When the Throne Speaks
The eyes on the throne were not carved.
They were real.
Bloodless, wide, and glowing orange like coals left in a fire too long. The stone around the throne pulsed like it had veins of its own, and the hands crawling from underneath reached toward Tsukihana like they were remembering her.
"Get back!" Kira shouted.
She tried to pull Tsuki away, but the flame inside Tsuki surged. The mark on her hand burned so hot that smoke rose off her skin.
"No!" Tsukihana said.
"I need to hear what it says."
Renjiro stared at her like she was mad.
"That's not something you hear, Tsuki. That's something you survive."
Whispers of the Past Flame
The throne didn't speak in words at first.
It showed flashes.
A battlefield. A giant shadow in the sky. Tsukihana's own face covered in soot and tears. A tower of flame that stretched into the clouds and burned even the moon.
"What is this…?" she whispered, voice shaking.
Then a voice came. Deep, ancient. Male and female, loud and quiet at the same time. A voice that echoed inside her own chest.
"Ashborn… Flame-touched… Curse-holder…"
"You were made… not born."
"You are not the first."
The Others
Images came fast. Too fast.
A boy with white fire burning in his mouth. A girl whose hair was lightning. A child who wept flowers that killed everything they touched.
Then all of them—sitting on thrones.
Just like hers.
"What does it mean?" Kira asked, standing beside her.
Tsuki was breathing heavy now. "I… I don't know."
Renjiro, still on edge, turned slowly toward the exit tunnel.
"Someone's here," he said.
"Someone else."
The Stranger in Chains
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
Tall. Wearing cracked armor, his skin pale like ash. But his eyes were familiar. Too familiar.
Kira gasped.
"Akarui…?"
But no. It wasn't him.
It was someone else—but they looked so alike it hurt to look at him.
The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"You found your throne early," he said.
"That's impressive. Most don't survive the sight of it."
Tsukihana raised her fists. "Who are you?"
"I'm the one who kept it empty until now."
Battle in the Bone Room
Without warning, the man drew two jagged blades from his back and charged. His speed was unreal. Renjiro barely blocked in time, metal crashing against metal. Sparks flew.
"Kira! Take Tsuki and run!" Renjiro shouted.
But Tsukihana didn't run.
She stepped toward the throne.
"You kept it empty?" she shouted at the stranger.
"Why?"
"Because once someone sits on that throne…" he grinned, bloody, mad, "they can't leave it. Ever."
"It eats the soul."
The Choice
Renjiro was losing ground.
Kira grabbed Tsuki's arm. "Don't do it. Don't sit on it. We'll find another way."
But the flame in Tsuki's chest roared louder than her fear.
She could feel Akarui's presence, deeper beneath the throne. Trapped. Calling.
The throne pulsed again.
A voice echoed:
"Sit, and learn the truth…"
"Sit, and burn…"
"Sit… or fall behind."
Tsukihana reached out.
Her hand touched the cold bone surface.
And the moment she did—
The flame inside her exploded.
Cliffhanger: The Throne Burns Back
The bone throne lit up with fire—blue, red, gold. It screamed—not with voice, but with energy. The stranger backed away, shielding his face.
Kira was thrown to the ground.
Renjiro dropped his blade.
And Tsukihana—eyes wide, hair floating in heat—was lifted into the air above the throne.
Chains of fire wrapped around her.
Visions hit her mind all at once.
A tower collapsing. A boy falling. A mother screaming. The Hollow King laughing.
And then—
A face she didn't know.
A girl, younger than her. Same mark on her hand. Same eyes.
Whispering:
"Tsukihana… you were never alone."
And then—everything went dark.