Trial by fire

The fire didn't fade.

It pulsed—alive, shifting, as if testing them. Kael could feel it in his bones, in his blood. It wasn't just fire. It was something older. Something hungry.

And then, the ruins shuddered.

Garran moved first. "We need to—"

Too late.

The ground cracked beneath them, ancient stone breaking apart as darkness surged upward. It wasn't the shadow this time. It was something else—something called forth by the oath.

A low growl echoed through the chamber. Not human. Not entirely beast.

Kael pulled Rhia behind him just as a shape lunged from the darkness.

Claws slashed through the air—he barely dodged in time. The creature landed in the firelight, and Kael's breath locked in his throat.

It was monstrous. Half-formed, shifting, its body flickering between flesh and shadow. Its eyes—burning red, hollow—locked onto them.

Then it spoke.

"Prove your worth."

Kael barely had time to react before it lunged again.

He raised his sword, instincts taking over—but the moment steel met the creature's claws, the fire in his veins exploded.

Flames surged up his blade, licking the metal, turning his strike into something more. The creature howled as Kael's sword carved through its shadowed form, fire eating at the wound.

He staggered back, heart pounding. What the hell was that?

Then—Rhia gasped.

Kael spun toward her, only to see the same fire curling around her hands. It crackled at her fingertips, wild, uncontrolled, reacting to her pulse. She looked at him, eyes wide with shock.

"I didn't—"

The creature didn't wait. It turned on her.

Kael moved without thinking. But before he could reach her, Rhia raised her hand.

The fire in her palm ignited—then shot forward, slamming into the beast's chest.

It shrieked, stumbling, its form flickering violently. The air rippled with heat.

Silence stretched. Then—

The creature grinned.

"You burn well."

And then it vanished.

The flames in Kael's body dimmed, but the heat remained. His breath was ragged, his mind reeling.

Rhia stared at her hands, fingers trembling.

"What… what did we just do?"

Kael swallowed hard. "I think we just passed the first test."

And something told him there would be more.

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