"When light is brightest, the shadows grow deeper beneath it."
—Lyra's Journal, Entry 11
Ripples
Kairo stood alone beneath the moonlit sky atop Skyhold's North Spire. The cold wind clawed through his robes, but the fire in his chest burned hotter than ever. Not just from the trial—but from what he had seen in that mirror.
He watched the clouds roll above the horizon.
The Crimson Sigil.
He touched the skin just beneath his collarbone, where the mirror illusion had marked him.
Was it real? A warning? Or a prophecy?
Footsteps behind.
Lyra.
She walked up quietly and leaned against the stone rail beside him.
"You should rest."
"I can't."
She studied his face. "Because of what you saw?"
Kairo didn't answer.
"I've seen things too," she said softly. "Before I came to Skyhold. Things I don't talk about."
He turned to her. "What do you mean?"
She hesitated. "You're not the only one with a fire that shouldn't exist."
Their eyes met.
A moment passed between them—fragile, unspoken.
Before either could speak, a dark pulse rolled through the air.
Both turned.
A bell rang three times from the Heart Spire. Not a scheduled chime. Not a ceremony.
An alarm.
The Candlelight Meeting
Deep within the east tower, a secret gathering assembled in candlelight. Hooded students—maybe ten—sat in a circle.
At the center stood Mira Vencrest, third-year prodigy and rumored dark sigil user.
"The unranked boy has passed the trials," she said. "With a flame not bound to any rank or house."
A boy snorted. "We all saw it. It was controlled. Barely."
"But it was not sanctioned," Mira replied. "And that makes it dangerous."
Another girl asked, "So what do we do?"
Mira unrolled a blood-red parchment.
"We test him."
"You mean curse him?"
"Semantics."
The boy frowned. "If the Rankkeepers find out—"
"They won't. Not unless he fails."
They all stared at the parchment. A glyph pulsed in its center.
Ancient. Forbidden.
The Duel That Wasn't
The next day, Kairo returned to training. The Provisional Cobalt Rank had elevated his status—but also painted a target on his back.
During group sparring, Mira approached.
"Want a friendly round?" she asked, smiling sweetly.
"I'm not in the mood."
"Good. Because I wasn't asking."
She lunged.
Kairo barely blocked. Her blade sang with dark energy. He pushed back, but didn't retaliate.
Professor Aldryn's voice thundered across the yard.
"Enough!"
Mira sheathed her weapon.
"We'll finish later," she whispered.
As she walked away, Kairo noticed her eyes glowing faintly red.
A mark of the Sigil?
Whispers from the West
In the Council Tower, a message arrived by raven.
Councilor Vennor broke the seal, eyes narrowing.
"The Crimson Sigil is spreading," he murmured.
Across the table, Grand Magister Solon stirred.
"Skyhold is no longer neutral. The flame has returned."
One councilor whispered, "Then the prophecy…"
"Let us pray it is wrong."
Nightmares
Kairo dreamed again.
This time he stood on a battlefield of bones. The sky was burning. Lyra lay broken at his feet.
A figure in a crimson crown laughed above him.
"You lit the match."
When Kairo awoke, his hand was glowing. The Breaker Flame pulsed wildly in his chest.
It's awakening faster.
He gritted his teeth.
I have to control it.
He went to the training hall, alone. Midnight. No one else awake.
He summoned his fire.
But this time, it came in black and gold.
The Rift Between
Lyra noticed the change. The way he trained longer, spoke less, smiled never.
"Kairo… you're pushing too hard."
He didn't look at her. "You said it yourself. This isn't a place for hesitation."
She took his hand. "It is a place for allies. For trust."
His hand pulled away.
"I can't afford that."
She stepped back, wounded.
"Then maybe I was wrong about you."
He watched her walk away.
But didn't stop her.
Later that night, she sat on the skybridge alone, watching the stars.
Why do I keep trying to save someone who won't be saved?
The Sigil Awakens
That night, beneath the Academy Library, Mira and her candlelit circle stood in formation.
A summoning circle burned on the floor.
"In the name of the Old Flame, we awaken the test," Mira intoned.
The air split.
A serpent made of black fire slithered into being.
It wore the Crimson Sigil across its brow.
"Find the boy," Mira whispered. "Show us if he breaks… or burns."
The serpent vanished in a hiss of smoke.
The air fell cold.
Mira turned to the others.
"If he fails the Sigil's test, Skyhold will eat him alive."
She smiled.
"And if he doesn't… we'll have something far more useful."