features twisted into a scowl.

A Sun protecting a Warrior? Well, that wasn’t something you saw every day.

Mai put a dainty hand on the man's shoulder, shaking her head. "No, Rynn, it's fine! I'll —"

The old Torch cackled, sloppily conjuring a whip of fire. "I will inflict upon you twice the dishonor that girl has given me! Twice the dishonor, and a hundred times the pain! And then that stupid boy and their horrid mother will be next!"

The Saint pursed her lips. Would the Warrior really let her friend get hurt? Yet...

"Face me then, woman." Absolute confidence radiated from the man, and even Aer couldn't tell if it was a ruse or not. Did he have some sort of hidden weapon?

The Torch charged him, and Rynn easily sidestepped. A second later, he was behind her, and the old woman was off-balance. The whip barely nicked his shoulder, and he shoved her to the ground.

She shot a weak fireball at him, and he once again dodged, pinning the woman down with a foot on her stomach.

"If I ever see you trying to hurt Mai again, I won't be so forgiving."

Aer clapped, though of course she was too far away for them to hear. Despite his lack of affinity for the mystic arts, the man certainly had an instinct for combat. The Flowing Wind would come easily to him, and talent had never particularly mattered for her…

* * *

"H-how did you do that?” the Torch shrieked, spewing sparks from her mouth.

Hong Li Mai stepped in, motioning for Rynn to back away from the old woman. "Silence, Torch. I think the better question is why have you attacked us?"

She flared her aura, holding up her hand to reveal the mark of a flaming sword. "Leave us, before I report you to your betters."

"A Warrior?" The supervisor brought her whip back to bear, scrambling to her feet.

Mai used a technique of her own, conjuring a spear of dense flames. "Yes, Torch, a Warrior. Now leave! And if I hear that you have told anyone of what you saw today, there will be severe consequences. Understood?"

"Y-yes, honored Warrior."

The Torch scurried off like a spooked rabbit, and Mai rushed to kiss the Sun.

"Rynn! Oh, Saints’ skies, you just took down a Torch! You… are you going to be ok?"

He laughed. "You should worry less, Mai. The heavens will be kind to us, no matter what."

The woman shook her head, brushing her long hair from her face. "But you still, you were wonderful..."

Something fell from above. Her eyes widened, and on instinct, she flipped back, catching herself on her hands and pushing off again to put even more distance between herself and the foreign aura.

Then, she realized that Rynn was still back there. She cried out, hand outstretched towards him —

And a note glided to the ground, made of normal parchment and seemingly written in normal ink. She reapproached, giving Rynn a bashful look.

“What was that?”

He smiled at her, bending down to pick up the message. “A letter, I think. But what does it say...”

She leaned over his shoulder, and they read.

Dear Mai and Rynn of the Hong Clan,

I know that you don’t know me, but I hope this note finds you well. If you wish for strength, and for a space where you will no longer have to hide your love, I may be able to aid you. I will be waiting for you today at dusk, at the silver tree in the middle of the forest.

Best,

Aeripha, Saint of Wind and Storms.

He pulled her in, wrapping his tanned arms around her waist. “This is amazing, Mai! This Saint is blessing us both, and if I gained the strength of a Warrior, they would be sure to let us marry!”

She put her head against his chest, but a second later, she frowned. “Wait, Rynn. Why do you believe this? Just because it fell from the heavens? What if some prankster from the Huang Clan threw a bunch of these into the wind, and they’re just waiting at that spot to kidnap us?”

“Well, then I trust you to protect us, Mai. And I just have a feeling that this isn’t a fake. Like I said, the heavens have always been kind to me. And if I became powerful —”

She pulled away, looking at him incredulously. “Rynn, if the heavens were kind to you, they would have just made you a Warrior so that we wouldn’t have to risk ourselves for some supposed Saint’s blessing.”

Rynn winced.

“Wait, no! I didn’t mean it like that. I love you just as you are, which is why I think we shouldn’t pursue this silly note. My father will be out of the house tomorrow evening, so I’d love to spend it there with you instead.”

He grabbed her hands, kissing her once more. “Of course, Mai.”

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

Supervisor Ba limped through the Warrior’s district, her aura concealed and a plain brown hood covering her wrinkled face. Yesterday, she had been shamed not once, but twice by noble scum, and while she couldn’t touch the Tang family just yet, she was more than happy to channel her vengeance in a different direction.

She stopped before a particularly ornate estate, checking the crest to make sure it matched with the symbol emblazoned on the girl’s robes. Yes. This was the one.

She straightened her back, and with a cackle, she threw off her hood, knocking onto the Li family’s large redwood doors.

“Excuse me! Please, I have urgent news!”

A servant answered, and the supervisor bowed, making sure to hide the mark on her hand.

“Greetings, honored servant of the esteemed Li family. This humble Scout has witnessed your heir in the process of doing something disastrous.”