Solaris had many hearts, but Ember Square was its burning one. By dawn, the plaza already pulsed with noise. Clergy in crimson robes stood in lines before the shrine's brazier, their chants rolling like drums. The brazier itself burned unnaturally high, its flame licking the stone phoenix statue that towered above the square. People were herded into place by zealots with molten weapons, their eyes wild with fanatic light.
Andy crouched with Nia on a roof at the edge of the square, their hoods drawn low. The sight churned Andy's blood. Hundreds of civilians, some clutching children, forced to kneel before the flame. The brazier's heat licked the air even from where they crouched. He gritted his teeth, fingers curling around the hilts of his blades.
"They're making sacrifices out of them," Andy hissed. "We can't wait."
Nia's hand caught his sleeve, firm and grounding. "If you jump now, we lose them all. Look closer."
He forced himself to still, and through the heat shimmer, he saw: clergy weaving flame into brands, pressing them against skin, marking the "faithful." Those who cried out were dragged closer to the shrine.
The System's text flickered sharp across Andy's vision:
[Quest Update: Shrine of Ember Square Identified]
[Warning: Divine Manifestation Possible]
The words felt like chains around his ribs. Manifestation. He thought of the shadow that had passed overhead before—the Phoenix's wings. If this shrine woke something more…
His grip tightened. "Then we end it here. Whatever it takes."
---
The ceremony grew louder. A man tried to rise from his knees, crying, "No more chains! No more fire!" For his courage, the clergy thrust him into the brazier's edge. His scream rose above the chants, silenced only when ash scattered.
Andy lurched to his feet, fire roaring under his skin. He would leap, burn them all, cut every chain—
Nia's arms snapped around him, her rings burning bright against his. Her voice was steel in his ear. "Andy. Anchor to me."
The storm within his chest thrashed, dragon fire screaming to be unleashed. But her voice threaded through it, weaving a pattern of steadiness. His breaths aligned with hers, the fire bending instead of breaking him.
The System pulsed:
[Passive Trigger: Emotional Anchor Activated]
[Bond Progression: 80% → 82%]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 82%]
[Dragon Instinct Stabilized — 20% backlash reduced]
Andy's head bowed against hers, sweat dripping from his jaw. "If you weren't here…"
"I am here," she said simply. And in that moment, it was enough.
---
The Resistance struck first. Hidden fighters spilled from alleys, blades flashing, arrows cutting through chanting priests. The plaza erupted into chaos.
Andy and Nia leapt from the rooftop together, dropping into the square like a storm breaking. Andy's blades caught fire mid-fall, Dragon Form crawling across his arms, scales shimmering. He hit the ground with a roar, sending a shockwave that shattered the nearest zealot's guard.
Nia's staff flared as she landed beside him, chains of silver light whipping out to bind three priests at once. She raised her hand, a wave of healing washing over the nearest civilians, soothing burns even as she shielded them with radiant barriers.
The zealots surged, fire armor rippling across their bodies as they stepped into the brazier's aura. Andy's first strike bounced off a zealot's shield, sparks spraying. He grunted, swinging harder, water and flame spiraling together.
Nia's voice carried through the chaos: "With me!"
Their rings pulsed, mana flowing between them. Andy's next strike cleaved through the shield, the combined resonance of flame, water, and light tearing it apart.
The System chimed mid-strike:
[Skill Activated: Resonance Blade]
[Resonance Blade Mastery +5%]
[Bond Progression: 82% → 85%]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 85%]
The zealot screamed as Andy's blade seared through him, dissolving his flame armor into ash. For a heartbeat, the plaza froze. Civilians stared, wide-eyed—not just at the destruction, but at the sight of two fighting as one.
---
The brazier roared higher.
From its flames, something rose—shadows twisting into a beastly form, half ash, half ember. Wings stretched, formed of pure fire, and the stone phoenix statue above groaned, cracks racing across it as if it too wanted to rise.
The air burned. Andy stumbled as his dragon blood screamed inside him, the fire of shrine provoking it, demanding to be unleashed. He dropped to one knee, teeth gritted.
"Burn, dragon child. Burn for me."
Nia knelt beside him, her hand on his chest, her staff raised high. "No. You burn with me, not for him."
Their mana locked fully. Her light poured into his flame, his fire tempered by her calm. The world around them blurred as they stood, one will inside two bodies.
The System exploded in his vision:
[Bond Progression: 85% → 88%]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 88%]
[Hidden Skill Unlocked: Resonance Guard]
[Effect: Combined shield of flame + light, scales with Bond %]
A radiant dome flared outward from them, fire and light woven together. The shrine's flames slammed against it, but the shield held. Civilians gasped, seeing not chains of ash, but protection born of defiance.
---
Andy roared, breaking free of the shrine's grip, and together they surged forward.
He swung, Resonance Blade burning with twin colors. Nia's staff struck down, light amplifying the arc. The Ember Beast howled as the strike carved through its chest, fire scattering like broken glass.
The phoenix statue above groaned louder, cracks splintering. With a final surge, Andy and Nia combined their strikes once more, the shield and blade resonating in one final detonation.
The shrine shattered.
The brazier cracked open, flames guttering and dying. The statue split in two, crumbling into rubble. Silence swept the square, broken only by the sound of people gasping for breath.
The System's voice cut through the quiet:
[Quest Progress: 3/5 Shrines Destroyed]
[Bond Progression: 88% → 90%]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 90%]
[Item Acquired: Ember Core Fragment]
[Effect: Stores purified flame energy, can be fused later]
Andy lowered his blades, panting. Nia staggered, her staff dimming, but Andy caught her before she fell. For a moment, the world was nothing but their shared breath and the warmth of her against him.
Then came the sound—soft at first, then louder. Cheers. From the civilians, from the Resistance. "They did it! The shrine is gone!"
For the first time, Solaris shouted not in fear, but in hope.
---
But high above, the sky darkened.
A shadow fell across the square. Vast wings of flame unfurled, blotting out the sun. The Phoenix circled once, lower than ever before, its eyes like molten gold. For a heartbeat, Andy swore he saw a human face flicker in the fire—a mask of beauty twisted by cruelty.
Nia's hand found his. "He's coming."
Andy stared up at the burning wings. His voice was low, steady, and certain. "Then let him."
The System whispered its final message of the night:
[Public Sentiment: Resistance Support → Strong]
[Warning: Divine Beast Manifestation Approaching]
And Solaris, for the first time in centuries, dreamed of fire that could be fought.
---