Deep beneath the earth's crust, where light could not reach and silence reigned supreme, a chamber pulsed with an otherworldly warmth.
The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of ancient magic and molten stone. Here, suspended between time and oblivion, lay Ember—the Fire Goddess—ensnared in a cocoon of flickering flames and crystalline ice.
Her body was still, yet beneath the surface, a storm stirred. Thoughts, feelings, memories tangled in the haze of slumber, struggling to break free.
How long have I been here? The question hovered like smoke in her mind, elusive and intangible.
Her hair, a cascade of glowing embers, floated weightlessly around her. The faint glow from her skin cast wavering shadows, as if the fire itself was alive and restless. She could feel it—the pulse of power within her, both familiar and distant.
Then came the tremor.
The ground beneath the volcano shifted, a subtle, insistent rumble that grew steadily louder.
The seals binding her shimmered, ancient runes flaring with light as cracks began to spiderweb across the crystal prison.
Her eyes snapped open—twin infernos blazing with sudden fury and confusion. A rush of sensations overwhelmed her: heat, pain, loss.
I am awake. But why now? she thought, heart pounding like a raging blaze.
Her voice, rough and hoarse from disuse, escaped in a whisper.
"Where am I? What… has happened?"
Flames danced along her fingertips, small flickers that grew stronger with every breath. The fire responded to her emotions—anger, fear, determination—each sparking a wild dance of light and heat.
The mountain around her trembled violently, ancient magic warring with the crumbling prison. Ember's gaze sharpened, fierce and unyielding.
I was bound to protect. To sacrifice. To wait.
But now, that wait was over.
A sudden sharp crack split the silence. Golden light spilled from the widening fractures, flooding the chamber. Ash drifted down like snow, and the air grew thick with the scent of smoke and molten earth.
She struggled to rise, every movement igniting a burst of flame. The world beyond her prison awaited—but what kind of world? Had her sisters awoken? Had the catastrophe returned?
Her mind raced, questions burning hotter than the fire in her veins.
I must find them. I must understand.
The fire around her pulsed in answer, fierce and alive.
Ember took a deep breath, steadying herself against the rising tide of power and uncertainty. She was the flame—unyielding, eternal.
And her journey had only just begun.
To be continued…