Chapter 4: The Flames Within
The forest air crackled around Kavin as he stared at the vine-shaped glow weaving down his arm. It shimmered with soft blue light, pulsing with every heartbeat. He could feel it—not just see it. It was like part of the forest had grown into him, or perhaps something ancient had awakened from within.
Lyra stood silently beside him, watching. "The magic has accepted you."
"Is this... permanent?" Kavin asked, his voice hushed.
She nodded. "Yes. From now on, you are bound to the threads of Elarion. This mark will evolve with you—it will grow, just as your power does."
He lowered his arm slowly, his hand trembling. "I don't even know what I'm capable of."
"You will," she said. "But magic without balance can destroy even the brightest soul."
The next few days passed in a blur.
Kavin and Lyra traveled deeper into Duskreach, heading toward the Whispering Lakes, where the boundary between realms was thinnest. Along the way, she began to train him—not with swords, but with focus, breath, and connection to the world around him.
He learned how to listen to the hum of the forest and how to pull threads of energy from air and earth. It was difficult, frustrating even. The magic resisted him at times, flaring when he felt fear or rage. Twice, he accidentally set small fires during their training.
"You're attuned to fire, but not just flames," Lyra explained one evening. "It's your spirit. Fire represents creation, passion, and destruction. You must learn to control the burn before it consumes you."
One night, they made camp near a quiet spring. Moonlight danced on the water's surface, and Kavin sat alone on a rock, watching his reflection.
He could barely recognize himself.
Gone was the village boy who repaired roofs and gathered herbs. In his place stood someone marked by fate, carrying a sword and a destiny too big to understand.
"I don't know if I'm ready," he whispered.
A soft voice spoke behind him. "No one ever is."
He turned. It wasn't Lyra this time.
A new figure stepped from the shadows—a young man, close to Kavin's age, dressed in travel-worn robes. His hair was black as night, his eyes bright gold, and a strange golden amulet glowed around his neck.
"My name is Riven," the stranger said. "I've been looking for you."
Kavin stood, hand on his sword. "How do you know who I am?"
"I felt your mark awaken," Riven replied. "The Starborn power calls to those bound to it."
Lyra appeared moments later, eyes narrowing. "He's a seer," she said quietly. "He walks between visions and reality."
Riven smiled faintly. "I walk where I must. And I've seen something—something coming."
He turned to Kavin, serious now. "A shadow is moving across Elarion. The border between worlds is weakening. The Queen of Ashes is rising again."
Kavin's heart stilled. "The Queen of Ashes...?"
"She was sealed away centuries ago," Lyra said grimly. "But the seal is breaking."
"And Kavin is the key," Riven added. "To stopping her—or freeing her."
That night, Kavin couldn't sleep.
He sat near the fire, staring into the flames, haunted by Riven's words. The key to stopping her... or freeing her.
Was that why the mark chose him? Was he meant to save Elarion... or destroy it?
Suddenly, the flames before him flickered unnaturally. They twisted, curling into the shape of a woman's face—beautiful, terrifying, with eyes like dying stars.
"Kavin," the flame whispered."You are mine."
He stumbled back, gasping. The fire returned to normal.
Lyra and Riven rushed to his side. "What happened?" Lyra demanded.
"She spoke to me," Kavin whispered. "Through the fire."
Riven's expression darkened. "Then the Queen already knows who you are."