A choice Written in Flames
---
The fire wasn't leaving.
Even after the battle, even after the Shadow Hunter had been destroyed, the flames still clung to Nero's skin, flickering, waiting.
Waiting for him to let go.
To surrender.
And for the first time, Nero didn't know if he had the strength to fight it anymore.
---
(The Distance Between Them)
Angel and Nagel weren't standing beside him.
They weren't even close.
They stood several feet away, watching.
Watching him like he was a stranger.
Or worse—a threat.
Angel's voice was calm, but there was something off in her tone.
"Nero… can you still control it?"
Nero opened his mouth to say yes.
But the words wouldn't come.
Because he wasn't sure if they were true anymore.
---
(The Fire That Wouldn't Die)
Inside him, the fire pulsed.
"They will never trust you again."
Nero clenched his fists.
"Shut up."
The fire laughed.
"You can feel it, can't you? The change. The power."
Nero's hands trembled. The golden flames at his fingertips refused to fade.
He couldn't force them down.
And deep inside, he didn't know if he wanted to.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Decision)
Nagel's voice was sharp. "We need to figure this out now."
Angel hesitated. "Nagel—"
"No." Nagel's grip tightened on his axe. "We just watched him almost lose himself back there. What if next time, he doesn't stop?"
Nero exhaled.
Angel's fingers hovered over her sword.
She hadn't drawn it yet.
But she was thinking about it.
And that was all that mattered.
---
(A New Enemy Approaches)
Then—
The ground shook.
A deep, rumbling force filled the air.
A new presence.
Stronger. Darker.
Nero's fire reacted instantly, flaring higher.
And for the first time, Nero wasn't sure if it was warning him…
Or welcoming what was coming.
---
(The Fire's Warning)
Angel took a step back. "Something's coming."
Nagel lifted his axe. "Another Shadow Hunter?"
Nero wasn't sure.
But deep inside, the fire whispered:
"This is the moment."
"The moment you choose."
The flames curled around his body, waiting.
Nagel watched him carefully.
"Well, Nero? Are you still on our side?"
---
(The Battle Begins)
Before Nero could answer, the enemy struck.
A force of pure darkness erupted from the ground, splitting the earth apart.
Angel and Nagel leaped back as a monstrous figure emerged.
Tall. Cloaked in black flames.
Its eyes burned with red fire, mirroring Nero's own.
And then, it spoke.
"You are not meant to exist."
---
(A Test of Power)
The creature lunged.
Angel moved first, her sword flashing in the firelight, clashing against the creature's dark claws.
Nagel roared, swinging his axe.
But it wasn't enough.
The enemy was stronger. Faster.
And Nero could feel it—
This wasn't just another enemy.
This was something that had been waiting for him.
---
(A Final Choice)
The fire inside Nero begged for release.
"Let me burn it."
"Let me show you what we can become."
Nero hesitated.
Angel and Nagel were still fighting.
Still believing in him.
But for how much longer?
Because if he let the fire fully take over…
Would there even be a difference between him and the enemy anymore?
---
(The Power Unleashed)
The enemy struck again, faster than before.
Angel barely dodged in time.
Nagel was too slow.
The creature's claw slammed into him, sending him flying back.
"NAGEL!" Angel screamed.
But he wasn't moving.
The enemy turned toward her next.
And Nero knew—
This was the moment.
He could hold back.
Or he could let go.
---
(The Path of Fire)
The fire roared in his mind.
"Burn it. Burn everything."
Nero gritted his teeth.
"No."
The flames flared violently, resisting.
"You cannot fight me!"
"Watch me."
Then—
Nero did something he had never done before.
He reached deep into the fire.
And he forced it down.
---
(A New Power Awakens)
The fire fought back, screaming in rage.
But Nero held on.
Forcing the flames into focus.
No more wild destruction.
No more chaos.
Just control.
The golden flames at his hands shifted.
Becoming sharper. Stronger.
And for the first time—
The fire felt like his own again.
---
(The Final Strike)
The enemy charged.
Nero moved faster.
A single step—and he was already in front of it.
The fire didn't consume.
It cut through.
A blade of pure flame slashed through the creature's chest.
For a moment, it staggered.
Then—
It was gone.
The fire faded.
And Nero was still standing.
---
(The Aftermath)
The battlefield was silent again.
Angel and Nagel stared at Nero.
Not in fear.
Not in doubt.
But in awe.
"You controlled it," Angel whispered.
Nero exhaled slowly. "Yeah."
Nagel groaned from the ground. "Took you long enough."
Nero let out a breathless laugh.
And for the first time, the fire didn't fight back.
Because this time, he had chosen his own path.
And the fire had finally accepted it.
The battlefield was still on.
The wind carried the last wisps of smoke away, leaving only the charred earth behind.
Nero exhaled, his breath slow, controlled.
And the fire didn't push back.
For the first time since all of this began, the flames obeyed him.
No wild surges. No whispers in his mind.
Just… silence.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Reaction)
Angel stepped forward cautiously.
"You… did it," she said, almost like she didn't believe it herself.
Nagel groaned from where he sat on the ground. "Took you long enough."
Nero let out a breathless laugh. "Yeah."
Angel studied him carefully.
"You didn't lose control."
Nero met her gaze. "No. Not this time."
But she didn't look entirely convinced.
And maybe, deep down—neither was he.
---
(The Fire's Silence)
Nero glanced down at his hands.
No flames. No golden glow.
The fire was completely still.
Almost… waiting.
He clenched his fists. "Why did it stop fighting?"
For so long, the fire had been whispering, pushing, demanding control.
But now?
It was just there.
Not gone. Not lost.
Just waiting.
---
(A Shadow in the Distance)
Nagel pushed himself up, brushing the dirt off his armor.
"Alright," he grunted. "We need to move. Before something else shows up."
But just as he said it—
Nero felt something.
A faint prickle at the edge of his senses.
Not fire. Not warmth.
Something colder.
His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the horizon.
There—just beyond the burned battlefield—a dark shape stood in the distance.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
It was gone.
---
(The Path Ahead)
Nero exhaled, forcing himself to turn away.
"We should keep moving," he said.
Angel and Nagel exchanged a look before nodding.
They weren't the same as before.
None of them were.
And deep inside, Nero knew—
This battle was far from over.
Because something was still coming.
And this time, it wasn't just his fire that would be tested.
It was his very soul.
---
End of Chapter 19
.Nero finally controls the fire—but at what cost?
. Angel and Nagel trust him… but doubt still lingers.
.For the first time, the fire is silent. But why?
. A new threat watches from the distance, unseen but waiting.
Next up: Chapter 20: The First Step Forward—With control over his flames, what comes next for Nero?