Arjun woke up in his apartment with blood on his knuckles and symbols burned into his palm.
The news called it a gas explosion under the flyover.
CCTV footage? Missing.
Witnesses? None.
But the marks remained.
Every night after that, the city spoke louder. Cracks in walls whispered. Alleyways stretched longer than they should. Reflections blinked out of sync. And when danger came—real danger—the fire answered.
Nyra returned with truths he didn't want:
The city was built over sealed power routes
Some people were Anchors, living keys to ancient forces
And Arjun was one of them
Someone was breaking the seals.
Gangs weren't just fighting for territory anymore—they were hunting relic zones.
Creatures leaked through places forgotten by maps: tunnels, ruins, dead subway lines.
Arjun didn't want to be a hero.
But the road had chosen.
And once the Emberline burns,
you either walk it… or get consumed by it.