The black fire burned—but it didn't scorch Dirga's skin.
It didn't devour the grass beneath his boots, nor did it consume the exotic trees or vibrant garden around him.
It burned inward.
Not to destroy.
To elevate.
He could feel it—searing not his flesh, but his thoughts, his will. The pressure that had crushed his mind just seconds before… now passed through him like wind through flame.
His mental defenses, once a fragile cage of telekinesis, were no longer necessary.
He could feel the beast's psychic attack striking him again and again—vibrations meant to shatter a soul—but his mind didn't crack.
It burned brighter instead.
So this is the next layer of the Black Star Concept…
His body shimmered with smoke that evaporated into stars. His heartbeat aligned with something far greater than himself—pulsing in rhythm with a truth buried deep within his soul.
The fire wasn't here to protect him.
It was here to break him—and forge him new.
