Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 21: Zephyr Common Unimpressed
The rooftop wind was strong. It whipped Kaito’s hair across his face. It tugged at his jacket. It smelled of rain and high altitude.
Kaito stood near the edge. His ribs ached. The wound from the Marked class entity was healed, but the memory of the pain remained. Every deep breath pulled at the skin.
He held a card. It was not a Face card. It was not a Legendary suit. It was the Five of Diamonds. Ordinary. Grey. Unremarkable.
Kuro’s voice echoed in his mind. He said, A Common. Really.
Kaito said, Yes.
Kuro said, You have Akira. You have Fenrir. You have me. And you choose a breeze.
Kaito said, Need speed.
Kaito flipped the card. It spun in the air. It glowed faintly. White light. Thin. Wispy.
A figure formed. She was small. Translucent. Her hair floated as if underwater. Her clothes were made of shifting air currents. She hovered two feet off the ground.
She looked at Kaito. She looked at the card. She looked at the city.
Zephyr said, This is a mistake.
Kaito said, Contract.
Zephyr crossed her arms. The air around her swirled.
Zephyr said, I am Common. Rank Five. You are the Silent King. You have Sovereigns in your pocket. Why me.
Kaito said, Scout.
Zephyr said, I am a wind spirit. I am not a pigeon. I do not carry messages. I create gusts. I knock over trash cans. I ruin hairstyles. That is my portfolio.
Kuro’s voice laughed. It was dry. Mocking.
Kuro said, She knows her place. Refreshing.
Zephyr turned to the Ace of Spades. She narrowed her eyes.
Zephyr said, Oh. The Shadow Sovereign. The big bad wolf. Do you sleep in a coffin too. Or just a jacket pocket.
Kuro said, I sleep in victory. Something you will never know.
Zephyr said, Victory is slow. I am fast. I win before you wake up.
Kaito watched them. He kept his hand near his ribs. The pain was a dull throb.
Kaito said, Join.
Zephyr floated closer. She circled him. She was incredibly fast. A blur of white and grey.
Zephyr said, I do not understand. You could have taken a Fire elemental. A Stone golem. Something with mass. Something with presence. I am literally air.
Kaito said, Air is everywhere.
Zephyr stopped. She hovered in front of his face. Her eyes were pale blue. Bright.
Zephyr said, That was almost poetic. Do you write poetry. Or just stand on roofs bleeding.
Kaito did not answer. He did not move.
Zephyr said, Touche. Silence. I respect it. Saves time.
She drifted back. She looked at the deck in Kaito’s other hand. The other cards glowed. Fenrir pulsed red. Akira pulsed blue.
Zephyr said, They are loud. I can feel them. The Wolf smells like wet dog. The Samurai smells like old metal. The Bird smells like depression.
Kuro said, I am a Raven. Not a bird. There is a distinction.
Zephyr said, You fly. You are a bird. Deal with it.
Kaito slipped the Five of Diamonds into the deck. It clicked into place. Fifteen cards became sixteen.
The deck hummed. A new note. High. Fast. Light.
Kaito said, Test.
Zephyr said, Now. You want a test. Fine. Watch.
She vanished. She did not move away. She just ceased to be visible.
Kaito’s hair moved. The wind shifted direction. Suddenly. From north to south.
Zephyr’s voice came from everywhere. It echoed off the ventilation units.
Zephyr said, I am here. I am there. I am behind you. I am above you. Can you catch me.
Kaito did not try. He stood still. He closed his eyes. He felt the air pressure change.
Kaito said, Left.
Zephyr materialized. She was indeed on his left. She looked surprised.
Zephyr said, Cheating. You used the shadows.
Kaito said, Felt.
Zephyr said, Hmm. Sensory input. Noted. You are not completely useless.
She floated down. She landed on the concrete. Her feet did not touch. She hovered an inch above.
Zephyr said, Okay. I am in. But I have conditions.
Kaito said, Listen.
Zephyr said, One. I do not clean. Dust is beneath me. Literally. Two. I do not fight heavy hitters. I will break. I am glass made of wind. Three. If we fly. I lead. You follow. Your form is aerodynamic disaster.
Kaito looked at his jacket. It was loose. Dark. Heavy.
Kaito said, Fine.
Zephyr said, Good. I like efficiency. We will get along. Unless you bore me. Then I will hide your keys. Or blow your homework away. I am petty. Do not test me.
