The night settled heavily over the village ruins. Fires crackled weakly in the husks of houses, their glow painting broken walls in hues of orange and shadow. Survivors lay scattered under Nia's wards of light, their breathing shallow, their faces pale. Some wept softly, others stared into nothing with hollow eyes. The air carried the bitter stench of ash and fear.
Andy sat apart from the survivors, blades across his knees, his body tense. His breath came in ragged pulls, sweat clinging to his skin despite the night's chill. But it wasn't fatigue alone.
It was the ember.
Deep in his chest, it pulsed again. A rhythm like a second heartbeat. Hotter. Hungrier. Each throb stronger than the last, as if a creature inside him was clawing for release.
Nia approached silently, staff glowing just enough to push back the dark. She knelt beside him, brushing stray ash from her robe. "You're trembling," she whispered.
Andy clenched his fist in the dirt. "It's the ember. It… won't stay quiet tonight."
As he closed his eyes, a vision pierced him—wings of flame unfurling across a black sky, a cry so sharp it rattled his bones. His pulse spiked, his aura flaring uncontrolled.
The system's chime split through the haze.
[Warning: External Power Detected]
[Ember Assimilation Initiated – 5%]
[Status: Unstable]
Andy gasped. Fire burst across his arms, wild and unchecked, scorching the ground in jagged streaks. His blades trembled in his grip, glowing white-hot, sparks dancing into the night. The survivors cried out, shielding their eyes from the sudden blaze.
"Andy!" Nia's voice rang with alarm. She raised her staff, but hesitation cracked her tone. "You're losing yourself!"
He couldn't answer. The ember roared in his veins, deafening, overwhelming. His vision blurred crimson, his breath turned ragged fire. For a moment, he felt like his body wasn't his—it was something else's. Something older. Something hungry.
The survivors huddled tighter under Nia's wards. A child whimpered, clutching her mother's arm. "Is he… turning into one of them?"
Andy's teeth ground together as the ember surged again, flame wrapping tighter around him. No! This isn't me!
Nia's eyes hardened. She slammed her staff into the ground, runes igniting in a ring of silver light.
[Skill Activated – Luminous Anchor]
[Effect: Stabilizing Corrupted Mana…]
[Success Rate: 72%]
The barrier snapped into place, silvery threads of mana binding around Andy like chains of light. The firestorm crashed against it, sparks bursting violently, the air vibrating with each impact. Andy cried out, his voice ragged as flame clashed with light.
"Andy! Look at me!" Nia shouted over the storm. She reached forward, her hand searing as she pressed it against his. "Don't drown in it. Breathe with me. Right here. Right now."
Through the haze, his gaze met hers. Silver eyes locked with burning crimson, unwavering and steady.
He forced himself to inhale with her. Exhale with her. Again. Again. The ember screamed, but slowly, the storm began to falter. The flames dimmed. The scaled glow across his arms flickered, then faded.
Finally, Andy collapsed forward, gasping for breath. His sweat dripped onto the dirt, steam rising from his overheated skin.
The system's tone softened, the storm receding.
[Ember Assimilation: 10%]
[Warning: Instability High]
[Dragon-Phoenix Form Locked]
Nia caught his shoulders before he fell further. Her hand trembled, but her voice steadied as she whispered against his ear. "Don't you dare leave me to that flame. Not ever."
Andy gave a weak, lopsided smile despite his exhaustion. "I'm still here… because of you."
The wards flickered, their glow settling back into calm. Survivors peeked from behind them, wide-eyed, murmuring in hushed awe. A man whispered, "He carries fire like a god…" Another woman shook her head, clutching her child tighter. "Or a curse…"
Andy leaned back, staring up at the smoke-hidden stars. His chest still burned with the ember's restless hunger. For the first time, fear truly whispered at him—not fear of death, but fear of himself.
The system chimes,merciless verdict:
[Bond Progress: +5%]
[Current Bond: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 20%]
[Quest Line: Black Fang Rising – Progress Updated]
The square was quiet again, save for the faint crackle of dying flames. Andy sat hunched, breath still ragged, his palm pressed against his chest where the ember throbbed like a restless beast. Beside him, Nia remained close, her hand never leaving his arm, as if she alone kept him tethered to the world.
At first, the survivors only watched from a distance, their eyes wide with uncertainty. But slowly, a child broke free from the huddle. A little girl, barefoot, clutching a charred wooden doll with half its face burned away. She approached hesitantly, her small steps crunching softly over ash.
Andy looked up, startled by the sudden presence. The girl's eyes, though rimmed red with tears, held no fear—only a kind of quiet awe. She held out the doll with trembling hands.
"For you," she whispered, voice thin.
Andy blinked, unsure. "Why…?"
"Because you saved us," she said simply, before turning and running back into her mother's arms.
For a long moment, Andy stared at the blackened toy in his hand. It was fragile, half-broken, but still clung stubbornly to its shape. He felt the ember inside stir again—not wild and furious this time, but strangely calm.
Nia smiled faintly at the sight, her fingers brushing lightly against his. "See? To them, you're not fire or ruin. You're hope."
Andy lowered his gaze, gripping the doll tighter. "Hope…" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
The system pulsed softly, almost gentle:
[Hidden Affinity Event Triggered]
[Bond Progress: +2%]
[Current Bond: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 22%]
Andy let out a long breath, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles. For tonight, the fire in his chest was quiet.
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