Far from Nightglass, in the mountain-cradled Crimson Veil Sect, a crimson-robed elder finished her morning incense routine.
She turned to greet the sunrise—
And found the sky on fire.
A shape descended from above. A man—no, something not quite human—drifting slowly like ash on the wind. Cloaked in scorched robes, his eyes burned like molten gold. His skin was cracked like dying coals.
And behind him... Flames screamed.
Without a word, he raised a hand. The sect's formation shattered. Pillars melted. Disciples incinerated mid-bow.
He spoke only once:
> "You carry a spark that should not be."
He reached into the burning ruins and pulled out a purple flame seed.
Crushed it in his fist.
Then he turned.
And began walking.
\[System Message – Nightglass Proximity]
> Entity: Flame Collector
> Target: Unity Flame
> Estimated Arrival: 2 Days
---
**Camp – By the Blackmist River**
Zhao Feng threw up again.
"Okay," he said weakly, wiping his mouth. "So, we're being hunted by a walking apocalypse. That's fun."
Qing'er sat in the grass, eyes distant.
> "I saw it in a dream," she said. "A flame walking on legs. Tearing the sky."
Lin Xian looked at the river. His reflection shimmered.
His Void Flame was no longer steady—it crackled erratically. The Unity Flame's influence was growing.
"I feel like I'm burning," he muttered.
> "Me too," she said.
> "But not in pain. In… confusion."
\[System Alert]
> Unity Flame Bond Unstable
> Risk of Soul Conflict: 63%
> Recommended: Immediate Dual Meditation
> Outcome if Ignored: Permanent Flame Divergence
> (Result: Death)
He looked at her.
She looked at him.
They both sighed.
Zhao Feng blinked. "Should I, uh, go watch for incoming death gods?"
"Yes," Lin Xian said.
> "Please," Qing'er added, with a thin smile.
---
**Midnight – Meditation Cave**
The cave they found was quiet. Dry. Sacred in a way they couldn't explain.
They sat opposite each other, knees touching, palms aligned.
The silver mark of the Unity Flame pulsed between them.
They closed their eyes.
Their breathing synced.
And then...
The world fell away.
---
**Shared Flame Realm**
They stood on a bridge made of flame and glass, suspended in a void of stars.
Around them: timelines.
Some dead. Some burning. Some still waiting.
A voice echoed—
> "This is what your flame remembers."
> "The past it was pulled from. The future it fears."
They were shown flashes:
* Qing'er, alone, destroying an empire with white flame and tears
* Lin Xian, lost in a world of void, eating other flames just to feel something
* A version of them together—merged, powerful, but not human anymore
* A silver throne floating in a dead sky
And the Flame Collector, standing above it all.
Unmoving.
Unburned.
> "You are not ready," the Unity Flame said.
> "You must choose—sacrifice self or sacrifice flame."
They shouted, "What does that mean?!"
It did not answer.
---
They woke up—gasping.
The mark between them pulsed more brightly than ever.
Qing'er clutched her head. "I remember things I've never done."
"Me too," Lin Xian said. "Memories that feel… borrowed."
Suddenly—Zhao Feng burst in.
Wide-eyed. Pale.
"Problem."
"What now?" Lin Xian groaned.
He pointed behind him.
> "Qing'er."
They both turned.
But she was gone.
Vanished. No ripple. No flame residue. Just… gone.
\[System Alert]
> Bond Fluctuation Detected
> Unity Flame Host #2: Signal Lost
> Possible Cause: Forced Flame Sync
> Location: Unknown
> Risk: Terminal Fragmentation
Lin Xian stared at the empty space where Qing'er had been.
And he felt something break.
Zhao Feng whispered, "Did… the flame eat her?"
"No," Lin Xian said, standing slowly.
> "Someone took her."
> "And they knew exactly when to do it."
He opened his palm. The silver flame flickered—wounded. Flickering wildly.
And from behind them—
A voice, low and ra
spy:
> "You shouldn't have bonded."
They turned.
A man stood there.
No flame.
No aura.
Just a shadow with a face.
And his eyes were silver.
**To be continued...**