The scroll's luminescence remained constant. Like a heartbeat imprisoned in ink and paper, it continued to pulse. Time itself slowed, or perhaps Mu Chen was the only one who sensed it, his chest tightened, his breath held, as if the air had swelled around him.
A voice then emerged.
It was low, ancient, and even though it didn't sound human and spoke a language he had never heard before, he managed to understand every word.
The voice reverberated as the scroll naturally unfolded, its edges curling with heat.
> "The curse of the Ninefold Flame is absorbed by the one who breaks this seal.
It burns to handle it.
To govern is to burn.
Like a spark catching, Mu Chen's eyes flickered and suddenly flared orange.
Then something quite different made his body shiver, not terror. Suddenly, the Phoenix flame blazed across his flesh. His arms, chest, and even his fingertips were licked by blue and gold flames. On the wall behind him, his shadow curved upward, not like a human's but rather like that of something far older, bigger and godlike.
He remained still. He was unable to. His heart hammered against his ribs, his lips slightly parted, his muscles stiffened. Completely thrown, he was shocked, but not afraid.
'I'm still a little confused.'
His voice was soft and hoarse. "The Ninefold Flame: What is it?"
The scroll's brightness increased. Then it responded.
> "This is not your typical fire, the Ninefold Flame.
Broken into nine pieces, it is divine flame.
They all represent something: transcendence, rebirth, or annihilation.
Just once in a mortal is selected—or doomed—to bear its burden in a millennium.
None of the nine have survived.
Mu Chen wrinkled his brows. His eyes were not filled with terror, but a hint of concern began to grow. His lips squeezed.
"How do you make it through all nine?" His voice was low but steady as he requested.
There was a pause in the scroll. Or perhaps it was the voice that said it. Then it responded—a warning, not a prophecy.
> "No mortal should go through fire in order to survive the Ninefold Flame."
It is feasible, but there is a price for it.
First Rule: The Soul Is Marked First by the Flame
> "Not everything is revealed at once by the scroll.
The soul is first branded.
There is a symbol that might appear on the back, the chest, orin the eyes.
The Mark of the Nine is that.
The carrier is then bound to the flames.
One by one, they come to—in times of sorrow, anger, fear, or suffering.
Rule Two: You Have to Earn Every Flame
> "Waiting won't get you the next flame.
You have to face it.
Every one of them has a challenge, a waking nightmare of sorts.
a state of trance in which the bearer experiences a real thing. Something they are unable to flee.
The voice then listed.
Relive a betrayal you buried with Ashen Ember.
Watch a loved one you were unable to save in Ghostfire.
Hear your own words twisted into knives in the Scorch of Echoes.
Everburn: Decide which memory to permanently erase.
Bloodflame: Let go of something or someone you care about.
Blackflame: Allow a piece of your identity to perish.
Zealfire: Take a stand against hopelessness.. In any case, keep moving.
Divine Pyre: Evaluate your soul and accept the result.
Let go of everything that ever created you, Crown of Cinders.
Mu Chen remained silent. All he did was listen. Each statement sank like a stone into his chest.
Rule 3: The Body Needs to Adapt
> "The soul is not the only thing that burns.
The body also undergoes modifications.
Skin becomes more resilient to heat.
Eyes light up.
Fire fills the veins. Bones repeatedly break and heal.
You're no longer entirely human by the end.
> "Most fail to make it to the fourth flame.
They are broken by pain.
or insanity.
or remorse.
Fourth Rule: The Soul Must Remain Whole
> "Death is not the real risk.
It's losing your identity.
Your emotions are ripped away by the fire.
You lose interest. Give up hoping, and the fire consumes what's left over if your soul gives up.
Instead of dying, you turn into a Blazing Wraith.
A shell that is cursed.
"Fire without a heart."
Mu Chen's hands were now tightly balled up. Not out of rage. Not even fear. Only strain. He didn't say anything. steady breathing. But his thoughts were racing.
The Fifth Rule: There Is Just One Way to Live
> "Overpowering something won't help you live.
By accepting who you are, you manage to endure.
Each scar. Every error.
You cling to one item, a pledge, a moniker, a cause.
Something inaccessible to the flames.
> "Never attempt to manage the fire.
Learn to accept it.
Then there was silence once more—until the last words:
> "The Crown of Cinders... the final flame...
Your strength is not put to the test.
It puts your heart to the test.
If youmay still feel, love, and grieve... It won't burn you even with all that power.
You will be crowned by it.
> "You're not the strongest, but you manage to survive.
but because your soul has never been lost.
Mu Chen remained still.
The scroll's glow became some what dimmer. The fire on his skin subsided, softly flickering in the silence. But something had shifted within him. Not only power.
Weight.
It could kill him, or it could make him into something no one had ever lived through.
He wasn't sure if he wanted it yet.
It was now a part of him, though.
Furthermore, there was no going back.
With his head lowered, Mu Chen sat still, his thoughts swirling behind his eyes like a tempest. The precepts of the Ninefold Flame rang in his mind—each one heavier than the last. He was more anxious about one than the others, though. It remained in his chest like an impenetrable knot. He slowly separated his lips.
"Scroll… You mentioned Bloodflame earlier," he replied in a low, uncertain voice. You stated that I would have to... What you meant is unclear to me."
The scroll responded instantly, its light constant and unwavering.
"One must make a sacrifice for the Bloodflame. It requires you to give up something or someone you care about, not just anything."
Mu Chen winced. That was unexpected. His breathing slowed and his shoulders stiffened. Slowed, he blinked, attempting to dispel the fear that descended upon him.
"Someone I... love?" The word caused his voice to crack. He stifled a dry laugh, more incredulous than amused. "That isn't feasible. I'm not going to do that. I won't."
He got up suddenly. As he stepped off the bed, attempting to distance himself from that terrible paper, the floor felt chilly under his bare feet. However, something invisible caught him like a weight-bearing breeze and threw him back just as his heel reached the ground. He grunted as the air from his lungs as his body struck the bed hard.
The scroll then spoke once more, but more softly, final and cold.
"There is no way to get your money back. Not unless you pass away."