The street shook like thunder underfoot. Cracks split wider as the Ashborn's body convulsed, molten veins blazing hotter than before. Its golden eyes snapped open, brighter, crueler, as though death had only sharpened its hunger.
Aubrey's pulse raced. His fists flared instinctively, Bloodfire veins crawling across his arms. The air was heavy, choking with ash and heat, every breath like breathing knives.
Varric cursed, pulling his weapon into guard. The silver glow from the blade reflected off molten debris. "This isn't the same fight as before. It's worse."
"Good," Aubrey muttered, jaw tightening. His body trembled from exhaustion, but the fire inside wouldn't let him fall. He stepped forward, eyes locked on the Ashborn. "Then let's finish it."
The creature roared. A shockwave ripped through the street, shattering windows, flipping cars onto their sides. Aubrey braced, the force rattling through his bones. He could hear people screaming in the distance, trapped in nearby apartments as the battle raged beneath their homes.
He couldn't let it spread.
Aubrey sprinted, crimson flames licking his heels as the Bloodfire surged. He vaulted over a crumbling car, spinning into a fiery strike across the Ashborn's chest. Sparks exploded, molten ichor spraying the ground. The heat burned his skin raw, but he pushed harder, refusing to slow.
The Ashborn swiped, claws cutting through steel beams like paper. Aubrey ducked low, rolling beneath, grabbing a shattered street sign. Bloodfire surged through it, reshaping the metal into a jagged blade. He leapt, stabbing deep into the monster's shoulder.
The beast shrieked, molten fire spraying upward like geysers. Aubrey gritted his teeth, yanking the blade free just before the molten blood melted it down to slag in his hand.
Varric was already moving, carving wide arcs with his weapon, silver light clashing against molten darkness. His strikes were sharp, practiced, every blow made to kill. Aubrey stole a glance—this wasn't just a street brawler. Varric fought like someone who had trained for creatures like this.
But even together, they were barely slowing it down.
The Ashborn slammed a fist into the ground, splitting the asphalt into craters. A fissure opened beneath Aubrey's boots, forcing him to leap away. Flames roared upward, devouring the street, painting the city block in hellfire.
"Keep it away from the buildings!" Aubrey shouted, voice ragged.
Varric grunted. "Then stop holding back."
The words struck like a challenge. Aubrey's fists trembled, his chest burning, the Bloodfire inside begging to be unleashed. He had held back for years, afraid of losing control, afraid of what he might become if he gave in. But tonight, hesitation meant death—his, Varric's, and everyone screaming behind cracked walls.
Aubrey closed his eyes, drew in the fire, and let it erupt.
His body ignited, crimson light pouring from every vein. Fire burst across his shoulders, down his arms, through his fists. The street beneath him scorched black as the power bled out, wild and raw, shaking the air itself.
Varric's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate—he shifted, covering Aubrey's flank. "Finally."
Aubrey lunged, fists glowing like burning meteors. He struck the Ashborn across the jaw, fire blasting through its molten skull. The shockwave rattled every window in the block. The beast staggered, but didn't fall.
Another strike—harder, faster. Flames exploded through its chest, burning deep into the cracks of its molten veins. Aubrey roared, shoving all of himself into the strike, every ounce of fury, every shred of pain, every fire that had burned in him since he was a child.
The Ashborn howled, the sound unnatural, inhuman, ripping across the city like thunder. It staggered backward, molten blood spilling in torrents.
Varric leapt forward, silver blade flashing. "Now!"
Together, they struck—the Bloodfire spear of Aubrey piercing from the front, Varric's silver blade carving deep from the side. The creature convulsed, molten veins sparking like lightning. Its roar cut short in a sharp crack, the molten glow dimming all at once.
The Ashborn collapsed, shaking the block with its fall. Smoke and fire swallowed the street, leaving nothing but silence and ruin.
Aubrey dropped to his knees, chest heaving, fire fading from his veins in flickers. His hands shook violently, skin raw from the heat. The silence pressed in, broken only by the faint sound of crackling fire and Varric's heavy breathing.
Then—footsteps.
From the shadows, figures appeared again. Cloaked. The Watchers.
Their leader stepped forward, lowering their hood just enough for auburn hair to catch the firelight. Their eyes glowed faintly—not molten gold like the Ashborn, but something stranger, colder, sharp as glass.
"You survived," they said simply, voice cutting through the smoke. "Which means it begins sooner than we feared."
Aubrey rose slowly, fists clenching even though his body screamed. "I don't care about your riddles. Tell me what the hell this was. Tell me why they keep coming."
The Watcher smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it. "Because the Bloodfire has finally chosen. And the war that follows will consume far more than this city."
Aubrey's gut twisted, but he didn't break eye contact. He could feel it—whatever was coming wasn't just survival anymore. It was something bigger.
Varric stepped closer, whispering low enough only Aubrey could hear. "They know more than they're saying. And if you don't learn it soon, you'll burn out before the real fight begins."
The cloaked figures melted back into the smoke, leaving only the ruined street and the weight of their words.
Aubrey stood in silence, fists trembling, bloodfire still simmering i
nside him.
Whatever this was, it wasn't over. It had barely started.