Miss

This scene sets up a high-stakes battle, with Esteria proving her mettle while the absence of Lord El adds tension and raises questions. Let me know if you'd like adjustments or more!

Esteria's breath quickened as the figure's words sank in. The flame chose her. The weight of those words felt suffocating, wrapping around her like chains she couldn't break free from. She clenched her fists, resisting the urge to shout.

"Why should I trust the flame's judgment?" she snapped, her voice echoing in the chamber. "What gives it the right to decide my fate?"

The figure tilted their head slightly, the flicker of embers in their eyes dimming as if in contemplation. "The flame does not ask for trust. It does not demand loyalty. It simply is. To question it is to question existence itself."