Chapter 6: The Flame in the Forest
The Eastwoods of Valehorn were nothing like Eldervale.
Gone were the calm winds and warm lights. Here, trees loomed tall like giants, their bark blackened and twisted, their branches curling toward the sky like claws. A thin mist hovered around the forest floor, and every footstep echoed as if the woods listened.
Ren and Akio moved cautiously. The mark on Ren's hand was pulsing more frequently now, brighter and warmer — a clear sign.
"She's close," Ren whispered, scanning the trees.
Akio nodded. "Let's just hope she's not being eaten by some magical wolf."
They pressed deeper into the forest, following the signal. But the further they went, the more twisted the trees became. Soon, they came upon something strange — the woods stopped. Dead still. No birds. No wind. Not even the sound of their breathing felt real anymore.
Then they saw it.
A ring of broken trees and scorched earth. In the center stood a girl. Alone. Tall, with dark brown hair tied messily back, her clothes torn, her boots muddy. One hand was glowing — her mark shining as bright as Ren's.
She was surrounded by shadowy creatures with hollow eyes and bone-thin limbs — monsters made from mist and bark.
The girl didn't flinch.
Ren rushed forward. "Hey—!"
She raised her glowing hand.
A burst of crimson fire shot from her palm, blasting one of the creatures into black smoke. She spun, kicked another one back, then slammed her hand into the ground.
Flames spiraled outward in a perfect circle, forcing the monsters back.
Akio's mouth dropped open. "Okay. She's way cooler than us."
With a final scream, the creatures melted away into the fog.
The girl stood there, panting, wiping sweat from her brow.
She turned to them slowly. Her sharp eyes narrowed. "You're not from this time either… are you?"
Ren raised his hand, showing the mark. "We've been looking for you."
The girl didn't smile. "Took you long enough."
"Name's Ren," he said.
"Akio," added his friend.
She crossed her arms. "Yuna. And if you two are half as clueless as I was when I got here, we're in serious trouble."
She pointed to the sky.
A strange red line cracked through the clouds — faint but growing.
Ren's heart skipped. "What… is that?"
Yuna looked back toward the forest. "I don't know. But it started the moment I arrived."
Suddenly, Ren's mark glowed again. This time, a voice — calm and steady — echoed in his mind.
> "Three flames have found each other. The fourth sleeps within the icebound halls of Lysdara."
Yuna looked surprised. "You heard it too?"
Ren nodded.
Akio frowned. "Icebound halls? Sounds… cold."
They shared a glance. Their group was growing — and so were the mysteries.
But for now, they had each other.
Three of the Four had gathered.
And somewhere, deep in the frozen lands of Lysdara… the last flame waited to awaken.
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