Chapter 10: The Trial of the Cursed Flame

The inside of the temple was nothing like Ren expected.

Lanterns flickered with eerie blue fire, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls. Ancient scrolls lined the shelves, filled with writings in an unfamiliar script. The air was thick with a strange pressure—like something unseen was watching.

Lady Kagura walked ahead, her every step measured.

"You are young," she said without looking back. "Too young to understand the fire that sleeps within you."

Ren clenched his fists. "Then teach me."

Kagura halted, turning slightly. Her blue eyes burned into him.

"I will," she said. "But first, you must survive the Trial of the Cursed Flame."

Ren's breath hitched. "Trial?"

Kagura nodded. "Soulfire is no ordinary magic. It is alive. It craves destruction, but it can also purify. Before you can control it, you must face its true nature."

She raised a single hand, and the room around them shifted.

The walls vanished. The shelves disappeared.

Suddenly, Ren stood in the middle of an endless void—a world of fire.

Blue flames surged in all directions, twisting like living creatures. The air was thick with heat, yet the fire did not burn his flesh. Instead, it whispered to him—tempting, calling.

"Release me."

"Let me burn everything."

"Let go."

Ren staggered back, gripping his head. The voices— they were inside him.

Kagura's voice echoed from somewhere unseen.

"This is the core of your power, Ren. If you cannot stand against it, you will be consumed."

Ren gritted his teeth. The flames danced closer, their whispers turning into a deafening roar.

Then—he saw him.

Standing amidst the fire was a figure that looked exactly like him.

But this Ren's eyes glowed with pure blue fire, his expression twisted into a cruel smirk. His entire body burned with untamed Soulfire, wild and uncontrollable.

"I am you," the doppelgänger said.

Ren's heart pounded. No—this isn't me. This is…

The embodiment of the fire inside him.

Without warning, the other Ren lunged. A fist wreathed in blue flames shot toward him.

Ren barely dodged, the heat licking at his skin. The next instant, his doppelgänger unleashed a wave of fire—a storm of destruction.

Ren's instincts screamed. He threw up his hands, summoning his own Soulfire to counter—

But the moment his flames clashed with his doppelgänger's, a shockwave erupted.

The fire surged wildly—out of control.

The whispers grew louder.

"Give in."

"Let me take over."

"You will never master me."

Ren fell to one knee. His body was burning from the inside.

The fire wasn't just outside—it was within him, consuming his mind.

Was this what Master Takeda warned him about?

Was this the fate of those who failed?

Would he… become this monster?

"No."

The thought cut through the noise.

Ren gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.

He met the doppelgänger's gaze. "You're wrong."

The fiery version of him sneered. "Am I?"

Ren clenched his fists. "You're not stronger than me. You are me. And I will not let you control me!"

He took a deep breath, reaching inward—not to suppress the fire, but to accept it.

"Fire is destruction… but it is also life."

"It consumes… but it also purifies."

"I do not fear you."

"Because you are a part of me!"

The moment Ren embraced the truth, his flames shifted.

The wild, raging fire calmed. The deafening whispers faded.

His doppelgänger snarled, the blue fire flickering in uncertainty.

Ren took a step forward. His flames—once untamed—now flowed in perfect harmony.

The doppelgänger lunged again—this time with desperation.

Ren met him head-on.

Their fists collided—

And the world exploded into blue light.

---

Mastery Begins

When Ren opened his eyes, he was back in the temple.

Kagura stood before him, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her lips.

"Interesting," she mused. "You did not fight to suppress the flames—you chose to accept them."

Ren exhaled, glancing down at his hands. The Soulfire was still there, but now… it felt different.

It no longer burned out of control.

It no longer whispered in his mind.

For the first time—it was truly his.

Kagura turned away. "Good. Then we can begin your real training."

Ren smirked. "I'm ready."

Little did he know… his trials had only just begun.