Awakening the Flames

Darkness pressed in from all sides. The flickering blue flames along the walls cast eerie shadows, elongating the massive carvings that lined the chamber. Njuwa's breath was heavy, his mind racing.

The statue before him—the warrior draped in armor, gripping a sword wreathed in blue fire—wore his face.

It was an impossible sight. A cruel trick of the light.

Yet deep in his bones, he felt the truth.

He had been here before.

The whisper that had welcomed him still echoed in his ears.

"Welcome home."

Njuwa clenched his fists.

"No," he muttered, shaking his head. "This isn't my home. This is a mistake."

A gust of wind swept through the chamber, and the flames along the walls flared. The carvings, once mere images etched into stone, seemed to move, shifting like a living tapestry.

The scene changed.

Warriors clashed, wielding weapons ablaze with blue fire. Armies crumbled under the force of a single figure—a man wreathed in flames, his presence commanding, terrifying.

And then—

A massacre.

The flames died. The warrior fell, his sword buried in the ground, its fire extinguished.

The armies that once followed him were slaughtered. The blue fire that once burned so brightly was snuffed out.

Njuwa's breathing quickened.

The image burned into his mind.

"What… what is this?" he whispered.

A deep voice answered from the shadows.

"The fall of the Eternal Flame."

The Guardian's Revelation

Njuwa spun, his knife already in his hand.

From the darkness, a figure emerged—tall, clad in ancient robes, its face hidden beneath a hood. The only thing visible was its glowing eyes, flickering with the same blue fire as the statue's blade.

It stepped forward, slow and deliberate.

"The last heir has returned," it said. "After so many years… the flame stirs once more."

Njuwa took a step back, his fingers tightening around his knife. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The figure stopped a few feet away. "You will."

It raised a hand. The blue flames swirled, forming symbols in the air—the same ones that had appeared on Njuwa's chest.

"You carry the mark," the figure continued. "The last remnant of a bloodline long thought dead. The Eternal Flame has not burned in centuries, yet within you, it sleeps."

Njuwa stared at the glowing symbols.

This had to be a mistake.

He was a slave. A boy who had been sold. He had no noble blood, no great lineage.

And yet…

The pull.

The strange force that had drawn him here.

The dreams. The visions.

It had been calling him all along.

Njuwa took a deep breath. "If what you're saying is true… then why me? Why now?"

The figure's eyes burned brighter. "Because the world has forgotten the fire. And when the world forgets, it is destined to repeat its mistakes."

It turned slightly, gesturing toward the statue. "The Eternal Flame was once the strongest power in existence. A force of destruction… and salvation."

Njuwa swallowed. "Then why was it wiped out?"

Silence.

Then—

"Betrayal."

The word hung in the air like a curse.

Njuwa felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

The figure continued, its voice softer now. "There were those who feared the power. Who sought to claim it for themselves. They turned against their own, and the flames were extinguished."

It turned its burning gaze back to Njuwa.

"You are the last. And the fire must rise again."

The Trial of Flames

A deep rumble echoed through the chamber. The ground beneath Njuwa trembled.

The statue of the warrior shifted, its stone hand tightening around the hilt of its sword. The blue flames along the blade flared to life, casting a blinding light.

Njuwa staggered back, shielding his eyes.

The robed figure's voice was calm.

"The flames will not awaken for the unworthy. If you truly are the heir… then prove it."

The stone warrior moved.

With a sound like grinding rock, it stepped down from its pedestal. The weight of its presence pressed against Njuwa's chest, making it hard to breathe.

Then, without warning—

It attacked.

A massive swing, the burning blade cutting through the air like lightning.

Njuwa barely dodged, the heat scorching his skin. His heart pounded as he scrambled back, his mind racing.

How do you fight something that isn't alive?

The warrior struck again.

This time, Njuwa had no choice but to block. He raised his knife—

The moment the weapons met, a shockwave erupted through the chamber.

The force sent Njuwa flying, his back slamming against the stone floor.

Pain exploded through his ribs.

The warrior advanced, its burning blade raising high.

Njuwa gritted his teeth.

He had one chance.

The fire.

The power that called to him.

If he was truly the heir, then—

He reached inside himself.

And pulled.

The Fire Awakens

A sudden heat surged through his veins.

A pressure, ancient and powerful, burst from his chest.

The marks on his skin glowed, burning with the same blue fire that surrounded the warrior's sword.

The statue hesitated.

Njuwa didn't.

He moved, his knife now wreathed in blue flames. The moment he swung, the fire exploded outward, colliding with the warrior's blade.

Another shockwave tore through the chamber.

The warrior staggered.

Njuwa saw his opening.

He lunged.

His flaming knife struck deep into the statue's chest. The stone cracked, blue light spilling from the wound.

The warrior let out a soundless roar—

Then shattered.

The pieces collapsed to the ground, the flames flickering one last time before vanishing.

Silence filled the chamber.

Njuwa fell to his knees, breathing hard. His body ached, his mind still trying to process what had just happened.

The robed figure approached.

"You are the heir," it murmured.

Njuwa looked down at his hands. The flames were gone, but he could still feel them, deep in his core.

For the first time in his life, he understood.

He wasn't just a slave.

He was the last of something greater.

And the fire…

The fire belonged to him.