Aira's heart pounded as the last flicker of flame dissolved into the stone floor, leaving behind a jagged crack that pulsed with eerie blue light. The gate had not opened, but it had answered her. Behind it, something ancient had stirred—and it had recognized her.
"That wasn't just power," Kairo whispered, drawing closer to her. "That was a memory—something sealed in your blood."
Aira turned to him, her voice low. "Then we need to know what memory. And why it called to me like that."
Just then, the earth beneath them trembled faintly.
Boom.
A second pulse echoed through the floor. Not violent, not threatening—but summoning.
The High Seer, pale and wide-eyed, stepped forward from the shadows. "It's begun," she said. "The Hollow Temple is awake."
---
Hours later, with torches blazing and the night wind howling above the cliffs, Aira stood at the entrance of the Hollow Temple. It had no doors—only ancient dragon-bone columns twisted into screaming shapes. The wind didn't just blow; it whispered in tongues only the cursed could hear.
"This place..." Leo muttered. "It smells like ash and memory."
Aira stepped forward, her palm still carrying the faint burn from where the Third Seal had responded to her. The mark hadn't vanished. It had spread, curling up her wrist like ink in water.
They entered.
The Hollow Temple wasn't empty. As their steps echoed inside, ghostly forms shimmered along the walls—ancient warriors, hooded figures, and dragon spirits, carved in moving shadows. Each figure whispered names Aira had never heard… but that still made her tremble.
"This place is alive," Kairo said, drawing his sword.
But it wasn't the temple that made Aira's breath catch—it was the mural at the far end.
A girl stood in the painting. Hair of fire. Eyes of flame.
Her.
Except... in the painting, her hand was plunged into the chest of a man—Kairo's likeness—his heart aflame in her grip.
"No..." Aira stumbled back.
"It can't be," Kairo whispered, his voice barely audible.
The High Seer stared, voice cracking. "This mural was painted before the last war of gods. Before the kingdoms were born."
"But why am I in it?" Aira demanded.
No one answered. Because no one knew.
Suddenly, a low chanting began. From the shadows behind the altar, robed figures emerged—faceless, voiceless, but their mouths moved in unison.
"The Flamebearer has returned," they intoned. "And the heart must burn again."
Aira stepped back. Kairo moved in front of her protectively. But then—the painting began to move.
The girl in the mural smiled.
And whispered Aira's name.
Before anyone could react, the temple floor collapsed beneath them, swallowing Aira and Kairo into blackness.
They fell—
And landed in a chamber lit with red mist.
Standing in the center was a girl with white eyes.
"I told you you'd find me again," she said, her voice distorted. "Welcome to your second trial, Flamebearer."
Aira's knees weakened as the girl raised her hand. The mist swirled, revealing a cage behind her.
Inside it—bleeding, unconscious, and chained—was Leo.
"Choose," the white-eyed girl said coldly. "Unlock the seal within you… or watch him die."
Aira's breath caught in her throat. Leo's face was bruised, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. Chains of shadow curled around his wrists, draining the color from his skin.
"No…" she whispered, taking a step forward.
Kairo grabbed her arm. "It's a trap. She wants you to unlock the seal without knowing the price."
The white-eyed girl tilted her head, amused. "It's not a trap, it's a choice. Just like before. You unlocked the Third Seal and your power answered. But now…" she waved a hand and Leo's body shuddered in pain. "…it demands something in return."
Aira's heart raced. She didn't remember a "before." Not fully. But flashes tugged at her thoughts—fire engulfing cities, Kairo falling to his knees, her hands soaked in flame.
"I'm not that person anymore," she said, voice shaking.
"No?" the girl asked softly. "Then why does your soul still burn? Why do the gods still fear you?"
The red mist thickened, curling around her legs, whispering secrets she couldn't yet grasp. Memories of a past she never lived—or perhaps, once had lived and lost.
Kairo stepped forward. "Let him go. This isn't her fight alone."
The girl smiled. "Oh, but it is. You weren't born with the curse of the Flamebearer. She was. And now, she chooses."
Leo groaned in the cage. His eyes fluttered open. "Aira… don't…"
His voice was hoarse, broken, but determined. "Don't become her again. Please."
Tears welled in Aira's eyes. "But if I don't, you'll die."
Leo gave a weak smile. "Then… I'll die knowing you didn't lose yourself."
The seal on Aira's arm pulsed. Hot. Angry. Hungry.
A spark lit in her chest. The same spark she had felt when she faced the first trial. The same one that shattered the sky and burned through barriers. The same one that could kill Leo… or save him.
"Aira," Kairo said gently, "Whatever you choose—we'll face it together."
But he couldn't mask the fear in his voice.
The girl raised a hand. "Time's up."
Chains snaked tighter around Leo. His scream pierced the chamber, raw and gut-wrenching.
Aira stepped forward.
Her hands ignited.
"I'll give you what you want," she said, her voice rising like thunder. "But you'll regret forcing me."
The chamber trembled. The red mist recoiled. Her seal burst open, revealing a sigil none had seen in a thousand years. Light shot up from the floor in a ring around her, forming ancient runes.
The girl's smile faltered. "No… that's not—"
Too late.
The ground split open in flame.
Aira's eyes glowed gold.
And a second voice, not her own, echoed from her lips.
"The reckoning begins."