"Sometimes the fire that saves the world also begins to burn the one who carries it."
The air above the Heart of the World was colder than before.When Lira and Kael climbed out from the ancient door, dawn was breaking — pale and gray, not golden.The grass was dry. The river that had once sparkled now carried a faint red shimmer, like blood mixed with light.
Lira knelt beside it. "The water's sick," she whispered.
Kael looked away. "Maybe it's always been like this."
But he knew it wasn't. The sky itself felt heavy, as if watching them. Somewhere deep inside, something in him pulsed — warm, wild, and alive.
They traveled toward the nearest village, hoping to rest.But the path had changed. The forest trees looked blackened, their leaves edged with ash. The birds no longer sang; only the wind whispered through hollow trunks.
Lira frowned. "The corruption spreads faster than I feared."
Kael walked ahead, his steps too quick. "We can't fix it by staring at it."
"Kael…" she said softly, "what did you see in the flame?"
He stopped. His back stiffened. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said quietly, "Nothing worth remembering."
She didn't press. But as he walked on, she saw a faint ember flicker beneath his glove.
That night, they camped near a dead meadow.The stars above were dim — like tired eyes that had watched too much.
Lira sat by the fire, tracing circles in the dirt. "Do you ever wonder," she said softly, "if we're meant to save the world or just witness it fade?"
Kael didn't reply. His gaze was fixed on the flames.
The fire danced strangely — its colors shifting from orange to red, then to a deep, dark gold.For a heartbeat, the flames seemed to twist into shapes — faces, shadows, whispers.
Kael blinked.
"You could make it burn again," a voice murmured in his mind."You could bring back the warmth the world forgot."
He froze.
"They never understood you, Kael. But the fire does. It knows your pain. It knows your strength."
He clenched his fists. "Stop."
"Why stop what you already began?" the whisper said sweetly. "You lit me when you fought the shadow. I'm part of you now."
The fire flared brighter. Lira looked up. "Kael?"
He forced a breath, shaking his head. "Just… tired."
She smiled softly, unaware of the shadow behind his eyes. "Then sleep. I'll keep watch."
But Kael didn't sleep. He stared at his hands, watching faint sparks slip between his fingers like fireflies. They didn't hurt — they soothed.
And in that warmth, he felt powerful.
By morning, the village was in sight. But what they found made Lira's heart sink.
The fields were blackened. The houses empty. The wells boiled faintly, steaming red.
A few survivors huddled by a ruined wall. Their eyes glowed faintly — the same strange light that Kael had seen in his reflection.
One old woman rose weakly and reached toward Lira. "The fire came," she rasped. "It walked on two legs… wearing a man's face."
Lira's blood ran cold. "A man?"
"Yes," the woman whispered. "He touched the ground, and the earth burned. He smiled… and the sky turned red."
Kael turned away, jaw tight. He could feel Lira's gaze on him — searching, uncertain.
"Could it be one of the corrupted guardians?" she asked carefully.
"Maybe," he said quickly. "Let's keep moving."
But as they left, Lira noticed ashes clinging to his boots — fresh and faintly glowing.
That night, the whispers returned.Kael dreamt of standing alone in a burning field. The sky was bleeding. The stars were falling like dying embers.
In the distance, he saw Lira — holding the Flame of the World high, her eyes filled with light.But when she looked at him, her expression changed — fear, not trust.
"You will destroy her," the voice whispered. "Not by choice, but by destiny."
He shouted into the firestorm, "Who are you?!"
"I am what you touched," it answered. "The part of the flame that remembers hunger."
The shadow stepped forward — the same reflection from the Heart's pool.
"You gave me life. And soon, I'll give it back — in my own way."
Kael woke with a start. His palms burned faintly. Smoke curled from the ground beneath him.
Lira stirred, startled. "Kael! What—?"
He quickly covered his hands. "It's nothing. Just a nightmare."
But the fire behind his eyes told another story.
By dawn, they reached the hills overlooking the valley.Below them stretched a sea of red mist — once a river plain, now glowing faintly like molten glass.
Lira whispered, "The world's veins are bleeding…"
Kael stood beside her, silent, the light reflecting in his eyes.Somewhere deep inside, he heard the whisper again — gentle, patient.
"You can stop the decay. All you have to do is let go."
He didn't answer. But his hand tightened on his sword — and for the first time, faint sparks crawled along the blade's edge.
"When a flame learns to speak, it doesn't beg for warmth. It begs to be fed."
The journey to save the world had only just begun — and Kael was no longer sure whose side the fire inside him was on.