Chapter 12: Flames of Reckoning
Lila bolted through the ruined corridor of the temple, heart hammering against her ribcage. The mirrored chamber's last reflections were still imprinted in her mind—glimpses of her past lives, the face of Adrien weeping in blood, and a glimpse of a darkened throne where a cloaked figure waited. The mirrors hadn't just shown visions—they had unlocked something within her. Power surged beneath her skin, both exhilarating and terrifying.
Outside, the sky was a deepening violet. Night was coming fast, and with it, the shadows she now feared less and less. She wasn't the same girl who stumbled onto the prophecy. She was changing.
She reached the edge of the temple ground where Adrien stood, facing the horizon like he had expected her arrival. His expression was unreadable.
"You saw it," he said simply.
Lila nodded, her voice raw. "I saw everything. And I felt it. The fire—it's inside me. Like it's been waiting."
Adrien stepped closer, gently brushing dust from her cheek. "The mirrors awaken what's buried deep. You're starting to remember."
She met his gaze, steady this time. "Adrien… those lives I saw, all of them ended in war, betrayal, death. Why would this time be any different?"
He hesitated. "Because this time, you're not alone. And this time, we know who the enemy is."
Lila clenched her fists. "The cloaked man—he's more than just a shadow, isn't he?"
"He's called the Revenant," Adrien said. "A soul fractured across time, like you. But unlike you, he was consumed by vengeance. He believes if he can destroy the bloodline—your bloodline—he can rewrite fate."
Lila's breath caught. "He's been following me through lifetimes?"
Adrien nodded. "And in each one, he got closer. But this time, you're stronger. We're stronger."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, low and ominous.
Lila turned back toward the temple. "We can't run anymore. If the prophecy says I'm supposed to fight, then I need to start preparing. Not tomorrow. Not later. Now."
Adrien smiled faintly, proud but worried. "Then it's time you meet the others."
Lila frowned. "Others?"
"You're not the only one fate called. The prophecy speaks of the Circle—the five bearers of the ancient elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Shadow. You've awakened Fire. The rest… are waiting."
They journeyed down the moonlit path to the northern cliffs, where ancient ruins stretched into the mist. Lila barely had time to process what she had learned when they entered a moss-covered amphitheater. Figures stood in the dark—four of them.
One stepped forward, a girl no older than Lila with stormy gray eyes and a silver pendant that glowed faintly. "So you're the Flame," she said. "About time."
"Who are you?" Lila asked.
"Kael of Water," the girl replied. "And we've been waiting for you to stop dreaming and start fighting."
A boy with green-tinted dreadlocks grinned. "I'm Theo—Earth. You punch as good as you glare?"
A tall, pale figure gave a curt nod. "Saira. Air."
The last one didn't speak. He lingered in the back, eyes shadowed by a hood.
"And him?" Lila asked Adrien.
Adrien hesitated. "That's Lucien. Shadow. He's… complicated."
Lucien tilted his head. "Aren't we all."
Lila stepped forward, nerves racing but heart steady. "So this is it. The Circle. What now?"
Kael smirked. "Now? We train. We survive. And when the Revenant comes, we burn him out of existence."
Flames sparked around Lila's fingers. For once, she didn't flinch.
"Then let's begin."