The Secret Path of the Flame Palace · Beneath the ShadowIn the dim, damp passage, Knox still held Eria tightly. Their clothes were disheveled, skin pressed against skin, their body heat seeping into each other. She lay on his chest, the wound on her chest gurgling blood, staining the entire stone floor red.
"Eria..." Knox called out in a trembling voice, his throat hoarse as if he were gnawing at his own soul.
She had lost too much blood, her lips as pale as snow. He wanted to wake her, but even his soul power was suppressed by a tearing pain, nearly vanishing.
But at that moment—
Eria smiled faintly: "Your body... is burning."
Knox jolted violently.
He ——the flame mark on his chest was pulsing, like a blazing heart, throbbing and burning beneath his skin. Flames seeped through his body, gradually evaporating the blood from Eria's wounds.
He felt a power tearing through the of slumber.
"The flame core... you're the one who awakened it." Knox clenched his teeth, "I'll protect you, even if I have to burn down the entire royal capital."
Flames howled within him, his bones crackling, and scorching golden fire erupted from his eyes.
He stood slowly, palm outstretched, flame power gathering to form a blazing long blade—the Flame Core Blade, the true symbol of the Fire King's bloodline.
He bent down to kiss Eria's forehead, whispering: "Wait for me to kill them, then I'll come back to kiss you awake."Upon the Throne · Baptism of BloodIn the throne hall, Theren and two remaining Lunar Rift Priests had just severed a guard's head.
The hall was flooded with blood; the upper levels of the Flame Palace had completely fallen.
"The prince will die, the Flame Palace will fall." The priestess hissed, raising her staff to summon the illusory shadow of the Dark Moon Altar.
Yet in the next moment, a streak of blood-red flame the vault.
Lucian descended.
His black hair whipped in the air, his eyes burning not with a king's calm, but a father's rage.
"I promised them... I wouldn't let you touch him."
In the next second, he drew his sword!
The flame sword "Starbreaker" swept down like flowing fire, splitting the entire ceiling. The void collapsed, flames fell like shooting stars, incinerating the two priestesses on the spot.
Theren's eyes blazed with fury: "You... knew all along."
Lucian, clad in red-gold dragon-patterned armor, stepped closer through the flames, "I knew you'd come. But you made one mistake."
"Knox is no longer the prince who only knows to run away."
They clashed instantly, fire and shadow colliding violently. The entire throne hall descended into a battle like that of gods and demons.Underground Corridor · The New Flame LordKnox, draped in Eria's cloak, emerged from the secret path. His whole body was wreathed in flames, his face cold and sharp, as if he had become a different person.
In the cracks of the palace, guards tried to block him, but he swept them away with a single sword strike, leaving not even a shadow behind.
This was not vengeance—this was combustion.
The moment he stepped into the hall, the flames suddenly reversed. Lucian and Theren froze simultaneously.
"Father." Knox said coldly, "Step back. He is my enemy."
Lucian looked at him, fell silent for half a second, then stepped back half a pace, yielding the battlefield.
Theren's lips twitched, laughing furiously: "You think you can defeat me?"
Knox did not reply. The Flame Core Blade thrust forward.
That strike, like a falling meteor, like a god's judgment—
It pierced Theren's soul ring, searing through his life vein.
Theren let out a : "You are—the Child of Splitting Flames!"
For the entire Lunar Rift clan, the greatest fear was not the king, but the rebellious child with an awakened flame core.
Knox impaled him on the throne with a single sword. Blazing flames swallowed him completely, leaving not even ashes behind.Beyond the Flame Hall · Wounds and LongingDeep into the night, the fire had died down.
Lucian dragged his wounded body away from the royal hall, while Knox returned to the chamber, looking at Eria lying on the ice couch.
He bent down to kiss her, his fingertips brushing her lips. That kiss, heavy and lingering, was like a rebirth's confession.
She opened her eyes slowly, whispering: "You... killed him?"
"He forced my hand." Knox murmured.
A faint, blood-tinted smile curved her lips, "Good. I... want to be kissed by you again."
Knox hesitated no longer, bending to kiss her. His fingertips slid along her scars and skin. Their bodies intertwined once more—this time, not in escape, but in union amid the ashes.
His flames scorched her, and her moans pierced the silent night of the Flame Palace.
Tonight, they burned together.