The gates of the past had opened. Kael had walked through them before — to face the fragments of Aeon's empire, to uncover the truth buried in shattered memories. But now, the path was leading him to something far darker. A new adversary. A new test. And this time, the stakes were not only the realms themselves, but his very identity.
Crown of Ashes
Kael and Lysara moved through the shattered corridor of Realm II, each step seeming to echo through the ruins of a forgotten empire. The air around them was thick with the smell of burnt metal and scorched earth, like the aftermath of a great battle that had never truly ended. As they walked, gravity itself felt as though it was pulling at them unevenly, shifting like the pulse of a dying star. This was a place that defied laws — a place untouched by time and bent to a strange and ancient force.
Ahead, a gate loomed like the mouth of a great beast, half-collapsed but still standing. The symbol etched upon it was unmistakable — the Crown of Ashes. Kael's pulse quickened at the sight of it. This was the sigil that had burned itself into his memory, the same one he had seen marked into Aeon's throne.
Lysara stopped just a few paces from the gate, her eyes dark and distant. She seemed to be searching the air for something long past, her breath shallow.
"This was once Aeon's sanctuary," she murmured, almost to herself. "Before the betrayal."
Kael's hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword, his flames stirring restlessly beneath his skin. He could feel the heat rising within him — a reminder that he wasn't merely a visitor here. This was his inheritance now, whether he was ready for it or not.
Lysara turned toward him, her face softening for a moment before she spoke again. "Aeon created the Echo Realms here. This is where the Flame split… the beginning of everything you've become."
Kael's gaze sharpened as he took a step forward, his flame reacting to the sigil on the gate. A low, resonant hum vibrated through the air, and the gate shuddered open. It did not creak or groan but sighed as though it had been waiting for this moment — as if the entire realm itself had been waiting for Kael's arrival.
The hall beyond the gate was even more desolate than Kael had anticipated. Broken helmets, ruined cloaks, and shattered crowns littered the ground, as if this was the site of some ancient ceremony now long abandoned. At the center of it all stood a throne — or what was left of it. The throne was cracked, pieces of it scattered across the floor like discarded memories. Embedded into its backrest was a mirror — fractured and dull, its glass seemingly resistant to time and decay.
Lysara approached the throne, her fingers brushing gently against the glass. "This mirror…" she said, her voice tinged with sadness. "It's where the Flame split. Where Aeon created the Echo Realms, where the foundation of everything began."
Kael stepped closer, staring at the broken throne. "This is the origin of the Fragments?"
Lysara nodded, her gaze never leaving the mirror. "Yes. And that throne…" She hesitated for a long moment before looking at Kael. "It was meant for the Flamebearer's successor."
Kael's heart skipped a beat as he understood. He was the successor.
Before he could speak, the sound of slow, mocking clapping echoed through the hall. The sound reverberated off the broken walls, filling the air with a sense of dread. From the shadows, a figure stepped into the dim light — a figure clad in shimmering armor that gleamed like cracked obsidian, his face hidden behind a half-mask. There was an ancient power emanating from him, an aura that felt both familiar and terrifying.
"He's not worthy," the figure said, his voice cold and filled with disdain. "Aeon would spit flame before passing it to this weakling."
Kael's flame flared in response, a surge of heat rushing through him, but he held his ground. His voice was steady, though his blood was boiling. "Name yourself."
The figure removed his half-mask. The sight made Kael's stomach twist. The man's face was burned beyond recognition, the skin twisted and scarred. Yet his eyes — those eyes — blazed with an intensity Kael recognized all too well. It was a fire Kael had only seen once before, in the deepest recesses of Aeon's memories.
"I am Vaen, The First Blightkeeper," the man rasped, his voice carrying a venomous bitterness. "Betrayed by Aeon. Bound to the Ash Crown." He stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Kael with deadly intent. "And now… I will take what you inherited."
Kael's blood ran cold. But he didn't flinch.
Vaen didn't wait for Kael to respond. He moved with lightning speed, his body a blur as he surged toward Kael. The ground cracked beneath him with each step, shattering into jagged shards. Kael barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as Vaen's strike tore through the air. The force of the blow left a trail of destruction in its wake, as if the very fabric of reality had been sundered.
Kael regained his footing, but Vaen was relentless. Every movement was precise, refined, an embodiment of calculated destruction. Kael attempted to call upon his newly mastered Echo Circle, the form that had saved him before. But Vaen anticipated it, his eyes gleaming with knowing amusement.
"You think I don't remember that form?" Vaen sneered. "I helped write it."
Kael's flame sputtered as he was knocked back by another brutal strike. His vision blurred, but he couldn't afford to fall. Blood trickled from his lips as he staggered to his feet, each breath coming in sharp gasps.
Lysara moved to intervene, her hands crackling with energy as she extended her arms toward Vaen. But before she could reach him, Vaen snapped his fingers, and chains of ash erupted from the ground, wrapping around her limbs. They dragged her backward, pulling her toward the fractured mirror.
"You carry the last seed of the Ash Mirror," Vaen hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Time to return it."
Kael's pulse pounded in his ears as he watched Lysara struggle against the chains. His heart burned with a new fury — a fire stoked by the realization that this battle was no longer just about him. It was about the people who had crossed his path. About the ties that bound him to this world.
Lysara's eyes met his, and for a brief moment, he saw something he hadn't expected — fear. Not for herself, but for him.
Kael stood tall, his bloodied form still burning with the fire of the Flame.
"You want the flame?" he spat, his voice hoarse but resolute. "Come and take it."
[End Of Chapter 27]
Vaen's eyes gleamed with a cruel smile. "I'll take more than just your flame, boy."
As Kael prepared for what would surely be the final clash, the air thickened with the promise of destruction. The fate of the realms, and the secrets of the Flame itself, would be decided in this moment.
🜃 Next: Chapter 28: Blightkeeper's Judgement
Kael goes all out. But how do you fight a man who helped forge the very system you're using?