The hooded man stepped forward once more, flanked by his followers. His smile was as sharp as ever.
"You see, boy? The council would chain you. We would crown you. The fire is not a curse—it is your birthright. Come with us, and you will burn the world to ash or raise it anew. Stay with them, and you will rot in chains."
Mira's grip tightened on Aric's hand. "Don't listen. They're poison."
Edran raised his staff, ready for battle.
The fire inside Aric surged, pressing against his chest like a living thing. The Serpent's promise sang in his ears: freedom, power, destiny. Yet Mira's eyes held him fast, anchoring him to the boy he had been before the storm.
The air between them trembled with heat. The Serpent's followers waited.
And Aric knew that whatever choice he made tonight would shape not only his fate, but the fate of kingdoms.
He raised his burning hands.