The tremors began at midnight.
Not thunder. Not magic. Something deeper. Older.
Eli awoke to the sound of stone cracking far below the temple. The walls groaned as dust drifted from the ceiling. Outside his room, Mira and Jericho had already gathered, weapons in hand.
"What was that?" Jericho asked, tightening his grip on his blade.
Alaryn entered from the stairwell, his expression grim. "Something beneath the mountain just woke up."
---
The Forgotten Depths
They followed Alaryn deep into the mountain's understructure—beyond even the Chamber of Embers.
Here, torches failed to stay lit. Shadows danced strangely, bending where they shouldn't. The walls bore markings none of them had seen before—claw marks burned into stone.
Alaryn spoke, voice low. "The Ember Temple was built atop an ancient cage. Long before us, the world tried to bury a mistake."
"A mistake?" Eli asked.
"A guardian," Alaryn corrected. "A Flamebound that lost control."
Mira glanced back nervously. "You mean—"
Before she could finish, a roar thundered through the tunnels, so powerful it knocked them off their feet.
The ground heaved.
---
The Flame-Eater
The first glimpse came as they reached the chasm's edge.
A creature emerged—half-shrouded in flame, half-consumed by shadow. Its massive body pulsed with corrupted Threads, and on its chest, a burning symbol: the same spiral that marked Eli's hand.
Jericho gasped. "It's... it's like you."
The Ashwalker stepped forward. "No. It's what he could become, if he loses himself."
The creature raised its head—four eyes, all burning with fury—and screamed.
The sound wasn't just a roar; it was memory. It flooded Eli's mind with images of war, betrayal, abandonment.
He fell to one knee, gripping his head. "It's in pain... It remembers everything."
---
Trial by Flame
Alaryn turned to Eli. "Only you can calm it—or kill it. But if it escapes... it could destroy entire kingdoms."
Eli stepped forward, fists clenched. "I'll stop it. I have to."
He summoned the Emberlight. It flickered, resisted—then burst into form, wrapping his arms in flame-threaded gauntlets.
Mira touched his shoulder. "Don't lose yourself in there."
Eli nodded and leapt.
---
Battle Below
The beast charged, shaking the entire cavern. Eli met it head-on, flame colliding with flame. The impact created a shockwave that shattered stalactites and lit the cavern ceiling in firelight.
The creature's claws struck like thunder, but Eli dodged, weaving through its attacks, striking back with burning fists.
Then he saw it—inside the beast's chest, the same Ember that pulsed within him.
"If I reach that, maybe I can end this."
He focused, diving beneath the beast's swing and leaping toward its heart.
---
A Moment of Clarity
As he touched the Ember within the beast, time slowed.
Eli was transported into a void of memory.
There, a boy sat alone, surrounded by ashes. His face was familiar. His eyes… were Eli's.
"You survived," the boy whispered. "So don't become me."
Eli reached out—and light flared.
---
The Beast Collapses
Back in the real world, the creature let out a final roar and crumbled to its knees. The Ember inside it dimmed, and its body slowly disintegrated into golden ash.
Eli stood among the dust, trembling—but alive.
Jericho ran up. "You did it. You controlled the flame."
"No," Eli said softly. "I made peace with it."
---
Far Away… The Enemy Watches
High atop a cliff miles away, General Velra watched the mountain glow with a cruel smile.
"So the boy survives again."
Beside her, the masked oracle nodded. "He grows stronger."
Velra's eyes narrowed. "Then so must we."
She turned away. "Begin the Rite. It's time we awaken our Flame."