The cell was carved from stone deep beneath the Hall. Chains glowed faintly in the dark, holding Aric's wrists above his head.
Hours passed. Then a voice slithered through the gloom.
"Does it sting, fire-bearer? To be feared by those you saved?"
Aric looked up. Beyond the bars stood the hooded man from the alley. His smile gleamed, cruel and knowing.
"They chain you because they see the truth. You are not their savior—you are their end."
"I'm nothing like you," Aric spat.
The man chuckled. "Yet the fire inside you begs for freedom, does it not? The more they bind you, the more it burns. One day, boy, you will beg us to teach you control. Seek the Serpent when that day comes."
And like smoke, he vanished, leaving only the echo of his laughter.
Aric closed his eyes. The chains burned against his skin, and for the first time he wondered if the council was right. Perhaps he was more curse than savior.