The silver flame hovered between us.
Small.
Silent.
Alive.
Qing'er stepped forward instinctively, hand stretched.
"Don't," I said quickly, grabbing her wrist. "We don't know what it is."
She glanced at me, her voice trembling. "But I feel like… it knows me."
The silver flame pulsed, once.
And then it spoke.
Not aloud.
Inside our minds.
> "I am the flame that was denied birth."
> "I am what remains… when perfection fails."
> "I remember what he erased."
---
The air shifted.
Qing'er stumbled, grabbing her head.
I clutched my chest—my Void Flame flared uncontrollably.
For a heartbeat, everything around us vanished.
---
[Memory Realm Activation]
> Subject: Unity Flame
Connection Level: Stable
Project Name: "Ashen Trinity"
---
We stood in a lab again.
But it was complete this time—not a reflection, not flickering.
Ashen Fang stood over three crystals.
One white.
One void.
And one silver.
Behind him, three children lay in stasis pods—sleeping, barely formed.
He stared at the silver flame.
> "The third option is… unstable."
> "Too balanced. It won't obey. It thinks."
> "Burn it."
A shadowy figure spoke.
> "We could seal it. In case the others fail."
Ashen Fang turned.
> "Seal it… and never speak of it again."
---
The memory shattered.
We dropped back into reality.
Both of us gasped for air.
Qing'er trembled.
> "They made us... in case that one failed."
> "But it was made first."
I looked at the silver flame.
It pulsed again.
> "He feared me because I could choose."
> "Now you must choose what I become."
---
Before we could speak, Zhao Feng burst through the broken gate, panting and wild-eyed.
He skidded to a stop and waved frantically. "So, uh—great timing! Guess who just tracked your flame resonance across half a province?"
We stared.
He pointed behind him.
> "Her."
A woman stepped into view—dressed in blood-red robes, eyes like burning glass. A jagged blade floated behind her, humming with pressure.
> "You carry something that doesn't belong in this world," she said.
> "Hand it over, and I'll only take your arms."
Qing'er stepped in front of the silver flame, White Flame burning in her eyes.
> "Try it."
---
The battle exploded.
The woman moved like a phantom—blades splitting through air, flame warping with every strike. I countered with Void Flame bursts, while Qing'er shielded the Unity Flame behind us.
Zhao Feng shouted, "I'll handle crowd control!" before tripping on a rock and stabbing a bush.
> "Die, shrub!"
---
The woman sliced open the earth, sending cracks spiraling toward us.
The Unity Flame rose into the air—glowing brighter than ever.
And for the first time, it spoke in full voice:
> "I am not meant for this world."
> "But I will not leave it without a legacy."
> "I choose... to burn into you."
The silver flame split—half entered my chest.
Half entered Qing'er's.
Pain exploded through my body—like fire and frost colliding.
A new power surged.
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
> Unity Flame Fragment Assimilated
New Flame Status: Soul-Bonded
Traits Unlocked: "Temporal Vision" (Qing'er), "Voidburn Trigger" (MC)
Warning: Stability Level 34% – Risk of mutual breakdown
Synchronization Required: Dual Meditation
Host Limit Detected – Next evolution impossible without... fusion
---
The enemy stopped mid-strike, stunned.
"You let it bond?" she hissed.
"You fools. You don't know what you've done."
Qing'er stood, eyes glowing white and silver.
I rose beside her, Voidfire pulsing silver at my fingertips.
I smiled, despite the pain.
"We'll figure it out."
She raised her blade.
> "Together."
---
The woman backed away slowly.
"I'll return. When you're weaker. Or when your flame begins to eat you alive."
She vanished into shadow.
Zhao Feng crawled out from behind a rock, holding a burnt stick.
"Did we win?" he asked.
I looked at him.
"Yes."
"But I'm not sure who we are anymore."
---
Later – Outside Nightglass
We camped by the river.
The moon was full.
The Unity Flame had gone silent inside us—but we could feel it now.
In our thoughts. In our dreams.
In the way we sometimes spoke at the same time.
> "This isn't over," Qing'er whispered.
> "I know," I said. "It's only the beginning."
---
Then a system message blinked to life:
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
> New Entity Detected: "The Flame Collector"
Threat Level: Heavenly Calamity
Distance: 3 Days
Objective: Extract Unity Flame from hosts
Method: Total Incineration
---
Qing'er froze.
I stared at the message.
And Zhao Feng—he finally sat up, dusted himself off, and said:
> "Right. So how about we… run?"
---
To be continued…
---
✍️ Author's Note – by [Your Pen Name]
🔥 Chapter 30 just turned everything up:
The Unity Flame is a third, forgotten experiment—made before Void and White
It chose to bond with both MC and Qing'er—splitting itself and creating a new flame bond
The mysterious woman tried to steal it—but failed
And now a world-level threat called The Flame Collector is coming to destroy them both