Flames with no smoke licked the sky, turning clouds into crimson ghosts. When the fires finally died, nothing remained — only black sand that shimmered faintly, like glass. Heidra's army crawled from the ashes, broken, shaken, but alive.
The king stood at the center of the ruin, his armor cracked, his crown dulled by soot. Yet his eyes — those eyes burned brighter than ever.
Endro approached cautiously. "My king," he said softly, "we must return to Zorenthia. The men are dying. There's no food, no water—"
Heidra turned, and the look in his face silenced him. "Return?" he asked. "We have awakened the Orb. We go forward."
Endro's throat tightened. "To what end, my lord?"
"To claim what is mine," Heidra said. His voice carried an unnatural resonance now, as though another being spoke through him. "The world will kneel before fire."
He turned away, and Endro saw something shimmer beneath his skin — veins glowing faintly, pulsing like molten iron.
---
That night, as the army camped among the ruins, Denku and Axtin stood watch by the dunes. The air was heavy with the smell of ash and fear.
"Have you seen the king's hands?" Denku whispered. "They burn even when he sleeps."
Axtin frowned. "He says the Orb blessed him. You think otherwise?"
Denku's gaze flicked toward the crater. "The Orb does not bless. It consumes. He thinks he's in control, but the fire inside him is not his own."
Axtin grunted, uneasy. "Then what are we to do? He's the king."
Before Denku could answer, a wind rose suddenly, cold and sharp. The dunes trembled, and a faint silver light spread across the horizon.
From the mist, a woman appeared — tall, draped in flowing silver robes that shimmered like moonlight on water.
Erdriel.
Axtin drew his sword. "Sorcery!"
"Peace," she said softly, her voice carrying across the air like a song. "I come not to kill, but to warn."
Denku fell to his knees. "The Moon Queen…"
Erdriel's gaze fell upon him. "The king you follow has awakened a power older than gods. The Orb feeds upon desire — and his is endless. If he is not stopped, his fire will devour this world."
Axtin hesitated. "Then why don't you strike him down now?"
Her eyes glowed brighter. "Because fate demands balance. I am the moon — I may guide, but not destroy. It is those who still walk in the shadow of fire who must choose their path."
Denku looked up. "And if we refuse?"
"Then Zorenthia will burn," she said simply. "And the ashes will remember your silence."
The wind shifted, and she was gone — leaving behind only a faint trail of silver sand.
---
By dawn, word of Erdriel's appearance spread through the camp. Fear and murmurs filled the ranks. Some soldiers abandoned their posts in the night, vanishing into the desert.
Heidra summoned his generals to his tent — a vast crimson pavilion that glowed faintly from within, lit by fire that no longer required wood.
When they entered, they found the air thick and hot. Heidra stood beside a great basin of molten light, staring into it as if it were a mirror.
"She came," he said without turning. "Did she not?"
Endro exchanged uneasy glances with the others. "My lord—"
"Do not lie to me," Heidra snapped, his voice echoing unnaturally. "The witch walks among us, whispering to my men, poisoning their faith."
Mandy stepped forward carefully. "Sire, perhaps she means no harm. If she speaks truth, maybe the Orb—"
"Silence!" Heidra roared. His fist struck the basin, sending waves of molten light across the floor. Mandy cried out as the heat seared her arm.
Heidra's eyes blazed. "There is no truth in the light of liars! She fears my power, as all who hide behind the moon do!"
He turned to the generals, his expression darkening. "We march north at once. To the Citadel of Ash. There, I will forge a new order. Any who hesitate… will burn."
No one spoke.
---
That evening, while the army prepared to move, Endro slipped away from camp. The stars above were sharp and cold. He found Denku waiting by a fallen obelisk.
"He's losing himself," Endro said. "His power— it's changing him."
Denku nodded grimly. "It's no longer just him. The Orb has bound itself to his bloodline. The fire in his veins will pass to his son."
"Adi?" Endro's heart sank. "Then the boy must be warned."
Denku hesitated, then reached into his cloak and handed Endro a small glass vial glowing faintly blue. "Moonwater," he said. "Erdriel sent it through the wind. She said it's the only thing that can cool the fire's curse."
Endro held it tightly. "Then I'll find Adi. If the gods have mercy, he's still safe."
---
Far away, in the palace of Zorenthia, Prince Adi and Siegel hid within the sacred tunnels beneath the temple. The city above had grown restless — the sky dimmed unnaturally, the crops failed, and whispers of the king's madness spread like wildfire.
Siegel held a torch low as they descended deeper. "Do you think your father knows we've fled?"
Adi's expression was hard. "He knows everything. The Orb sees through his eyes now."
They entered a cavern where water trickled softly from glowing stones. In its center stood a statue of a woman holding a sphere — the ancient depiction of Erdriel.
Adi knelt before it. "If the moon truly watches us," he whispered, "then guide us. Show us how to stop him."
The water around the statue rippled — and a voice rose, soft but clear.
> "Fire may burn kingdoms… but only love can end it."
Siegel gasped. "She spoke."
Adi looked up at her, his hand trembling. "Then it's true. We are part of this — her prophecy."
---
Back in the desert, Heidra's army began its march toward the north. The ground cracked beneath their feet, and the air shimmered with heat that did not belong to the sun.
As they disappeared into the horizon, Erdriel appeared once more atop the cliffs, her eyes fixed on the black trail of smoke stretching behind them.
"Your fire burns too bright, Heidra," she whispered. "And when it fades, only shadows will remain."
Then she raised her hand to the sky, and the moon above flared silver — brighter than it had in centuries. Across the world, rivers began to rise, and tides shifted. The balance had begun to tilt.