Deep within the silent forest, Elaria stood still. The scent of smoke drifted through the air—a haunting echo of a past she could never quite forget.
A faint flame flickered at her fingertips. Master Theron's words echoed in her mind:
"This flame is not just yours. It carries a vow made centuries ago."
Elaria knew now—she was no longer just a girl lost in the ruins of her past. Something ancient stirred within her blood: the legacy of the Eternal Flame.
Suddenly, from behind the thickets, a shadowed figure emerged. His eyes burned with the same fire that glowed in hers.
"Are you the Flamebearer?"
His voice was steady, though edged with exhaustion.
"I don't know who I truly am," Elaria replied, her gaze unwavering. "But I know this fire chose me."
The figure stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"They haven't told you everything. The true source of the Flame, and the ones who seek to destroy it—you know nothing yet."
The wind around them thickened. Leaves trembled, whispering secrets between the trees, as if the forest itself sensed a great force approaching.
Elaria felt it too—the fire inside her was awakening again, hotter, stronger.
"My name is Kaien," the man said. "I was born from the Flame's shadow—and I came to warn you."
Elaria's breath caught. Could this be the lost Flame Guardian—the one exiled centuries ago for a betrayal that nearly destroyed the balance?
Before she could speak, a distant explosion ripped through the silence. Flames painted the horizon red. The forest lit up with an ominous glow.
"They're coming," Kaien muttered.
"Who?" Elaria asked, voice barely a whisper.
"Those who crave the Flame… but will never pay its price."
The war for the Eternal Flame had begun. And Elaria stood at its center, not yet knowing who would stand beside her—or who would try to burn her world down.
But the Flame had chosen her.
And it was burning brighter than ever