Stone cracked wide open. Smoke poured in first, then torches, then steel. The guards shoved through the gap one after another, shields up, spears flashing with red tips. Their boots hit the ruined floor hard, like thunder.
Kaelen staggered back, pulling the woman with him though she barely stood. His chest was on fire, his skin too hot. The scale in his palm pulsed like a heart that wasn't his.
"Don't move!" one guard barked. "By order of the emperor—drop the relic and come!"
Kaelen's breath shook. He wanted to obey, gods he wanted to just fall and stop, but the fire in his blood snarled like a caged beast. It rose, hot and sharp, leaking into his hands. Sparks danced over his fingers.
The woman grabbed his wrist weakly. "Kaelen… don't lose yourself…"
But it was already too late.
The first spear lunged. Reflex, not choice—the flame burst from Kaelen's hand, a wild lash of red and gold. It caught the wood shaft, burned it to black, and kept going. The guard screamed as fire climbed his armor.
Then all chaos broke loose.
Shouts. Shields banging. Arrows loosed into the smoke. Kaelen threw up his arm and fire surged, a wall of flame that turned the arrows into ash midair. The heat blasted back, shaking the stones, burning too close to the woman's skin. She hissed, pulling her cloak tight.
Kaelen cursed under his breath. "I'm trying—trying to control it—"
But the fire didn't care. It wanted to spread. It wanted to eat everything.
A squad charged through the smoke, three men wide, shields raised. Kaelen stepped forward without thinking, bare hands lifting like claws. Fire poured out, not smooth, not pretty—just raw. It smashed the shields aside and threw the men against the wall like rag dolls.
More screams. More smoke.
The woman shouted something, but her voice drowned in the roar.
Kaelen's eyes burned. His chest hurt like something was clawing from the inside out. He could see the glow off his own arms now, faint scales flashing under his skin like gold trying to break free.
"Kill him!" a captain bellowed.
Dozens more guards stormed in. The chamber filled with steel. Spears came from every side. Kaelen spun, half stumbling, fire lashing in wild arcs. Every swing left scorch marks, black lines burned into the stone.
He was fighting, but he wasn't. The fire was fighting for him.
One spear grazed his leg, slicing flesh. He shouted, staggered—then flame burst from his wound instead of blood. It licked up the shaft and forced the guard back screaming.
Kaelen froze. What was he? Fire leaking out where blood should be. His stomach turned.
But the guards didn't pause. They pressed harder, shouting prayers, curses, calling him demon spawn, calling for his head.
The woman coughed hard, clutching her chest. She tried to stand but collapsed again, too weak to help.
Kaelen gritted his teeth. "Stay down!" He flung fire in every direction, an explosion that shook the floor. Stone cracked, dust poured from the ceiling, half the chamber crumbling worse than before. Guards flew back, some not rising again.
But too many still stood.
And Kaelen was burning out. His breath came ragged. His vision blurred. Every blast took more from him, but the fire demanded more still. It wasn't stopping.
Another arrow cut past his shoulder, grazing him deep. He stumbled, fire spitting from the wound. His knees hit stone. He tried to rise, but his body shook hard. The fire didn't ask this time—it just poured out, a circle of flame spinning wild around him.
The cloaked woman screamed. The heat hit her full, burning her cloak edges to smoke. She tried crawling away but fell again, coughing blood.
"No!" Kaelen reached for her, but his own fire snapped at her like a beast on chains. His hand blistered. He jerked back, horrified. "Stop! Stop!"
But the fire didn't listen.
The guards saw it, saw him losing it, and rushed in all at once.
Net weights crashed over him, thick iron chains glimmering with runes. They burned cold, not hot, biting into his skin. Kaelen roared as the fire cracked, sparks scattering. He tried to fight, but the chains pulled tighter, wrapping his arms, his chest, his throat.
He collapsed, choking. The fire sputtered, still licking out in bursts, but weaker now.
The woman's voice reached him faint, broken. "Kaelen… don't… let them…"
Her words cut off as a guard struck her down with the blunt of his spear.
Kaelen's vision went red. The fire burst one last time, shaking the whole ruin, sending half the guards flying back. But the chains held. The runes glowed brighter, drinking his flame like water.
He screamed, body jerking, until his strength gave. The fire drained out, leaving him empty, shaking, burned raw inside.
Boots stomped around him. Hands dragged at the chains. Someone forced his head down.
Through the haze, Kaelen heard the captain's voice, sharp with triumph. "Bind him tight. The emperor will want this one breathing."
Kaelen tried to lift his head, tried to see the woman, tried to fight—but black swallowed his vision.
The last thing he felt was the fire, not gone, just waiting, growling low inside his bones.