Nova — The Watcher in the Smoke
The cavern hung in uneasy silence.
The molten river below simmered like an exposed wound, the Heartforge's glow pulsating in slow, heavy breaths.
Nova stepped onto the fractured bridge, every sense sharpened, every instinct screaming.
Kira stood behind him, sword in hand.
Raze crouched at the edge of the debris, scanning the shadows.
None of them missed it this time.
A figure stood above them—half-hidden on a rocky ledge high overhead, motionless as carved stone. Only the eyes were clear:
Two pale rings of white fire, glowing in the darkness.
The voice drifted down, smooth and eerily calm.
"So.
The Heartforge has chosen its heir."
Nova's jaw tightened.
"Show yourself."
The shadow didn't move at first. Then—step by step—it descended the rock wall with unnatural grace, landing lightly on a stretch of broken bridge.
The figure wore a long black coat, embroidered with silver sigils. A hood shadowed most of the face—except those burning white eyes.
Kira gripped Nova's arm.
"That's... Crown magic."
Raze whispered, horrified,
"No. Worse. That's Pale Flame—the assassins of the royal bloodline."
The figure bowed faintly.
"Designation Theta. Sentinel-class operative of the Crown."
A pause.
"And today, the one sent to confirm whether House Grey truly needed to die."
Nova's blood ran cold.
Kira stepped between them instantly.
"You're not touching him."
Theta tilted his head, studying her like she was an insect under glass.
"You shouldn't be here, Kira Solen. The Crown did not order your death. Yet."
Her breath hitched. Nova felt her tremble—but she didn't move aside.
Theta lifted a gloved hand.
"You survived the blast. You touched the Heartforge. And it... responded."
Theta's gaze burned hotter.
"That makes you dangerous. And the Crown has no tolerance for dangerous Greys."
Nova stepped forward, hand tightening on his blade.
"You want to test me?"
His voice dropped, low and steady.
"Then come try."
Theta smiled without emotion.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
The First Clash
Theta moved.
No—he vanished.
Only Kira's scream snapped Nova into motion—
"Left!"
Nova twisted just in time as a white arc of light sliced the air where his head had been. He felt the heat of it—a cold, burning heat that stole the breath from his lungs.
Nova summoned a weapon instantly.
Total Creation — Blacksteel Halberd.
The halberd materialized in a burst of deep crimson sparks. He swung in a wide arc, forcing Theta to jump back.
But the assassin didn't look surprised.
"Creation magic. And not conjured matter—true conceptual forging."
Theta flicked his fingers.
A ring of white flame ignited around him.
"Rare. The Crown will want your body intact."
Nova lunged.
Their weapons collided—
blacksteel against pale flame—
and the shockwave cracked the bridge beneath their feet.
Theta slid back gracefully, coat flaring.
Nova pressed the assault, each strike heavier than the last.
Three hits in a fluid burst—
Triple Strike.
Theta dodged the first, deflected the second, but the third caught him across the ribs, tearing fabric and sending a ripple of white flame sputtering from the wound.
Theta touched the scorch mark with mild surprise.
"Interesting. You carry more than just Creation."
Nova's heartbeat thundered.
He felt it—the red-gold power from the Heartforge pulsing faintly under his skin.
Not yet.
He wouldn't use it.
Not until he understood it.
Kira launched arrows of crackling flame beside him, forcing Theta to retreat further down the broken bridge.
Raze yelled,
"Push him toward the forge wall—he can't phase through solid metal!"
Nova nodded.
They advanced—
—and Theta swept his hand.
White fire erupted across the bridge.
"MOVE!"
The blast tore the stone apart, sending chunks crashing into the magma below. Nova grabbed Kira's wrist and leapt, landing on a narrow ledge.
Theta hovered above the ruined bridge, standing on a disc of glowing white flame.
"You are strong," the assassin murmured.
"But strength only matters if you live long enough to refine it."
And then he raised his hand, gathering a burning sphere of pale light—
far more powerful than the last attack.
Raze whispered, horrified,
"He's preparing a Pale Star. That'll vaporize the entire cavern."
Nova stepped forward.
And the Heartforge answered.
A pulse of red-gold light rippled through him, heat and pressure coiling in his chest like a second heartbeat.
Theta hesitated mid-cast.
"...Heartforge resonance detected."
Nova looked down at his hands—
and saw them ignite with the same red-gold glow.
Kira's voice cracked.
"Nova—what are you doing?"
He didn't know.
But he knew what he needed to do.
"Buying us time," he said, and stepped off the ledge.
He walked toward Theta—
toward the blast—
toward the white sun forming in the assassin's palm.
⸻
Sorra — What the Crown Unleashes
At the Academy, the smoke had mostly cleared.
Students were being evacuated from shattered buildings, guided by Vale's staff of silver light.
Sorra sat on the steps of the courtyard fountain, wrapped in a blanket, Nico beside her. Her hands still trembled.
Her mind was far from the Academy.
"...Your brother's aura," Vale said quietly, kneeling beside her. "It's changed. Something ancient has touched him."
Sorra swallowed hard.
"I felt it too."
Nico looked between them, confused and worried.
"What does that mean? Is Nova... in danger?"
Vale didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the far horizon—toward the mountains that hid the old forges of Terra.
"The Crown has been searching for remnants of the Heartforge since before your birth," he said. "If Nova awakened it... then yes."
Sorra's voice dropped to a whisper.
"To the Crown... he's a threat."
Vale nodded solemnly.
"And threats must be destroyed."
Sorra stood up so suddenly Nico flinched.
"No. He's not alone. I'm going to him."
"Sorra—" Vale reached out, but she stepped back.
"I'm done waiting."
Wind coiled around her feet.
Fire lit her palms.
She lifted off the ground, eyes blazing.
"Nova needs me."
And for the first time, Vale didn't try to stop her.
"Then go. Before the Crown reaches him first."
With a burst of storm-fire, Sorra shot into the sky—
heading straight toward the forges.
⸻
Nova — The Pale Star Descends
Theta pointed the sphere of white fire at Nova.
"You should have run."
Nova exhaled, steady and calm.
"I'm done running."
His hands glowed—
the Heartforge's power swirling with his own creation magic.
Theta released the Pale Star.
The cavern erupted in blinding white light.
Kira screamed Nova's name.
The explosion engulfed the bridge, the walls, the entire world—
And Nova stepped into it.
Red-gold and white collided like warring suns.
Stone cracked.
Metal screamed.
The Heartforge roared.
And for a moment, Nova vanished inside the storm.
Kira covered her mouth.
Raze shielded his eyes.
And Theta whispered—
"...Impossible."
From within the blast, a silhouette moved.
Unbroken.
Unafraid.
Burning with Heartforge light.
Nova stepped out of the explosion, coat whipping in the shockwave, eyes glowing molten gold beneath the mask.
And he raised his hand.
"Now," he said quietly, "it's my turn."