Some truths don't hide in shadows — they shine too brightly to face without trembling."
The journey eastward led them to a desert unlike any other.At first, it looked like a sea of silver sand, glittering beneath the sun. But as Lira and Kael stepped closer, they saw the truth — each grain was not sand at all, but tiny shards of glass.
The ground sparkled as if the stars had fallen and shattered. Every step crunched softly beneath their boots, leaving glowing footprints behind.
Kael squinted. "It's beautiful… and dangerous. One wrong step and it'll cut us to pieces."
Lira knelt, letting the shards sift through her fingers. "The world melted here once," she whispered. "The Flame burned too hot — it turned the sand into glass."
She looked up. The horizon rippled like heat, but something moved there — a faint shimmer, like a mirage watching them back.
By midday, the sun felt too close. It wasn't only heat they felt — it was weight, pressing on their thoughts. Every sound was sharp, echoing endlessly.
Kael muttered, "I keep hearing footsteps behind us."
Lira didn't answer. She was listening too — to the faint music that floated on the wind. It was distant and soft, like a lullaby sung by a voice she almost recognized.
They walked in silence until the glass beneath them changed color — from silver to pale blue. Patterns began forming beneath the surface, glowing like veins of light.
Lira paused. "It's reacting to something."
Kael stepped closer. "Or someone."
When he looked down, his reflection stared back — but it wasn't quite him. It smiled, even though he didn't. Its eyes burned faintly red.
Kael stumbled back, his voice low. "Lira… that's not me."
The reflections moved on their own. Each piece of glass showed something different — Kael as a soldier fighting unseen foes, Lira as a child surrounded by flames, a thousand memories flickering like trapped ghosts.
The desert whispered.
"Do you know who you are?""Do you remember what you've done?"
Lira clutched her pendant tightly. "They're not real. They're trying to break us."
Kael's reflection stepped out from the glass, forming a figure of smoke and light. It looked at him with pity.
"You failed them once," it said softly. "You'll fail her too."
Kael swung his sword, shattering the illusion — but another replaced it instantly, whispering, "You're still afraid of your own heart."
He gritted his teeth. "Lira, keep moving!"
But she wasn't listening. Her reflection had changed too — it now showed her standing in a burning field, crying as the sky rained fire.
Lira's heart pounded. "No… not again."
The voice in the glass was her own, echoing back at her.
"You were chosen to protect, but you only watched. The Flame saved the world — and you couldn't even save him."
She fell to her knees. The pendant flickered weakly.
Kael ran to her, gripping her shoulders. "Hey! Look at me — it's not real!"
Tears burned her eyes. "But it feels real."
He shook her gently. "Then remember what's more real — me, standing here, fighting beside you!"
His words struck something deep inside her. The pendant flared bright gold, sending waves of light across the glass.
The illusions screamed and melted, their reflections cracking like shattered mirrors.
Silence returned. Only the wind spoke again.
Kael exhaled slowly, lowering his sword. "You good?"
Lira nodded weakly. "I saw… everything I regret. Every time I hesitated. Every time I failed to act."
Kael smiled faintly. "Good. That means you remember you're human."
She looked up at him. "You didn't see anything?"
He hesitated. "I did. But I already made peace with my ghosts."
For a moment, the two of them just stood there, breathing in the stillness. Then, far ahead, the light on the horizon began to change.
A tall crystal spire rose from the center of the valley — glowing faintly with blue fire.
Lira whispered, "That's where it's strongest."
Kael adjusted his blade. "Then that's where we're going."
The climb was long and steep. The closer they came to the spire, the colder the air grew. Strange frost spread beneath their feet, though the sun still shone above.
When they reached the base, they saw that the spire wasn't solid. It was hollow — a narrow tunnel spiraling upward, filled with floating shards of glass that moved like stars in slow motion.
Lira touched one. It was warm.
Inside, a low voice echoed — ancient and deep, like the sound of the earth breathing.
"The flame is not lost. It is waiting."
Kael frowned. "Did you hear that?"
Lira nodded. "Yes… but it wasn't speaking to us. It was remembering him."
They reached the heart of the spire. A crystal pool waited there, still and perfect, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
Lira knelt before it. "This must be the source."
As she stared into the water, her reflection shifted — not into herself, but into Aric. His eyes glowed faintly gold, and his voice was barely a whisper.
"The fire was never mine, Lira. It belongs to all who dare to hope."
Her chest tightened. "Then why did you leave it to me?"
"Because you're the only one who can teach the world to burn gently."
And then, the image faded.
Lira rose slowly, eyes wet but clear. "He's gone, but not lost. He's part of this place now."
Kael looked around. "So… what happens next?"
The pendant on her chest pulsed once — strong, steady, and alive.
She turned toward the east again. "Now, we find the heart of the world — where the Flame began."
Kael nodded, his smile returning. "And stop whoever's trying to twist it."
They stepped out of the spire, the glass desert glowing behind them like an ocean of stars.
"Fire doesn't only destroy. It reflects what we are — and what we could still become."
Their next path waited, gleaming in the light.