The abyss stank of rot and rust. Corpses sprawled like broken dolls, bones jutting from mounds of ash.
Kael lay among them, chest heaving. His wrists bled where chains had cut deep. Cold crept into his marrow.
Then it came—
🔥 Thump.
Not his heart. Something older. A second pulse, deep in his chest.
The ember flared awake. Pain lanced through shattered meridians, fire searing them open like molten cracks. Kael convulsed, choking on his scream.
From the shadows came the drag of wings.
A creature emerged: skeletal frame, feathers burnt to charcoal, eyes glowing molten. A Black Phoenix, wings broken, yet presence vast as night.
Its voice rasped like dying embers."You… boy… carry the ember."
Kael's teeth clenched. "Who are you?"
"I was cast here for defying Heaven's decree. My flames too fierce, my existence forbidden. You are the ember's vessel. But know this—every spark you wield will consume you. To burn the world… is to burn yourself."
Kael's vision blurred, but a broken smile curled his lips."If my fate is to burn… then let me burn brighter than Heaven."
The Phoenix's coal eyes narrowed. Then it lowered its skull to his chest.
🔥 Soul met flame. Pact forged.
Kael screamed as black-crimson fire branded his veins, carving his body anew.
The abyss itself trembled.