trembled ben

e ancient force that had emerged from shadow. The heat was unbearable, not from the fire she wielded, but from th

st old. It w

ng suns, locked onto hers and whispered a

ri

Blood soaked his shirt, fresh wounds reopening as the

She stepped forward, shi

claim over me

you carry the Key. The blood. The f

nd it, the walls of the Iron Bastion wept molten stone. Screams echoed from distant corr

na's wrist, breath ragg

of the darkness. Something stirred inside her-somet

pendant at he

"Ahh... the Ember

ed around her fingers, gold laced with

" she wh

ore its shadowy claws reached her, a barrier exploded b

al weapon forged by his father's line, one that only responded t

oice dark, guttural, "and I'l

was like shattering bone

cy breathes. And the flames you summon? They were never

hed-into shad

lls gr

ess was c

llian, slinging his

is coming do

ing through corridors now riddled with death and ruin. T

they burst through the front gates-now a pile of ru

d beside him. "Y

d. "You... you should

d softly. "I had your str

s along her jaw. "You shouldn't have

him. Their for

s a breath,

tion exploded in a c

tone and choking smoke-appeared a si

seal... brok

cross the morning sky in hues of crimson and gold, its edges unr

a decla

ncil ha

e-been

his features. "That's not a signal o

e crashed behind them. Her voice was cold s

group of rebels-no longer hidden-emerged, some bearing the insignia of the Northwo

kered at her fingertip

," one of t

s, growled. "If they come cl

lver braid and a scar down her jaw. Her voice was calm b

linch. "You'll go

smile. "That's exact

d strike, a second sigil lit the sky-this one violet,

ot of th

as o

lver-haired leader turned slowly,

"That symbol... it's the

hispered, "

her skin. She pulled it free, and light e

of fire burst outward, throwing every rebel back

sil

ood in the center, flames lifting her hair, her eyes glowing wi

red at her like she was something divin

voice but co

ed to her. A voice

onger just the

e Keeper o

de of t

-

he Hidden Den bene

deeper than they'd thought, torn not just by blade

he hadn't spoken since they arrived. Not even when the Council's remaining me

ored th

stirred, she

bloodshot but ale

shing her fingers over hi

it tightly. "You don't

ave a choice anymo

"You think the creature in the Basti

y. "I think it w

en we're not facing just a w

the visions she'd seen when the pendant flared, the memories that weren't hers. The burning

ak, footsteps echoed fro

rged, eyes glowing w

and ready at her s

pulled back

as a

silver-white. Eyes l

said. "The flame has chosen. A

ed. "Who the

m the Flamekeeper. And I've come to pr

-

The Ritual H

its surface etched in runes that shimmered as she approached. The Flamek

," he said, "you must sacr

nd tre

tched, chained by oath

would defin

a looked

she took

It pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, like a living thing, hungry for the magic she had yet to fully understand. The Flamekeeper stood at h

the Flame fully, you must sacrifice something yo

ge gleaming with an unnatural brilliance. The blade hummed with power, ready to cut through not just flesh but fat

but unmistakably protective. His eyes locked with hers, and for a fleeting moment, she saw the depth o

y, replaced by the weight o

e, rough with urgency. "Seraphina, no. D

he pull of the flame was stronger now, like a tide pulling her into its depths. The f

yours. The Flame will consume what you love most, o

hest. What was the Flame asking for? Was it her soul, her heart, her love for

ed against the constraints that kept him from reaching her. His voi

her choice. She could feel the flames awakening within her, filling her wi

understanding that had

them-about the bond that tied them, the

the blade, feeling the cold steel against her palm

llian's voice c

nside her beckoned, hot and bright, as the ritual began in earnest.

motion, she drove the bl

the world he

around them thickened with power. Seraphina staggered back, her b

, the pa

drowned by the roar of the flames that erupted around her. The altar cracked, splitting wide open, and from the

fiery wings stretching to the sky. Its body was made of smoke and embe

s was n

s a b

aws that could tear apart the fabric of reality itself. It look

," it rumbled, its voice like t

ge within her. The power was overwhelming, like nothing she had e

urrounding her had broken them. He reached for her, but the F

his voice calm but insistent

h the weight of the magic now consuming her. She knew what she h

ng smile. "You are nothing but a vessel. A pawn to the

narrowing. "I am not a pawn.

