Bloodlines of the Healer

Location: Tavara – Victor's Private War Room, Kane Tower

Victor stood over the holographic map projected across his command table. Points of interest blinked red—Storm Cliff, the Northern Isles, the sealed vault in Bravane Desert. They weren't random. They were connected, and all led back to one woman.

"Nora," he whispered, his voice heavy.

Eli crossed his arms. "The prophecy wasn't about a weapon… it's about her bloodline."

Victor nodded. "We were searching for artifacts, but the real trigger… is alive."

Eli hesitated before saying, "What are you going to do when the world finds out who she really is?"

Victor's jaw tightened. "Protect her. Even if I have to burn Tavara down to do it."

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Location: Storm Cliff, Hidden Cavern Beneath the Rift

Nora descended into the glowing cavern that had opened when she touched the box. The walls pulsed with energy. As she reached the heart of the chamber, she saw it—an altar bearing a carved symbol identical to the mark on her left shoulder. The one she'd always thought was a birthmark.

Peter, climbing down after her, froze. "That's… impossible."

On the altar, inscriptions told a tale of a healer born once every thousand years, carrying the essence of the First Flame—an ancient energy force powerful enough to restore life… or destroy it.

And in the center of the altar: a second box, more ornate, and sealed with Nora's exact fingerprint carved into the metal.

Peter stared. "Your family never told you?"

"My mother died before she could. And my father… I never knew him."

Peter stepped back. "Nora… you're not just a healer. You're the source."

---

Location: Silent Order Council Chambers

The Elders convened in panic. The youngest of them, a silver-haired woman named Ysra, slammed her fist.

"She has awakened the Flame Seal. The prophecy has begun."

One of the older men said gravely, "Her bloodline was supposed to remain hidden for another generation."

"The Kane boy will not let her go," another muttered. "His obsession will doom us all."

Ysra rose. "Then he must be stopped. And the girl… silenced. Before she fully unlocks the Flame."

---

Location: Private Jet, En Route to Storm Cliff

Victor sat in silence, gripping the hilt of an ancient dagger passed down from his grandfather—one etched with the same sigil from Nora's box. Fate had woven their destinies long before they ever met.

His eyes burned with resolve. "They'll come for her now. But they'll have to go through me first."

---

Location: Cavern Below Storm Cliff

The box opened with a whisper, not a sound. Light streamed upward, forming symbols in the air around Nora, spinning faster until they merged into her chest.

She gasped, her body glowing faintly. Visions flooded her mind—flashes of her mother, cloaked figures, a battlefield soaked in blood and fire.

Peter steadied her. "What did you see?"

Her voice trembled. "The future. And I'm at the center of it… with Victor."

The light faded. The box was empty now, its power sealed inside her.

And the ground trembled again.

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Location: Unknown – Deep in Tavara's mountains

A lone figure in robes stirred from meditation.

"The Flame has returned," he murmured, rising slowly. "Then war… is inevitable."

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