The First flame

Location: The Eternal Realm – Beyond Time and Form

The space around Eli shimmered like liquid starlight. Shapes tried to form—castles in the air, visions of battles yet to come, shadows of the past screaming through the void—but they melted before they could solidify.

Before him stood the woman who called herself the First Flame.

She was neither old nor young. Her presence echoed across lifetimes, her voice sounding like a lullaby and a war cry all at once.

"You carry the mark of the Flame," she said gently, reaching out her hand. "But do you even know what it means?"

Eli's silver eyes studied her. "I've always felt different. But this… this power inside me—it's like something ancient is trying to take over."

She smiled. "Because it is. You are the last living vessel of the Flameborn, a bloodline nearly erased from existence."

"Why me?"

"Because your soul chose this path long before your body took its first breath. And now, Eli Kane… you must make a choice."

The darkness beyond the realm pulsed.

Flashes appeared—Dominion fleets mobilizing, ancient scrolls unraveling in forgotten temples, high-ranking officials panicking as weather patterns defied science. The world was reacting to Eli's awakening.

"You can return and watch everything you love burn," the First Flame whispered, "or you can become what you were always meant to be—a light that reignites the world."

Eli stepped forward, uncertain but resolute. "What do I need to do?"

She raised her hand and from her palm rose a glowing ember. "Accept the First Flame. Let it consume your fear. Let it fuel your truth."

He hesitated—then reached out.

The moment his fingers touched the ember, a surge of unimaginable energy rushed through him. His memories, his pain, his victories and failures—all burned brightly in his mind.

His eyes widened as visions crashed into his consciousness: his mother holding him as a baby, his father weeping in silence, Nora collapsing in a pool of blood, soldiers marching in his name, and an empty throne carved in fire.

Then silence.

---

Location: Kane Tower – Command Room

Back in the real world, alarms were blaring. Energy spikes were off the charts.

Linda's hands shook as she read the readings. "Sir… this power signature... It's planetary. He's not just drawing from himself anymore."

Victor turned from the window, his voice raw. "He's connecting with the source."

Peter Musyoki narrowed his eyes. "Which means...?"

"He's becoming unstoppable," Victor said softly. "Or uncontrollable."

---

Location: Eternal Realm – Final Flame Convergence

Eli floated now, wrapped in a cocoon of fire and light. The First Flame faded into embers around him, her voice echoing one last time:

"The world doesn't need a savior. It needs a spark."

Suddenly, Eli's eyes opened—fully awakened. His aura blazed like a newborn sun. When he spoke, his voice rang with layered tones—past, present, and future merging in a single breath.

"I understand now. The war isn't just coming. I am the war."

The realm shattered.

---

Location: Kane Tower Rooftop – One Second Later

A column of white fire exploded from the rooftop. All of New Tavara saw it.

People screamed. Others fell to their knees in awe.

From the heart of that explosion, a figure emerged—burning, reborn.

Eli Kane had returned.

But he was no longer just a boy.

He was the First Flame.