They walk for two day straight. No town, no people, only wind and dry lands. The sky was dusty and yellow, like it was tired of shining. Coker's steps was strong but silent, like he was fighting inside with every breath. Lira keep checking him but she don't ask nothing. She already know when the storm is inside him, words just float away.
Sometimes he stop walking and stare at nothing. Like he hearing something in the wind. But when Lira ask, he just say, "Nothing." But they both know it's not nothing.
The fire in his chest was not like normal fire. It don't burn skin. It burn thought. Burn sleep. Burn peace. Every night when Lira fall asleep, he just sit there watching the flames dance in his hand. Sometimes it feel alive. Sometimes it feel like it hate him. But worst part — sometimes it feel like it love him. Like it proud of him. That was the scariest thing.
That night, they stop in a cave made from black stone. Lira use a glow stone to light up the place. She take out her notes and scrolls. Always searching for a way to help him. She never say it out loud, but Coker know. She was scared too.
"You ever think we won't make it?" he ask her while looking at the fire in his hand.
Lira stop writing. "Sometimes… but then I look at you. And you still standing. So I keep going."
Coker nod slow. "I wonder what it's like to be normal. Just wake up and not worry if your fire is gonna kill someone."
"You're not a monster, Coker."
He look at her. His eyes glowing light red now, like burning coal. "What if I become one anyway?"
She don't answer.
That night he dream again. But it wasn't like before. This time he was standing in a field of mirrors. Every mirror show different version of him. Some was smiling. Some was crying. Some was laughing like crazy. But one mirror — the biggest one — show him sitting on a throne, crown of horns, eyes full black, fire all over him. That one version wasn't smiling. He was waiting.
"Come take your place," the throne-Coker said.
"I'm not you," real Coker said.
"You will be. You already started."
Then all the mirrors break and Coker wake up sweating, heart hitting like drum.
Morning come cold. The desert turn dry wind. But Coker not feeling the cold anymore. The fire in him always make him warm. Sometimes too warm.
They keep moving. Lira read a old scroll while they walk. "There's a place called Veilstone. Deep in demon land. The stories say it's where the demon king was born."
Coker look up. "You think the answer's there?"
"If the curse started from there, maybe we can end it there."
"Then let's go."
They cross more lands. Now the trees start coming back but they look strange. Some had eyes. Some cry. Some whisper. Coker ignore them. But the fire in him react. It start to flare. Like it knows this place.
"Coker," Lira said softly. "Your eyes… they glowing again."
"I know. It's getting louder."
"You mean the voice?"
He nod. "He not hiding anymore. He want me to come to him."
That night they stay near a broken temple. It was just stone walls and half roof, but it feel old. Like something big happened here long ago. Lira light a small flame, but Coker don't need it. His body already shine in red glow.
He walk around the temple, looking at the walls. They was covered in drawings. One showed a man fighting a beast. Another show a man becoming the beast. And one drawing show a man on fire, standing over both.
"This place… it know the story," Coker whisper.
Lira stand beside him. "It's repeating."
Coker ball his fist. "Not this time."
Suddenly the sky turn dark. Fast. Like a switch. A scream echo from far. Not close but close enough to feel. Lira grab her staff.
"What is that?" she ask.
Coker eyes turn red fully now. "He's here."
From the trees, something walk out. Not the man in the cloak — something else. Tall. Long arms. Skin made of black smoke. Eyes like burning moon. It scream again, loud, and the ground shake.
"It's not just a demon," Lira whisper.
"No. It's a caller. He send it to test me."
The creature jump fast, claws out. Coker move faster. His fire arm punch it in the chest. The thing scream but don't fall. It grab Coker and slam him into wall.
Lira shoot light from her staff. It hit the demon but only slow it. Coker get up fast, fire covering his whole arm now.
"You want fire?" he yell. "Then burn with me!"
He jump and hit it with full curse flame. The thing catch fire and fall back, crying like wind. But still it move. It crawl even with no legs.
Coker feel something. Not from outside. From inside. His heartbeat slow down but his blood heat up. A new fire open — blue flame. Cold but hot at same time.
"What is that?" Lira shout.
"I don't know," Coker say. "But it's mine."
He raise his hand and the blue fire burn the demon. It scream louder than before. Then poof — it vanish in smoke.
Coker fall to his knee.
Lira run to him. "You okay?!"
He nod slow. "Yeah. But that wasn't just a test. That was a message."
She help him up. "What do you mean?"
"He's pushing me. Making me stronger every time. Like… training me."
"Why?"
"So when I meet him… I won't be afraid."
Lira's face turn serious. "You think he wants to lose?"
"No," Coker say, standing again. "I think… he wants me to win. But only if I become him."
Silence fall heavy.
They stay in the broken temple that night. Lira write her scrolls. Coker stare at his hand, where the blue flame still spark quiet.
It didn't burn like red. It feel colder. More calm. But still full of power.
He whisper to himself, "What am I turning into?"
No answer came. Only wind.
And far away, past the hills and cursed forest, the man in the black cloak look to the sky.
"She's with him," he said to himself. "That girl. She's the only light left. I'll need to break her first."
Then he vanish into smoke.