EPISODE 20: THE TEST OF THE ETERNAL FLAMES

The heat intensified with each passing second. Luiz Fernando felt the air vibrate around him as Ranke's flames grew, forming a circle of fire around him. The rocks beneath his feet glowed red, nearly melting from the intensity of the challenge ahead.

Ranke raised his flaming axe and pointed it at Luiz.

— Fire is relentless, Blue Guardian. It knows no mercy, it does not retreat before weakness. If you are not ready to be consumed, you will be reduced to ashes.

Luiz did not respond. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment and felt the power within him. The Core of the Universe pulsed in his chest, and the elements he had already awakened began to react. The water of Lythar, the life of Lilia… all of it was now inside him. But fire was still missing.

Ranke smiled, noticing the determination in Luiz's eyes.

— Then burn.

In an instant, Ranke spun his axe through the air, creating a cyclone of fire that surged toward Luiz with devastating force. The flames roared like a hungry dragon, consuming everything in their path.

But Luiz did not move.

He felt the energy of fire, its fury, its need to consume and transform. Instead of resisting, he accepted the flames, allowing them to envelop him. His medallion shone intensely, and for a moment, his body seemed to disappear within the storm of fire.

Lythar and Lilia watched with apprehension. Neither of them could intervene. This was Luiz Fernando's ultimate test.

Within the flames, Luiz felt his skin burn, his body protest against the suffocating heat. But instead of fighting the fire, he became one with it. He understood its essence—fire was destruction, but also rebirth. It was the flame that purified, that paved the way for the new.

His medallion shone even brighter, and then…

The fire around him began to change.

The once wild flames now flowed around him like a protective mantle, dancing at his command. He was not being consumed. He was mastering the fire.

Ranke watched in surprise and admiration.

— You… you understand.

The flames began to dissipate, revealing Luiz unharmed, surrounded by a brilliant blue aura, with tiny fire fragments dancing like falling stars.

He raised his hand, and a bluish flame emerged at his fingertips. Now, fire was part of him too.

Ranke smiled, lowering his axe.

— I accept my place at your side, Blue Guardian. The fire is yours now as well.

Luiz's medallion shone one last time, and he felt his power grow even stronger. Now, with fire by his side, he was closer to his true potential.

But he knew… the challenge was only beginning. There were still more Guardians to awaken. And the darkness… was drawing ever closer.

TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 21...