The fire did not wait for dawn. It came in the night, spilling from the eastern quarter like blood from a wound. Windows burst, walls cracked, and the sky itself seemed to bleed red.
Andy staggered where he stood in the Resistance safehouse. His chest burned, scales threatening to break through his skin. His twin blades vibrated, resonating with something older and greater than any shrine.
"Andy?" Nia was beside him in an instant, her staff glowing faintly.
He couldn't speak. He only raised his hand and pointed toward Ember's Gate.
The earth answered first. Then came the roar—so vast and ancient that it didn't echo; it dwelt in the marrow of every bone. Windows shattered, and even the most hardened Resistance fighters fell to their knees.
The System confirmed what his blood already knew:
[Warning: Manifestation Detected]
[Source: Ashens, the False Phoenix]
[Threat Level: Critical]
---
By the time Andy and Nia reached Ember's Gate, the streets were already rivers of flame. Buildings collapsed inward, timbers catching like tinder. And above it all, a figure formed.
It was neither man nor beast, yet both. Flame poured upward, coalescing into the rough semblance of a body. A chest carved from molten coal. Arms wrapped in chains of fire. A head with no face, only a mask of burning ash. Wings unfurled wider than any street, blotting out the moon with feathers of living flame.
Ashens.
The False Phoenix.
Resistance fighters whispered curses. Clergy screamed blessings. Civilians dropped where they stood, torn between worship and terror.
Andy's knees wanted to buckle. His dragon blood urged surrender, bow to fire greater than yourself. He grit his teeth, refusing.
"No," he whispered. Then louder, to Nia, "We can't let him take this district."
Her hand slipped into his. Her eyes were steady even though her skin gleamed with sweat. "Then we fight."
---
Ashens looked down, his voice reverberating in stone, in bone, in breath.
"Little sparks… you shine too bright. I will smother you before you burn my chains."
The air ignited. A tidal wave of fire roared down the street, swallowing Resistance barricades as if they were dry leaves.
Andy leapt, wings unfurling as light flared across his body.
[Form Activated: Dragonlight Form]
[Drain Rate: 12% per minute]
He met the wave with a slash, twin blades gleaming with flame and radiance. The clash detonated, a shockwave tearing apart buildings. Sparks fell like stars raining on Solaris.
Nia raised her staff, chains of light snapping outward to bind the flames at the edges, pulling civilians to safety. Her voice rang in Andy's mind: Don't falter. I'll hold with you.
The System chimed:
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 10%]
[Passive Effect: Mana Tether Strengthened]
---
The False Phoenix struck again. A claw of fire lashed down. Andy swung both blades upward, resonance screaming, sparks and holy light colliding. He was thrown backward, slammed into cobblestones that cracked under the impact. His ribs protested, his wings cracked at the edges.
He forced himself up, coughing blood. "Not… enough."
Nia's chains struck, binding Ashens' arm long enough for Andy to leap back into the air. He slashed, Resonance Slash carving across the burning limb. For a heartbeat, the flames parted, revealing dark ash beneath.
Ashens hissed, the sound like logs splitting in a fire.
"You think light will stop me?"
Andy spat blood, flames sparking in his eyes. "Not stop. Overpower."
---
The fight became rhythm—Ashens burned, they cut; Ashens roared, they struck.
But Andy's body screamed with every moment. Dragonlight drained him, every movement heavier. The System screamed warnings:
[Stamina Critical]
[Warning: Form Overload Imminent]
Nia pressed her staff to his back, eyes alight with defiance. Energy poured into him, her mana tether steady.
"You don't fall," she whispered, "while I stand."
The wings steadied. His blades reignited, brighter, their glow rivaling Ashens' flames. Andy surged forward, fueled by Nia's resolve.
---
He flew.
Not running, not leaping—flying. His wings carried him through fire, trailing golden flame. He struck, slashing through Ashens' arm, sparks erupting like a storm.
Nia's chains bound the other limb, burning holy sigils into the fire. Together, their attack forced Ashens back. For the first time, the False Phoenix stumbled.
The System pulsed, almost disbelieving:
[Sub-Objective: Survive Ashens' Manifestation]
[Condition Met: Withstand Assault]
[Reward: Flamebane Charm Acquired]
Effect: -10% fire damage received (passive)
Andy landed hard, knees buckling. Smoke rose from his armor, his blades dimmed. The charm at his chest glowed faintly, its warmth a small shield against the inferno.
Ashens reeled, body flickering. His mask of ash cracked, revealing empty light within. His voice was a growl that shook every brick.
"Not bad. But flames return. And next time… you will burn with them."
Then his body fractured, exploding into sparks. The fire receded into the cracks of the shrine, leaving only scorched stone, ash, and silence.
---
The Resistance emerged slowly. Civilians whispered, some falling to their knees not in worship, but in awe of Andy and Nia. For the first time, Solaris had seen the False Phoenix stagger.
Andy collapsed, dismissing the form. His body trembled, his lungs burned. Nia knelt beside him, pressing her forehead against his, tears bright in her eyes.
"You made him bleed," she whispered.
Andy shook his head weakly. "No. We survived. That's all."
The System sealed the night:
[Quest Status: Main Shrines — 4/5]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 10%]
[Item Equipped: Flamebane Charm]
And though the city still smoldered, though fear still clung like ash, something new stirred in the air of Solaris.
Hope.
---