A Fire's Choice

.The moment of decision – Nero must finally choose between his friends or the fire.

. Angel and Nagel's final warning – If Nero keeps following this path, they might not follow him.

. The fire's growing influence – It no longer just whispers; it demands.

.A confrontation in the shadows – The presence watching them finally reveals itself.

.A truth long hidden – What if the fire's purpose is something more than power?

---

The fire inside Nero now burn hotter.

The further he walked, the stronger it became.

Not just power.

Not just heat.

But a presence.

Like it was leading him forward.

Like it was waiting for him to take the final step.

And the question that haunted him was this—

Would he be the one making the choice?

Or had the fire already chosen for him?

---

(Angel and Nagel's Final Warning)

"This is it," Angel said, her voice quiet.

She wasn't looking at the path ahead anymore.

She was looking at him.

Nagel shook his head.

"I don't like this. This isn't normal."

Nero turned toward them. "I told you both, I have to follow this."

Nagel's grip on his axe tightened.

"And we told you—this thing inside you? It's changing you. You don't even see it."

"Do you?

Nero exhaled sharply.

"I can control it."

Angel flinched. "Can you?"

The question cut deeper than a blade.

Because Nero wasn't sure.

Not anymore.

---

(The Fire's Growing Influence)

The fire laughed.

A deep, quiet chuckle inside his mind.

Mocking.

Testing.

"They fear you."

Nero clenched his fists.

He wouldn't listen.

Not now.

Not when he was so close.

But the fire whispered again.

"They will never understand you."

His flames flickered red for a moment.

Angel and Nagel saw it.

They stepped back.

---

(A Presence Revealed)

Then—

The shadows ahead moved.

Angel tensed. "Something's here."

Nagel raised his axe. "I knew it."

From the darkness, a figure stepped forward.

Tall. Cloaked.

Eyes glowing red.

Nero's fire reacted immediately.

Not with rage.

Not with fear.

With recognition.

And then—

The stranger spoke.

"I was wondering when you'd find me."

---

(A Truth Long Hidden)

Nero's breath caught.

This was the same person from before.

The one who had tested him.

The one the fire had recognized.

"Who are you?" Nero asked.

The stranger smiled.

"Someone like you."

Nagel scoffed. "Great. More cryptic nonsense."

The stranger ignored him.

"You're close, Nero," they continued. "But before you take that final step… ask yourself."

A pause.

"Is this really your choice?"

Nero's pulse pounded.

Because that was the question, wasn't it?

Had it ever been his choice?

Or was he always meant to follow the fire?

And if so—

Could he ever turn back?

---

(The Moment of Decision)

Angel reached for his arm.

"Nero, listen to me. We don't have to do this."

Nagel nodded. "We can walk away."

The fire inside him flared.

"Walk away… and lose everything."

His head ached.

The whispers, the power, the pull—

It was too much.

He had to decide.

Now.

And so—

Nero made his choice.

---

The weight of the fire pressed against Nero's soul.

The whispers in his mind had really stopped.

There was only silence.

Waiting.

Because this moment was his.

No one could make this choice for him.

Not Angel.

Not Nagel.

Not even the fire.

And so, Nero finally spoke.

"I will follow the fire's path."

This is my choice not the flames choice "he said".

---

(Angel and Nagel's Reaction)

Angel flinched like she had been stabbed.

Nagel muttered a curse under his breath.

"You're really doing this?" Nagel's voice was low, sharp.

Angel's hands trembled at her sides.

"You're letting it take you."

Nero met her gaze.

"No. I'm taking control."

But even as he said it, he wasn't sure if it was true.

---

(The Fire's Final Test)

The flames around him reacted instantly.

A golden light surged from his skin, wrapping around him like a second soul.

The fire approved.

But then—

Something changed.

The golden glow flickered.

A streak of red licked at the edges of the flames.

Nero's breath caught.

It was happening.

His fire was darkening.

---

(The Stranger's Warning)

The cloaked figure stepped forward, their red eyes gleaming.

"You have chosen," they said, voice unreadable.

Nero clenched his fists. "What happens now?"

The stranger smiled.

"Now? You face what comes next."

The ground beneath them shook.

The fire rose higher.

And deep inside, Nero felt something shift.

Something that told him—

There was no turning back.

---

(Angel's Desperation)

Angel grabbed his arm.

"Nero, please."

Her voice cracked with emotion.

"We can find another way. You don't have to do this alone."

Nagel scowled.

"Yeah, but that's the problem, isn't it? He's not alone."

He pointed to the flames surrounding Nero.

"He's got them now."

Nero's chest tightened.

Because they were right.

The fire wasn't just a power anymore.

It was a presence.

A force inside him, shaping him into something else.

Something that wasn't human.

And still, he took a step forward.

---

(The Fire's Power Awakens)

The flames surged again.

The golden glow collapsed—replaced by deep, burning red.

Angel gasped.

"Nero!"You don't have to do this".

The fire inside him roared, answering a call he hadn't made.

A test.

A challenge.

To see if he was truly ready.

And suddenly—

Everything exploded in fire.

---

(The Moment of No Return)

When the flames cleared, the air was still.

Angel and Nagel stood apart from him now.

A line had been drawn.

Nero had crossed it.

He clenched his fists, feeling the power surge beneath his skin.

This was his path now.

His choice.

And he could only pray it was the right one.

---

End of Chapter 26

.Nero chooses to follow the fire's path.

. Angel and Nagel are heartbroken—they might not follow.

. The fire reacts—its color shifts from gold to red.

.The stranger approves—this was always meant to happen.

. A moment of no return—Nero has crossed a threshold he cannot undo.

Next up: Chapter 27: The Path of No Return—What awaits Nero on this new path?