I hurled a massive fireball at the charging bear, but to my horror, it didn’t even flinch. The flames parted around its metallic black fur, leaving the creature completely unscathed. My second attempt was a knife Emma had given me, launched with a burst of wind magic. It clanged off the beast’s hide and fell uselessly to the ground.

  “Fudge,” I muttered under my breath. Fire and piercing weren’t going to work. That left brute force. But how could we possibly generate enough power to take down a monster like this? Even ordinary bears were tanks of muscle and bone. This monstrosity made regular bears look like toddlers.

  The beast kept charging, unstoppable despite the obstacles in its path. Its eight legs devoured the terrain, rocks shattered beneath its claws, and its massive wings battered the air around it. I realized with growing dread that there was no outrunning it, no outmaneuvering it.

  I turned to Emma. “Get out of here! I’ll distract it. You can fly—you might make it if you go now.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, the bear was upon us. “Hold on. I’ll be right back,” she blurted, taking off into the sky like a streak of gold and green.

  The bear swiped at her retreating form, but I managed to bash its snout with the flat of one of my axes. The blow wasn’t enough to hurt it, but it did enough to grab its attention—and its rage. It turned its glowing red eyes on me, and the full force of its six clawed arms came crashing down.

  I fought for my life, blocking with both axes, enhanced by every ounce of strength and wind magic I could muster. Each strike from the bear sent shockwaves through my body, flinging me backward like a rag doll. My vision blurred as I hit the ground hard, but I scrambled back to my feet. The bear charged again, relentless, and I knew I couldn’t last much longer. My heart ached with the thought that I’d never see Emma again.

  Suddenly, a deafening whistle cut through the air, followed by a sonic boom. Before I could react, a golden-green blur streaked past me and slammed into the bear with incredible force. Emma had returned. She drove both fists into the beast in a move straight out of a superhero comic, launching it off the ground and into the air.

  She hovered above the beast, trading blow for blow. Despite her strength and speed, the bear’s sheer size and durability were overwhelming. Blood poured from her broken arm, her movements slowing. My chest tightened with panic as I realized she couldn’t win. The thought of losing her filled me with a fear greater than I’d ever known. A strange, painful flutter in my chest made it clear what I’d been denying all along: I loved her. I couldn’t let her die.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Focus. Think. Move.

  I forced my mind into overdrive with [Soul Accelerate], my thoughts racing as I searched for a way to save her. There was only one chance—one insane, impossible chance. I needed to generate enough force to not only stop the bear but also send it fleeing. And I needed to fly to reach it.

  Drawing on my wind magic, I summoned a torrent of air, forming a vortex around me. I reached out with [Soul Speak], calling to the elementals. “This is Juran, the True Elemental. I need mana to save the woman I love! Please, lend me your strength!”

  To my astonishment, the elementals responded. Their power flowed into my spell, amplifying it far beyond my usual limits. The air around me shimmered with the presence of dozens of wind elementals, their forms faintly resembling elven women made of swirling air.

  With their help, I launched myself skyward, spiraling toward Emma and the bear like a human missile. As I ascended, I compacted the air around my arm into a dense spiral of wind. It was a makeshift gauntlet of raw force, cushioning my body while amplifying the impact.

  The bear didn’t see me coming. In an instant, I was upon it, driving my fist—and the full power of the wind—into its side. The explosion of force sent the creature hurtling toward the ground. It smashed through jagged rocks, crashing into a ravine with a pitiful yelp. I watched as it limped away, defeated.

  Emma’s body went limp in the air, and I barely caught her in time. Her arm was shattered, bones splintered, and her internal injuries were severe. Her dragon heritage was the only thing keeping her alive, but it wouldn’t last much longer.

  “Stay with me, Emma,” I whispered. Desperation surged through me as I pulled life force from the surrounding forest. The energy flowed through me, pooling in my lungs. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers, and breathed the life force into her.

  Her wounds began to heal. The moment stretched out, the kiss deepening as the magic worked. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before—a warmth that ignited every fiber of my being. For the first time, I felt whole.

  When she opened her eyes, they sparkled like crystalline pools. We stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken words. Finally, I broke the silence with a grin. “Mmm, you taste better than ribs.”

  She laughed, brushing her hair back as it tangled with mine. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to a girl. Which, now that I think about it, is kind of sad.”

  “Oh, really?” I teased, kissing her again, this time with all the passion I’d held back for years.

  Wind elementals flitted around us, giggling and whispering. One of them winked at me, and I rolled my eyes. Just then, a system prompt appeared.

  Goddess of Fate says: “You’re welcome!”