Kuro said, She is annoying.
Zephyr said, I am efficient. There is a difference. You are just grumpy because you are no longer the only voice in his head.
Kaito said, Enough.
They both went silent. Zephyr shrunk. She became a wisp of wind. She flowed into the card. The Five of Diamonds settled in the deck.
Kaito fanned the cards. The new card was cool. Lighter than the others.
Kuro said, A Common. You weaken the average power.
Kaito said, No.
Kuro said, Explain.
Kaito said, Eyes everywhere.
Kuro said, If you say so. But when she fails. Do not say I did not warn you.
Kaito closed the deck. He put it in his pocket. He walked to the edge of the roof. He looked down at the street.
Students were leaving. Bags over shoulders. Umbrellas opening. The rain had started again. Light. Drizzling.
Hana was among them. She walked with Jin. They shared an umbrella. They looked normal. Safe.
Kaito’s hand tightened on the railing. The knuckles turned white.
Zephyr’s voice whispered. It was faint. Inside the card.
Zephyr said, You worry about them.
Kaito said, Yes.
Zephyr said, I can watch them. I can be the wind at their back. I can tell you if someone follows.
Kaito turned. He looked at the card in his hand.
Kaito said, Do it.
Zephyr said, See. Useful. I told you. Common does not mean useless. It means versatile. I am the Swiss Army knife of spirits. You are welcome.
Kaito said, Thanks.
Zephyr said, Do not get used to it. I charge extra for compliments.
She went silent. The wind on the roof died down.
Kaito stood alone. The city hummed below. The rain fell.
He thought about Hana. She had seen the blood. She had seen the scorch marks. She had said nothing.
Now he had a wind spirit watching her. A shadow raven in his pocket. A wolf ready to bite. A samurai ready to cut.
He was building an army. Not for conquest. For protection.
Kuro said, You are overprotective.
Kaito said, Know.
Kuro said, It will suffocate them.
Kaito said, Better than dead.
Kuro did not answer. The Ace cooled in the deck.
Kaito turned away from the edge. He walked to the door. He pushed it open. The stairwell was quiet.
He walked down. Step. Step. Step.
His ribs ached. He ignored it.
He reached the classroom. He collected his bag. He checked the desk. Nothing left behind. No secrets exposed.
He walked out of the school. The gate was crowded. Parents. Cars. Buses.
He merged into the crowd. He was invisible. Just another student. Just another face.
Zephyr’s voice flickered.
Zephyr said, Girl is turning left. Boy with glasses is going right. Loud boy is buying snacks. Vending machine. Again.
Kaito said, Watch.
Zephyr said, Always. That is my job. That is my purpose. I am the eyes in the sky. The whisper in the ear. The gust that pushes you forward.
Kaito said, Good.
Zephyr said, I know. I am amazing. You are lucky to have me. Truly. A Common among Legends. It is an honor for me. Obviously.
Kaito almost smiled. He stopped himself.
Kaito said, Quiet.
Zephyr said, Fine. But I am still here. Just so you know. Breathing on your neck. Metaphorically.
Kaito walked home. The rain got heavier. He opened his umbrella. Black. Plain.
He passed the alley where he fought the Marked class. It was clean. The glass was swept. The scorch marks were faded.
Someone had cleaned it. The city maintenance. Or someone else.
Kaito stopped. He looked at the wall.
Zephyr said, No one came. I watched. All night.
Kaito said, Good.
He continued walking. He reached his apartment. He climbed the stairs. He unlocked the door.
Inside, he took off his jacket. He hung it up. He took out the deck.
He laid the cards on the desk. Sixteen cards. Sixteen lives.
The Five of Diamonds shimmered.
Zephyr said, Nice desk. Messy. But nice.
Kaito said, Sleep.
Zephyr said, I do not sleep. I drift. But I will drift quietly. For you.
The card went dark.
Kaito sat in the chair. He looked at his hands. They were steady.
He had a new tool. A new voice. A new layer of defense.
Hana knew. Ryota suspected. Jin watched.
The circle was closing. The secret was thinning.
But he was not alone.
He had the deck. He had the wind. He had the shadow.
He stood up. He turned off the lamp.
The room went dark. The cards glowed faintly in the night.
Kaito lay on the bed. He closed his eyes.
Zephyr’s voice was the last thing he heard.
Zephyr said, Good night. King of Commons.
Kaito said, Night.
He slept.
