In the ashes of a fallen world, where cities are bones and the sky hums with broken code, Kiran Vale wanders with nothing but the fire in his blood — a curse inherited from a lineage long erased from history.

The Syndicate rules what remains of humanity, harvesting fragments of unknown origin — glowing shards said to hold limitless energy. But when Kiran touches one, it doesn’t burn him. It awakens.

Haunted by voices from beyond the stars, Kiran learns the fragments aren’t stones at all — they are the crystallized hearts of an ancient race bound by the Void, a realm between life and oblivion. Each pulse of their song threatens to unseal the power that destroyed the old world.

Pursued by Syndicate hunters and shadowed by a woman with a cybernetic arm and forgotten past, Kiran must decide:
Will he silence the song — or let it sing again, even if it consumes everything?

Chapter 12 – The Syndicate's Countermove


The Syndicate's fortress lay hidden within the mountain's heart, carved from black stone and veiled in illusions that swallowed light. Torches sputtered along the vast hall, but the flames were cold, burning blue.


At the far end sat the Syndicate's leader, cloaked in crimson shadow. His scarred face was partly masked, only one eye gleaming with malice. Beside him, robed advisers whispered like vultures.


The heavy doors opened. Jaden staggered inside, bruised, his cloak torn, his body still bearing the marks of Kiran's fire.


He dropped to one knee, bowing low. "Flameborn is stronger than we thought. I underestimated him."


The leader's voice rumbled, low and dangerous. "You promised me his ashes, Jaden. Instead, you return burned."


Shadows shifted in the corners of the hall. Enforcers stepped forward, hands on their blades. One move from their master, and Jaden would be dead.


But Jaden raised his head, smirking through bloodied lips. "Kill me if you wish. But I learned something far more valuable than victory."


Jaden's eyes glinted. "Kiran's weakness isn't his fire. It's his heart. He won't kill family. He hesitates. And that hesitation will destroy him."


Then, slowly, the leader laughed—a harsh, echoing sound. "Good. Very good. Then we shall use his mercy as a blade against him."


One of the advisers stepped forward, laying a scroll on the obsidian table. "The Flameborn's family remains unguarded in the valley. Shall we… apply pressure?"


The leader tapped the table, shadows writhing at his fingertips. "Yes. Poison their peace. Shatter his heart. If he refuses to kill blood… then blood will be the weapon that kills him."


He turned to Jaden. "You wanted power. Prove your loyalty. Lead this strike against your own kin."


Jaden's smirk widened, though his eyes flickered with something unreadable. "As you command."


Far away, in the mountains, Kiran stirred from restless sleep. His flames sparked violently without reason.


Miren, watching him, whispered softly, "What is it?"


Kiran's eyes opened, burning with unease. "The fire's warning me. Something's coming… and it's aimed at home."


Chapter 12 - The Syndicate Countermove