The valley erupted as Marlic's storm descended, swallowing stars and choking the horizon. Ashbound torches flared, Emberkin smoke rose to shield, but the sheer weight of grief pressed down like a mountain.
Kael's voice cut through the chaos. "Hold the line! Flame and smoke together!"
The warriors surged, fire striking against shadow, smoke weaving barriers against the storm's lash. For every champion Marlic sent forth, the alliance answered with unity.
But the storm was vast, endless, alive. Faces of the fallen flickered in the smoke, their cries echoing through the valley. The Ashbound faltered, hearts shaken by grief itself.
Elira staggered, the crown pulsing violently. Its flame burned brighter, but its smoke thickened, threatening to consume her. She gasped, clutching her chest as memory surged.
Visions tore through her mind: Marlic's betrayal, the Ironbound's scars, the Ashbound's endurance. The crown was not only flame—it was grief itself, demanding to be wielded.
Elira cried out, her voice ringing across the valley. "Memory speaks! Grief is not his alone—it is ours! And we will endure!"
The crown flared, fire and smoke entwining, a torrent of light that pushed back against Marlic's storm. For a moment, the valley breathed again.
Marlic's ember eyes narrowed, fury blazing. "You dare bind grief against me? You think memory will save you? I am betrayal incarnate!"
The storm surged harder, but Elira's crown burned brighter, its fury matching his.