Sparks Beyond the Walls
The city had changed since their return from the hidden temple. The silver walls glimmered brighter, the streams ran stronger, and the glyph-stones above the Temple of Sparks pulsed with a deeper rhythm. Hei Long's choice to share the fire had transformed his Guard. Their sparks no longer flickered — they glowed steady and warm, a heartbeat echoing his own.
But a hearth cannot stay enclosed forever. Fire spreads.
At dawn Hei Long summoned the council and the First Guard to the square. Qingxue stood at his right, Yexin at his left, Yuran a step behind, her glow steady. The students filled the steps of the Temple, sparks glowing faintly in their palms.
"You have learned to kindle fire," Hei Long said quietly. "You have learned to keep it. Now you will learn to carry it beyond these walls. This hearth will send its first sparks into the world."
Choosing the Path
