The prophecy sigil exploded into blinding white-gold flame.
Lina staggered back, screaming as the sigil carved itself deeper into her chest.
"KAI—!!!"
Kai slammed himself against the barrier separating them, ignoring the Shadowsteel biting into his arms.
"LINA—LOOK AT ME! STAY WITH ME!"
But Lina couldn't see him.
Her eyes burned with gold-white fire.Symbols spiraled around her wrists.Her flame—her soul—was unraveling.
Seren cried out, hands pressed to her skull.
"Her resonance— it's breaking boundaries— she's entering Harbinger State— she can't control ANYTHING—!"
Reyon braced himself as shadows began to twist into shapes.
"What does that MEAN—?!"
Seren sobbed:
"It means her flame isn't responding to will.It's responding to LOVE."
Kai froze.
Reyon's face drained of color.
"Oh NO. Emotional combustion mode. This is BAD—"
Inside the storm of flame, Lina fell to her knees, clutching her head.
"Make it stop— MAKE IT STOP—I don't want to hurt him— I WON'T—"
But the prophecy circle pulsed.
"THE SEVENTH FLAME DESTROYS WHAT IT LOVES MOST."
Lina screamed as the flame surged.
Her vision fractured into shards:
—Kai collapsing under her fire—Kai turning to ash—Kai disappearing from her arms—Kai dying again—And again—And again.
"No—NO— PLEASE— I DON'T WANT THIS—"
Kai's fist hit the barrier hard enough to bleed.
"LINA.LOOK. AT. ME."
Lina looked up.
Through the blinding flame, his outline blurred but unmistakable.
Her heart seized.
"I love him," she whispered.
The prophecy circle roared.
Kai's eyes widened.
"Lina—don't—"
But something inside her had already acknowledged the truth.
Her flame went from gold—
To white—
To catastrophic black.
Seren screamed:
"THE FLAME HAS CHOSEN— IT'S LOCKING ON HIM—!!!"
Reyon cursed loudly.
"WHY DO OUR LIVES FEEL LIKE A DRAMATIC SACRIFICE SCENE?!"
Lina rose to her feet—
Her steps slow, trembling, drowning in power.
"Kai… run."
"Not happening."
"You HAVE TO—"
"I'm not leaving you."
The flame around her twisted into a shape:
A colossal burning hand—reaching for Kai's throat.
Lina shrieked, horrified.
"NO! NO NO NO— STOP— PLEASE STOP—!"
Kai didn't move.
He stepped forward instead.
And the flame attacked.
A blast of black-white fire slammed into him.
Shadowsteel erupted in defense—but the Harbinger Flame tore through it like paper.
Kai dropped to one knee.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"KAI—!!!" Lina screamed, tearing at the prophecy barrier with everything she had.
Kai looked up at her—eyes full of painand something stronger than fear.
"Lina…" he choked."You're… not hurting me.Your flame doesn't decide who I am to you."
The prophecy sigil pulsed violently.
"The Seventh Flame destroys what it loves most."
Lina sobbed.
"Kai… STOP TALKING LIKE YOU'RE READY TO DIE—!"
"I'm not ready to die," he whispered."I'm ready to choose YOU."
Lina collapsed, shaking.
"I don't want you to choose me— not if it kills you—please—"
Kai coughed, wiping blood from his lips.
"I'm not choosing death.I'm choosing you over fear."
The flame prepared another strike—
A lethal one.
Seren screamed:
"Lina— your flame is trying to ERASE him from the resonance grid— it's not just killing— it's UNMAKING him—!!"
Lina shattered.
"No— NO— KAI RUN— PLEASE— I CAN'T— I CAN'T LOSE YOU—"
Kai stood.
Barely.
And walked forward.
Into the flame.
Lina's scream tore the air.
"KAI—STOP— YOU'LL DIE—!!!"
He shook his head.
"No.I trust you."
Her flame recoiled—then roared even stronger.
He kept walking.
Shadowsteel cracked everywhere across his arms, his ribs, his chest.
"KAI— PLEASE— I'M BEGGING YOU— I'M BEGGING YOU NOT TO—!!"
He stepped closer.
She fell backward in horror.
"Kai—STOP— I LOVE YOU— DON'T DO THIS— PLEASE—!!"
The flame paused.
Just for a heartbeat.
Kai whispered:
"Then let me reach you."
He stepped fully into the blaze.
The Harbinger Flame struck.
Light swallowed him.
Lina screamed.
And the Forbidden Wing collapsed around them as the chapter ends with—
Kai disappearing inside the fire,no silhouette remaining.
Just flame.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
All rights reserved.