Outer Yard of the Phoenix Barracks – Dusk
The sky above Emberhold had turned molten, streaked with bruised reds and bleeding gold. The wind carried an acrid tang—smoke, anticipation, and something older. Something that reminds me of Flame.
Xavier stood at the edge of the Ash Yard, his arms crossed, gaze fixed on a line of sparring recruits moving in eerie synchronisation.
Unlike the rest of the Phoenix Guard, these were no mere soldiers. They were hybrids—half-born of Flameblood, half touched by Umbra. Survivors of villages long burned off maps—orp
THE MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDThe Temple of the Ember VeilThe embers in the sacred braziers flickered with unease. The once-glowing sigils on the walls now pulsed erratically, as if the stones themselves were holding their breath. Inside the Flameblood sanctum, the air crackled—not just with heat, but with something older, deeper, and far more terrifying.Ceres strolled into the inner sanctum, her hand hovering over her abdomen, where life stirred in time with her heartbeat. Maera trailed behind her, her staff glowing faintly as if it too could sense the unnatural shifts in the ether."It's changing," Maera whispered. "The flame language is no longer reacting to i
The Bone ThroneThe Summit of Shattered SpireThe sky hung low with churning clouds as Arion stood before the Bone Throne, its skeletal arms stretching toward him as if it had been waiting.Saphros came up the incline behind him, breath shallow, robes dragging ash. "So it's true. You actually found it."Arion didn't turn. "It wasn't lost. Just buried under the guilt of men who called themselves kings."Saphros frowned. "That throne was cursed long before you were born.""Was I born?" Arion asked softly.
THE EMBER TRIALThe air inside the Emberstone mines shimmered with heat and history. Beneath the jagged teeth of Mount Caldrith, the sacred tunnels twisted deep into the earth, pulsing with residual Alpha flame. Red veins of dormant Emberstone pulsed faintly beneath the rock, glowing like the slowed heartbeat of something ancient and barely breathing.Xavier's boots echoed against the stone floor as he moved ahead, lantern raised. His other hand hovered over the hilt of his blade, fingers twitching. The silence was wrong. No miners. No Flameguard. No echo of wind. Only the slow, suffocating press of heat."They were here," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "This shaft was guarded—where are the soldiers?"
THE WHISPERED BETRAYALThe Council DividedTension crackled like dry kindling in the grand chamber of the Flame Council. Tall windows framed the night beyond—velvet black but flickering faintly with red glows from distant fires. War had become routine, but tonight's meeting was anything but.Ceres stood at the head of the table, fingers curled tightly around a scroll bearing fresh intelligence from the Emberdeep scouts. Her eyes scanned the room, each councilmember's face illuminated by the shifting candlelight. Beside her, Xavier remained silent, his body taut with stillness. Maera leaned against the far wall, eyes narrowed."We've lost contact with the Emberdeep perimeter," Ceres announced. "T
ARION'S CHILDHOODThe Prisoner's ShadowThe dim chamber beneath the Flame Court was quieter than usual. Kaelenna sat cross-legged, her hands pressed protectively over the curve of her belly. Torchlight danced along the walls, but the silence between the flames made the room feel colder than fire ever could.Ceres entered first, followed by Maera and Xavier. The former assassin raised her head slowly, eyes flicking toward the approaching trio with a war-worn calm."You're early," she said. "Or maybe I've just been waiting too long."Ceres folded her arms. "You said you had more to tell us. Something about Arion."
THE QUEEN'S FINAL DECREEThe Palace of SilenceThe corridors of the Flame Citadel were too quiet. Even the fire didn't crackle. Maera stood in the doorway, her eyes downcast. "She's asking for you."Ceres rose without speaking, hands trembling at her sides. She'd known this moment was coming—had felt the Queen's strength ebbing like a tide receding from the shore. Still, she wasn't ready.The Queen of Flame lay in her private sanctum, no longer cloaked in golden armor or surrounded by counsel or guards. Just silk sheets, flickering torches, and a silence hummed like fate.