The next morning, Liora set out for the mountains with her two closest friends:
Caleb — quick-thinking and brave
Marin — skilled in herbal medicine and healing
The three of them ventured toward the place the villagers feared most:
The Forbidden Ruins.
The air there felt wrong—heavy, buzzing with a strange humming sound.
Symbols were carved into the ground, glowing faintly as they walked past.
Broken pillars lay scattered, etched with drawings of ancient wars.
Liora stepped closer to a stone pillar covered in runes.
The moment her fingers touched it—
She felt a shock ripple through her entire body.
A burst of blue light shot out of the pillar and into her chest, knocking her backward.
"Liora, get back!" Caleb shouted, reaching for her.
But it was too late.
The light had already entered her.
Her heartbeat thundered, her vision blurred, and for a moment she saw something—
A throne made of shadows…
A crown of fire…
And a voice whispering:
"You are the last Ember. Find me."