It began with a scroll.
Not sent.Not sealed.But released — into the wind, into rumor, into the court of celestial eyes that rarely blinked and never forgave.
A scroll written long ago, never meant to surface.A confession by the Flame Court's last oracle.
"The Fifth Flame is not protection.It is possession."
And beneath it, one line scorched in prophecy ink:
"Should she awaken fully, the seal will not hold.The Void will not break free.It will walk."
🌌 Celestial Court — Hall of Stormlight
The Council gathered in fractured unity.
Their light-veiled forms leaned over the scroll now laid bare before them.
"It is her signature," said one."The oracle of the Flame Court wrote this before the final battle."
"And it names Lian Hua as the vessel."
A pause.
"She is Lian Hua, reborn."
"And the seal is already cracking."
No one said what they all thought.
Not yet.
But silence is sometimes more damning than decree.
❄️ Frozen Court — Xue Ran's Chamber
She stood alone, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the snowy horizon.
The wind carried whispers from the court — some in agreement, others uneasy.
"You leaked it," her advisor murmured behind her.
She didn't deny it.
"If she breaks," she said, "I will not be blamed for the fall of the heavens.I will be praised for trying to stop it."
Her reflection flickered in the frosted glass.
For the first time, she didn't look certain.
She looked tired.
And that scared her more than losing.
🌸 Peach Blossom Sect — Outer Courtyard
Lian Qiao sat beneath a blooming tree, unaware that the sky above was beginning to shift against her.
The Flamebinder lay in her lap, quiet.
Mo Yujin approached from behind, but she didn't turn.
She felt it already.
"You're tense," she said.
"The Council knows," he replied.
Her breath caught.
"What did they see?"
"A scroll. From the old Flame Court. About you. The seal. The Fifth Flame."
She nodded slowly.
Didn't deny it.
Didn't cry.
"I always knew this would happen," she said. "Just not this soon."
Yujin knelt before her.
"They'll question you."
"Let them."
"They'll ask if the flame is still yours."
She met his eyes.
And whispered:
"That's the only part I don't know how to answer."
A petal drifted between them.
Fell into her lap.
And caught flame — soft, slow, silent.
Neither of them moved.
Because even small fires… cast dangerous shadows.