wing, twisting into shapes of her own making. She was no longer just Seraphina. Sh

rged within her, the cos

of strength now threatened to consume h

ng terrible. She could feel her humanity slipping

now, filled with concern. He reached f

h with this," he said, his

eaking. But she couldn't stop now. Sh

," she whispered. "It's th

ttural laugh. "The Flame has c

d, but she stood tall. "

er done before. They obeyed her now, bending to her will, but the cost was unbear

n was unreadable as he watc

led with anguish. "Plea

ady lost. She was both

r controlling it

mething not quite heat-but the memory of it. As if fire had passed through this place long ago, and the stone

tep forward, shielding Kill

's gaze di

spoken but felt. It scraped across the

a whispered, voice low,

The blood. The fire. The bond. I was bound to wait

his side. Blood still dripped from where the counc

n shadows peeling off its back, revealing wings. Not feathered.

wer too great to leash," it said. "But your bride is

ightening her grip on her flame-forged

oul has known me since fire first wept. And you spoke the unbinding words when y

inst her skin. Seraphina hissed, clutching it. Symbols pu

ed her arm. "

said, though h

not with threat, but wi

r guardian. Awakened from the tomb of stars t

id. "If you're truly m

oned to

, assessing him. It

by fate... but he has been

but he didn't look away

r that, then gave the faint

thy. But only f

t she was cut off by a tremor that shook the

tress g

d, "She's here! The cursed flame

snarled. "

hem," Seraph

No. You must burn them

s blasted open and a squad of enforcers surged in-armed with

a steppe

top her. "You're n

dn't a

fire had alr

twin suns. She raised her hand-and flames burst from the floor, spiraling in

tched in silenc

ng off stragglers with fists and raw st

living thing-wild, untamed. The

-it wan

round her-but within her. It fed off her rage, her pai

she stood alone amidst scorched stone, breathi

ardian step

not ready

led half a

is still young. It burn

do I fi

. "Come. The true trial

ing toward her. "What

t awaits her blood. If she can claim it..

fails?" Ki

s blazing. "Then the wor

-

nly by the flame in Seraphina's chest. The walls were lined with anc

of vows, of betrayals, of queens

d close, limp

rved from obsidian and molten stone. At its center stood

"Step forward. Bleed

the magic here older than history itself. She rea

and, but she didn't flinch. Blood w

hrone

d it. The guardian

one foretold. Th

ain-but this time, it wasn'

power w

r. Co

raphina's shoulder

mber sp

ge, cloaked in voidfire and madness. Hi

t to rise," he spat.

ped forward. "

-

at followed c

arped space, summoning shades of queens long dead. But Seraphina's fire shattered illusions. She

body finally collapsed into shad

ll

her. Not to des

hed in a new form-armored in firewove

n bowed. "F

d, wide-eyed.

rned t

sm

e she cou

n. A black wind howled th

hing

ssed in bone and shadow. Its eyes g

you awake

oice trembled fo

un

aphina

eature stared

whis

again..

s form shimmered-part bone, part smoke, part flame. Limbs like razors, spine jutting with anc

of her, unarmed, weaken

a of Fire. Broken and betrayed. Sta

from Killian's thr

epped forward, b

er breast glowed-brighter than ever. A symbol now burned across her wrist,

she said soft

"You are what they buried. What they feared. Brid

er, stunned. "What

. "The prophecy. The true one. Not the one

illian now slithered like serpents across the floor-drawn t

ened," the creature said.

hina replied.

hand-and the

hers, but the air itself tearing as

phina di

ing into phoenix wings. The creature slammed

ught her h

said. "We

h him like blood shared between gods. For the

while Seraphina struck high, her fire shaping into whips and blad

darkness peeling from

en it

t rasped. "The door i

eraphina

only looked up-to

ward the

whis

irst F

llapsing into a cra

nce

s knees, breathing ha

reaking her brow. Her voice trembled.

d up, his exp

. "But whatever it is..

-

smoke and blood. The eastern territories would soon kno

forward was n

aited their return. She had stood at the

exhaled-for once, relie

ed into Seraphina's eye

" she said.

odded. "We

d you s

a shook

aid behind her.

d her eyes. "Then t

-

two days, al

against the entire Crescent Line. The Reclamation gaine

the repor

er the Wes

red by flam

g the cursed and broken-w

council of war, armor pol

d our lands,"

e replied. "We

zed. The fla

-

the war room, she s

ard a

phin

Kill

her

r. From

the b

the s

s aw

led. A figure stepped out-not th

ck fire, with a crown of sm

you?" she

dn't

raised h

dant sh

aphina