The sun rose low and red behind the jagged silhouette of Ashen Reach, casting long shadows over the ruins that lay sprawled across the scorched landscape. Kaen and his group approached cautiously, the weight of the gauntlet a constant reminder of the dangers ahead.
The city was a ghost—charred buildings, crumbled walls, and streets cracked from the heat of some long-forgotten inferno. Yet amid the desolation, something stirred.
Kaen's eyes caught a faint glimmer in the distance—a symbol scorched into a stone archway, glowing faintly with embers of fire.
"That mark… it matches the one on the gauntlet," Mira whispered.
As they stepped closer, the air grew warmer, and a soft hum vibrated through the ground. The ruins seemed alive with a dormant power.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the empty streets.
"Who dares awaken the flames of Ashen Reach?"
From the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in tattered robes, eyes glowing like molten lava. The watcher Kaen had sensed earlier.
Kaen tightened his grip on the gauntlet. "We seek the truth behind the fire that destroyed this city—and the power that lingers."
The figure smiled, a mix of sorrow and menace. "Then you must face the trial of ashes."
Before they could react, the ground beneath them erupted in flames, encircling the group. The fire was no longer destructive—it was a test, a fiery labyrinth conjured by the ancient guardian of Ashen Reach.
Kaen glanced at his friends, determination burning in their eyes.
"To uncover the past, we must first survive the flames."
As the labyrinth shifted around them, Kaen felt the gauntlet pulse fiercely, ready to guide him through the fiery trial—and reveal secrets