The Anchor of Flame
The ruins outside Borivali had become their training ground. The city still carried scars from the battle against Kaalrath, but within those scars, new strength was being forged.
Ishita stood in the center of the courtyard, her aura blazing scarlet. The flames licked at the ground, searing the cracked stone. Sweat rolled down her brow, her chest rising and falling sharply.
Li Wei's voice carried across the air, calm but firm.
"Scarlet is chaos when caged. Today, you will let it out — but without losing yourself."
Ishita swallowed, nodding. Her hands trembled as she focused. Scarlet wings burst open behind her, brighter and sharper than ever before. The air around her rippled with heat.
For a moment, it was beautiful. Then the flames twisted.
The wings flared out of control, lashing like whips of fire. The ground split. The walls cracked. Her own skin began to sear under the backlash.
"I-I can't—!" she gasped.
---
Rehan's Intervention
Rehan didn't hesitate. Golden aura flared as he rushed forward, shielding her with his body. The flames smashed into him, searing his arms, but he held on, teeth gritted.
"Ishita! Look at me!"
She blinked through the blaze, barely hearing him. Scarlet fire raged louder in her ears, screaming for destruction.
Rehan grabbed her shoulders, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"You're not alone. Anchor it — anchor it to me!"
Her heart jolted. In the sea of red, his golden glow burned steady, unwavering. Slowly, painfully, the flames began to coil inward. The wings stabilized, folding protectively around her instead of lashing out.
The storm subsided.
When Ishita opened her eyes, Rehan was still holding her, arms burned but smile faintly tugging at his lips.
"See? You're stronger than this fire."
Her breath caught. Her chest ached — not from the flames, but from the way he looked at her. For the first time, her heart beat louder than Scarlet's roar.
---
The Resolve
Li Wei stepped closer, his eyes sharp, but a faint smile hidden in their depths.
"Good. Scarlet obeys you, because you chose your anchor. Hold onto it. Without it, you will fall."
Ishita nodded, but her gaze lingered on Rehan. Her flames dimmed, not with exhaustion, but with calm.
My anchor… is him.
---
The Bond Deepens
That night, as the three of them rested by a small fire, Ishita sat quietly beside Rehan. His arms were bandaged from the burns, but he brushed them off with a grin.
"You shouldn't have risked yourself like that," she murmured.
Rehan shrugged. "If I hadn't, you'd be ash by now. Besides…" He leaned back, eyes on the ruined skyline. "…I promised myself I wouldn't let anyone else die in front of me."
Ishita looked at him, her chest tightening. She wanted to speak — to thank him, to say something more — but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she just sat closer, the warmth of his aura brushing against hers.
For the first time since her parents' death, her fire didn't feel like a curse.
It felt like hope.
---
Foreshadow
Li Wei watched silently from across the fire. His gaze lingered on the two of them, the faintest sigh escaping his lips.
"They will either save each other," he murmured to himself, "or destroy each other."
Far away, in the abyss, another seal cracked faintly. The world shuddered once more.
The storm was coming.