The battlefield burned. Screams of men and beasts echoed across the smoke-filled sky as the Flamebound Titan towered above all.
Each step of the creature shook the ground like thunder. Its molten armor glowed a searing orange, rivers of fire flowing between cracks in its skin. Its eyes were like furnaces, burning with Draemir's will.
Rihan stood frozen for a heartbeat. His sword trembled in his grip, the glow of its strange blue-black fire faint compared to the inferno before him.
The Titan raised its massive hammer-shaped fist and slammed it into the earth. The shockwave threw soldiers in every direction. Horses screamed. Shields shattered like glass.
Rihan grit his teeth, planting his feet to withstand the quake. His chest ached with fear — but somewhere deeper, something else stirred.
---
⚔️ The First Clash
"Rihan, wait!" Elira's voice rang out, but he was already moving.
He sprinted across the battlefield, weaving through chaos. His heart thundered, but his legs didn't falter.
The Titan roared, noticing the small figure charging it. To a monster of its size, Rihan was no more than an ant.
Its burning fist came down like a meteor.
Rihan rolled aside at the last second, the ground exploding where he'd stood. Heat seared his skin. Pebbles and shards of earth sliced his arm. But he kept running.
He leapt, blade flashing, and slashed across the Titan's molten leg.
The sword carved through, leaving a trail of glowing blue fire. The Titan howled, staggering slightly — but the wound closed as molten lava poured over it.
Rihan's eyes widened. "It heals…?"
The Titan swung again, this time with both arms. Rihan barely blocked, his sword screaming under the impact. The force sent him flying back, smashing him into the ground.
Blood filled his mouth. His body screamed in pain.
For a moment, he wanted to give up.
But then — voices reached him.
"Is he crazy? He's actually holding it back!"
"If he can fight… maybe we can too!"
The soldiers. They were watching. Depending on him.
Rihan spat blood, pushing himself to his feet. "No… I can't fall. Not yet."
---
🔥 The Awakening
The Titan roared again, preparing a final strike — molten flames gathering in its chest, forming a beam of destruction.
Rihan's sword pulsed suddenly, as if responding to the danger. Dark flames licked along its blade. The strange energy surged through his veins, stronger than ever before.
Visions flooded his mind — the temple, the trial, the ancient murals. A voice echoed faintly within:
"Awaken, bearer of the Eclipse… your destiny is not to flee, but to consume the fire of despair itself."
Rihan gasped, his body convulsing as power burst inside him. The blue-black aura around him flared violently, dark flames wrapping his entire body without burning him. His eyes glowed faintly, reflecting both darkness and light.
The soldiers stared in awe. Even the Titan hesitated.
Elira's breath caught. "This… this is Eclipse Flame…"
Lyra smirked faintly, though her eyes were wide. "Tch. He really is insane."
---
⚡ The Counterattack
The Titan unleashed its molten beam, a river of fire tearing across the battlefield.
Rihan raised his sword, screaming as the Eclipse Flame surged. The blue-black fire erupted, splitting the beam in half. The two torrents of destruction roared past him, scorching earth and sky — but he stood unburnt.
With a primal cry, he dashed forward. His blade carved upward, slicing through the Titan's arm. Unlike before, the wound didn't heal. Instead, the Eclipse Flame devoured it, black fire eating through molten flesh.
The Titan shrieked in agony, its massive body shaking.
"NOW!" General Kael roared. "All forces — strike with him!"
The army surged with renewed courage. Arrows, spears, and magic rained upon the beasts.
But Rihan didn't hear them. His focus was locked solely on the Titan.
He leapt, higher than he thought possible, his body propelled by the raging Eclipse within. For a moment, time slowed — he saw the Titan's burning eyes widen, felt the heat of its core.
Then his sword plunged into its chest.
Blue-black flames erupted like an explosion, devouring molten armor, tearing through Draemir's corruption. The Titan let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing, its body dissolving into ash and molten rock.
The battlefield fell silent.
---
🩸 The Aftermath
Rihan dropped to one knee, his chest heaving, vision blurry. His body felt torn apart from the inside — but he was alive.
The soldiers erupted into cheers. "He did it!"
"The Chosen One defeated the Titan!"
"Victory! For Valdoria!"
But Elira wasn't cheering. She ran to him, kneeling at his side, her face pale. "Rihan… that power you used… it wasn't ordinary."
Rihan coughed, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah… tell me about it."
Lyra crouched nearby, eyes narrowed. "Careful, boy. Power like that doesn't come free. You've awakened something dangerous."
Rihan didn't respond. His vision darkened, the last thing he saw was the black flames still faintly flickering on his blade.
And in the distance, hidden beyond the smoke — a figure cloaked in shadow watched. Draemir's voice rumbled faintly through the air:
"So… the Eclipse has chosen a vessel."
The war had only just begun.