The forest above the chamber burned.
Not with fire—but with presence.
A storm unlike any other had arrived.
The Obsidian Tide, writhing like a sea of darkness, clawed its way into the Ashen Grove, scorching the trees with shadow, stripping bark from roots, and leaving nothing but death in its path. The earth trembled, birds fled, and even the wind seemed to die.
Valec stood at the grove's edge.
He wasn't in a hurry.
He didn't need to be.
"She has awakened," he said calmly, staring at the cracked soil. "And the Eternal Flame has chosen."
Behind him, thousands of creatures—twisted and born of ash and anguish—waited in reverent silence.
Valec raised his hand.
"Burn the false roots. Let the tomb open itself."
With a deafening roar, the Tide surged into the forest, devouring everything between it and the hidden chamber below.
Deep within the Temple of Flame...
Kai stared at Amina as though seeing her for the first time.
Her body no longer glowed—but her aura did. The white fire had fused with her very presence. Her skin shimmered with warmth. Her eyes, once soft brown, now flickered between silver and gold. Her voice when she finally spoke came layered with echoes.
"Amina?" Kai asked cautiously.
She turned to him. "Not fully. Not anymore."
His fists clenched. "What did the Flame show you?"
Amina stepped forward slowly. "Memories. Choices that weren't mine. Powers that were mine to carry, but never mine to understand."
She touched her chest. "It showed me Amariel's fear. Valec's grief. And your betrayal."
Kai bowed his head.
"But it also showed me hope," she added softly. "You. Me. Us."
Kai's head snapped up.
"I saw a future… but it's uncertain. It will depend on what we choose next."
Before he could speak, the chamber rumbled.
Then a roar shook the temple.
Kai's face went pale. "They're here."
Amina didn't flinch. "Let them come."
The gates burst open.
Dozens of shadowspawn poured into the outer sanctum—howling creatures of fang and fireless fury. Behind them strode a woman—tall, adorned in dark armor, half her face a mask of molten obsidian.
"You must be the girl," she said, smiling coldly. "The one the master wants."
Amina stepped forward, eyes blazing. "And you must be the distraction."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Clever tongue. Let's see if it burns like your flame."
With a screech, the shadows lunged.
Kai drew his twin blades.
Amina didn't move.
Instead, she willed the flames.
And they obeyed.
A white blaze erupted around her like a hurricane. The first wave of shadowspawn screamed as they were vaporized mid-air. The force shook the temple. The rest halted in terror.
The woman growled. "She's stronger than we thought."
Kai leapt into battle, his movements fluid, deadly—each blade arc an echo of flame. Beside him, Amina danced with fire, directing bursts of energy like a conductor guiding an orchestra of destruction.
But it wasn't enough.
For every creature they burned, more emerged. The Tide was endless.
And then—he came.
Valec.
His arrival silenced everything.
Even the shadows knelt.
He walked calmly through the chaos, black robes flowing behind him like smoke. His presence bent the walls of the temple, and even the Eternal Flame dimmed for a moment.
Kai stood protectively in front of Amina. "I won't let you touch her."
Valec stopped a few paces away.
"I don't want to hurt her, Raelus. I want to complete her."
Amina narrowed her eyes. "You speak like I'm broken."
Valec smiled faintly. "You are. Half-light. Half-flame. Amariel saw only what she could control. But I… I see what you are."
He reached out.
Kai stepped in front again. "You'll have to kill me first."
Valec's smile vanished. "If that's your wish."
With a flick of his wrist, the shadows struck. Kai met them, blade flashing—but Valec was no longer watching him.
He was staring into Amina's eyes.
"You felt it, didn't you?" he said gently. "The truth beneath the flame. The grief. The loss. The power that waits in pain."
Amina shook her head. "No. I felt choice. Something you gave up a long time ago."
Valec's eyes darkened. "Then you leave me no choice either."
With a guttural command, he summoned the Obsidian Beast—a dragon of black fire and bone that crashed through the chamber wall, roaring like a storm.
Kai turned, stunned. "Amina! That thing—"
But Amina was already moving.
She leapt into the air, white fire gathering in her hands. The dragon lunged. She met it mid-flight, a comet of searing light.
They collided.
Exploded.
And vanished into the upper levels of the temple.
Kai screamed. "AMINA!"
Valec turned away. "She'll survive. If she accepts what she is."
Kai ran after the light, but Valec didn't follow.
He turned to the Eternal Flame.
"You are the last gate," he whispered. "And tonight, I end you."
Above, amidst falling stone and burning skies...
Amina landed hard on a broken platform, the dragon crashing nearby. It rose again, eyes wild, mouth crackling with cursed flame.
She gritted her teeth.
"I'm not afraid of you."
The beast lunged again, and this time she caught its head with both hands.
White fire burst from her chest, her arms, her very soul.
The dragon screeched.
And then—it cracked.
Splintered.
Shattered.
The obsidian fragments rained down like ash.
Amina collapsed to her knees, breathing hard.
But something was wrong.
The fire inside her wasn't calming.
It was growing.
Rising.
Consuming.
She clutched her chest.
"No… no no no—"
From deep within, a voice whispered:
"To save them… you must become more than you are."
Her body ignited.
Back in the main chamber...
Kai was losing.
Valec was too fast. Too powerful. His shadow magic devoured flame. Kai's strikes barely grazed him. The room darkened with every second.
Then—
A shockwave tore through the floor above.
Both men froze.
A hole burst open in the ceiling.
And Amina descended.
Not walking.
Floating.
Her body was no longer just fire.
It was light.
Pure. Blinding. Terrifying.
Valec took a step back. "What… what have you done?"
Amina didn't answer. Her voice was layered, divine.
"I have embraced the Flamebound."
She raised her hand.
Valec screamed—
And everything turned white.