Trial by Fire
. Nero's full struggle with his power – He is losing control, but can he fight back?
. Angel and Nagel's desperate attempt – They try one last time to reach him.
. The stranger's true purpose – They reveal why they are testing Nero.
. A battle of wills – This fight is no longer just physical; it's a fight for Nero's soul.
.The fire's final demand – It no longer asks. It takes.
---
The moment the flames collided, the world erupted in chaos.
Heat rippled outward, splintering the ground beneath them.
Smoke curled into the sky, twisting like a serpent's breath.
The fire inside Nero roared to life.
But this time—
It wasn't waiting for his command.
It was acting on its own.
---
(The Fire's Hunger)
Nero felt the shift deep inside.
His body wasn't his alone anymore.
Every movement felt less like his own choice… and more like instinct.
Like the fire itself was guiding his limbs, pushing him forward.
And worse—
He didn't hate it.
That terrified him.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Desperation)
"Nero!"
Angel's voice rang through the firestorm, sharp and pleading.
She was reaching for him.
Nagel stood beside her, axe clenched in his fists.
But neither of them stepped forward.
They weren't facing just Nero anymore.
They were facing something else.
Something that wasn't entirely him.
And they knew it.
---
(The Stranger's Challenge)
The cloaked figure stepped through the flames, completely unharmed.
They tilted their head, red eyes glowing.
"Good," they said, voice smooth as molten steel.
"You're waking up."
Nero's breath hitched.
"What… do you want from me?"
The stranger smiled.
"The same thing your fire wants."
Their own flames rose higher.
Red. Dark. Consuming.
"You."
---
(A Battle of Wills)
The fire inside Nero reacted instantly.
It didn't fear the stranger's power.
It recognized it.
Like two halves of the same force meeting for the first time.
And before Nero could stop himself—
His flames surged forward.
The battle had begun.
---
(The Fire Fights for Control)
The first clash sent shockwaves across the mountains.
Red flames met red flames, neither one giving an inch.
Nero gritted his teeth.
The power inside him wanted this fight.
It thrived in it.
The fire's voice echoed in his mind.
"Let me take control. I will not fail."
Nero shook his head.
"I'm not letting you control me!"
But the fire only laughed.
"You are not stopping me."
And suddenly—
His next attack wasn't his own.
His flames lashed out without his command.
Angel gasped.
"Nero, stop!"
But he couldn't.
The fire was fighting for him.
And that meant—
He was no longer in control.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Last Hope)
Nagel cursed.
"He's losing it!"
Angel's hands shook.
"Nero, please!"
Her voice trembled.
"Don't let it take you!"
Nero's chest ached.
A part of him wanted to listen.
To turn back.
To stop.
But the fire refused.
It had waited too long for this.
And it would not stop now.
---
(The Fire's Final Demand)
The stranger lunged.
Their flames coiled like a living serpent, striking faster than thought.
Nero barely had time to react—
And then—
The fire inside him moved first.
Not to dodge.
Not to block.
To counterattack.
A wave of red flames erupted outward.
Unfocused. Wild.
And for the first time—
It hit everything.
---
(The Moment of No Return)
The force sent Angel and Nagel flying back.
The ground beneath them split apart.
The trees exploded into ash.
And Nero?
He stood at the center of the destruction.
Breathing hard.
Feeling… nothing.
The fire was satisfied.
And in that moment, Nero realized—
It had gotten what it wanted.
Him.
---
(The Stranger's Victory)
The enemy rose from the fire, completely unscathed.
Their smile was wider now.
"You understand, don't you?"
Nero's hands shook.
He looked down.
The flames coiling around him weren't golden anymore.
They weren't his.
They were something else entirely.
And the fire whispered its final words of the night—
"This is only the beginning."
---
(The Path Ahead)
Angel and Nagel slowly stood.
They looked at Nero—
And for the first time, they didn't see a friend.
They saw a stranger.
And Nero?
He wasn't sure if they were wrong.
Because deep inside, something had changed.
And he wasn't sure if he could ever change back.
The flames no longer felt like his own.
They wrapped around Nero's body, pulsing, shifting, waiting.
Not for his command.
But for his submission.
And he felt it.
Deep inside, past his thoughts, past his fear—
The fire was ready to consume the last piece of him that resisted.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Desperation)
"Nero, fight it!"
Angel's voice was raw, desperate, breaking.
Nagel tensed beside her, jaw tight with frustration.
"We've come too far for you to lose now!"
But Nero barely heard them.
Their words felt distant, as if spoken from another world.
Because in his world, there was only the fire.
Only the power surging through his veins.
And a choice that was no longer truly his.
---
(The Fire's Growing Will)
Inside him, the fire spoke.
Not in whispers.
Not in warnings.
But in commands.
"You were never meant to struggle. You were meant to rise."
Nero clenched his fists.
The flames crackled in response.
Was he rising?
Or was he falling?
---
(The Stranger's Revelation)
The cloaked figure watched, their red eyes gleaming.
"You still resist."
Their voice was calm. Knowing.
"You fight the very thing that would make you more than you are."
Nero's breath caught.
"You knew this would happen to me."
The stranger tilted their head.
"Of course."
A pause.
"Because it happened to me too."
---
(The Fire's Final Demand)
Heat surged inside Nero's chest.
His vision blurred at the edges, flickering between fire and shadow.
The fire tightened its grip.
"Let go."
It was not a request.
It was a command.
And for the first time—
Nero wasn't sure if he could refuse.
---
(A Glimpse of the Future)
Something shifted.
And suddenly—
Nero wasn't on the mountain anymore.
He saw a vision.
A burning city.
Ash falling like snow.
And at the center—
A figure wreathed in flames.
Towering. Unstoppable.
And when it turned—
Nero saw his own face.
Eyes glowing, power beyond measure.
A king of fire.
Or a monster.
The fire's voice whispered once more.
"This is what you are meant to be."
---
(The Moment of No Return)
His breath came in ragged gasps.
His knees nearly buckled.
He reached for control—
But his flames only burned brighter.
Angel saw it.
Nagel saw it.
And they knew.
He was slipping.
Falling.
And this time—
He might not come back.
---
(Angel's Last Plea)
Angel grabbed his wrist.
Her touch was cold against his burning skin.
She didn't flinch.
She held on.
"You still have a choice," she whispered.
Her voice wasn't desperate anymore.
It was certain.
Because she refused to believe he was lost.
Nero's chest tightened.
Did he still have a choice?
Or had the fire already made it for him?
---
(The Final Question)
The flames crackled.
The stranger waited.
Angel and Nagel refused to let go.
And inside him—
The fire's voice grew silent.
Waiting.
Watching.
Because now, at this final moment, it was up to him.
Would he surrender to the fire?
Or would he fight to stay Nero?
---
End of Chapter 29: Trial by Fire
. Nero is at the edge—will he surrender or fight back?
.Angel refuses to give up, but is she too late?
. The stranger reveals the truth—they were once like Nero.
. The fire demands Nero let go completely.
.A vision of the future—Nero sees what he might become.
Next up: Chapter 30: The Fire's Will—Nero's choice will define his fate.