Three months after the fall of the Ancient One and the sealing of the Shadowstone, the realm celebrated. Valoria's capital hosted a grand feast, attended by elves, phoenixes, griffins, and humans alike. Flags flew high, music filled the air, and laughter echoed through the streets—proof that peace, though fragile, had been restored.
Kael stood on the palace balcony, Leah beside him, watching the celebrations below. The merged dragon-phoenix fire in his veins hummed softly, calm and steady. Below, Lira danced with a group of young elves, her red hair glowing in the torchlight. Gareth, in his humanoid form, laughed as he arm-wrestled a human blacksmith. Merlin sat at a table, surrounded by scholars, sharing stories of the ancient texts.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Leah said, leaning her head on Kael's shoulder.
Kael nodded. "I never thought I'd see this again. The realm, united. No more darkness. No more war."
Leah smiled. "But we'll stay vigilant. We won't let our guard down. Peace is too precious."
Kael kissed her forehead. "We will. Together."
Later that night, as the feast died down, Merlin found Kael alone in the palace library. The old mage's face was serious, a small, black shard in his hand.
"What is that?" Kael asked.
Merlin held out the shard. It was tiny, no bigger than Kael's thumbnail, but it pulsed with faint dark magic. "I found it in the Forgotten Crypts, after we left. A fragment of the Ancient One's darkness. It's weak, but it's alive."
Kael frowned. "Is it dangerous?"
"For now, no," Merlin said. "But darkness has a way of growing. Of spreading. If we don't destroy it, it could become a threat again."
He paused. "And there's something else. I found another prophecy, in the ancient texts. One that wasn't included in the first scroll."
Kael leaned forward. "What does it say?"
Merlin's voice was low. "'When the Emberborn seals the Ancient Shadow, a new light will rise. But the light will split, and brother will turn against brother. The realm will face a choice—unity or destruction. And the Emberborn's blood will be the key.'"
Kael's heart sank. "A new threat? Brother against brother?"
Merlin nodded. "I don't know what it means. But it's coming. Soon. We need to be ready."
Kael took the shard from Merlin, his merged fire glowing faintly in his palm. The shard hissed, the dark magic fading slightly under the light.
"We'll be ready," Kael said. "We have each other. We have the four bloodlines. We have the light."
Merlin smiled. "I know. But be careful, Kael. The future is uncertain. And the Emberborn's path is never easy."
Kael nodded. He stared at the shard, then crushed it in his hand. The dark magic vanished, leaving nothing but dust.
He turned to the window, looking out at the night sky. The stars were bright, the moon full. The realm was at peace.
But Kael knew—peace was never permanent.
A new threat was coming. A new prophecy was unfolding.
And his journey as the Emberborn was far from over.