Quintessential Elemental: Death from Above, Nina's Story by Kevin Wikse
Nina glided from tree to tree, silent as a stringless kite, invisible to both eye and ear except for the briefest moments she crossed the face of the moon. Her quarry scurried below, a rat among New York City’s dirtiest, frantically seeking refuge from the owl it sensed above but could not locate. The city’s filth, once overwhelming to her senses, had become almost a comfort now—another element to master, like the air she now controlled so intimately. Since her choosing, Nina had dedicated herself to honing her skills. The air was no longer just something she breathed; it was her ally, her weapon. She had learned to take soft, quiet inhales, retaining her breath mindfully, allowing her body to levitate effortlessly, as if weightless. The sensation was liberating but required exact control. One wrong move, one sharp breath, and she would shoot skyward like a balloon released from a child’s grip—untethered, wild. Her exhale had to be even more precise, timed perfectly. Too slow and she w