Aziken_Jude

A hero dies in one world… only to be forged anew in another.
When Kael throws himself in front of a speeding truck to save a stranger, he expects nothing more than death. Instead, he awakens in a brutal medieval realm—one where magic crackles through the air, kingdoms are forged by the blade, and monsters wear the faces of gods.
But Kael is no ordinary man reborn. A mysterious System now governs his soul, granting him powers that evolve with his choices and actions. His body strengthens. His senses sharpen. His path unfolds—one mission, one level, one deadly decision at a time.
Marked by a cursed relic and hunted by forces older than the stars, Kael becomes something feared and forgotten: Flameborn. With fire running through his veins and fate watching his every move, he must survive battles against corrupted knights, sorcerous cults, and entities that walk between life and death.
To master the power within, Kael must seek out the long-lost Order of Ember—and with them, the truth behind his rebirth.
But the world of steel and sorcery is merciless. And Kael is no longer just a man.
He is a spark… in a world waiting to burn.

Reborn in Steel and Sorcery: The System of the Chosen

The interior of Emberhold was deathless.

The flames lining the halls burned cold, flickering in unnatural hues: blue, violet, even black. The air tasted of soot and old blood. Symbols glowed dimly along the walls, some shifting like molten glass.

Kael followed the cloaked figure deeper into the keep, his every step echoing like a drumbeat in a tomb. His blade remained sheathed, but his hand never left the hilt.

> Warning: Soulstress Flame Detected. Unknown Mental Influence Possible.

The influence recoiled, hissing like steam, and the hooded figure turned slightly as if amused.

"You are stronger than most," the voice said. Female. Ageless. "But strength alone will not keep you from breaking."

Kael met her gaze. "Then let's get on with it."

They stopped in a chamber of black stone, where a brazier the size of a wagon wheel roared with silver fire. Around it were seven iron pillars, each etched with names—some crossed out, others glowing dimly.

> Initiating Trial: The Flamebound Heart

This test cannot be paused or abandoned.

Failure will result in soul disintegration.

A tremor shook the chamber. The silver flames rose higher, swirling around Kael until they formed a vortex. His breath caught—his system interface disappeared, replaced by silence.

Then, a new voice spoke—not mechanical. Not divine.

He was no longer in the chamber. He stood on an empty street under falling snow. A truck's headlights glared at him. And across the crosswalk stood the girl he'd pushed—a stranger.

> "Why did you throw your life away?"

A second version of himself stepped from the shadows—eyes hollow, mouth twisted in contempt.

"You weren't brave. You were stupid. She'd have lived. You just wanted to feel needed one last time."

Kael gritted his teeth. "That's not true."

Objective: Defeat the Fragment of Regret.

The clone fought with all of Kael's skills—but none of his hesitation.

Blow after blow pushed Kael to the edge. Every strike forced memories to the surface—childhood failure, bitter loss, helplessness in a world that never gave him peace.

He countered, disarmed, and finally drove his blade through the false heart of his past.

The street faded. The snow melted.

Back in the chamber, the silver fire pulsed.

The fire swirled again, becoming a battlefield. Dozens lay dead—knights, bandits, monsters. A younger Kael stood over a boy he couldn't save.

> "Revenge? Redemption? Or because you're afraid of being powerless again?"

This time, Kael knelt by the boy's side.

"I fight because I was given a second chance. And because I won't waste it. If I have to crawl through blood and ash to keep others from ending like him—then I will."

> Trial of the Flamebound Heart – Complete

Your resolve has been proven. Your soul has been marked.

Ability Gained: Soulflame Resurgence

– Once per day, rise from fatal damage with 25% HP and full flame energy.

Kael opened his eyes to find the woman watching him, her expression unreadable.

"You passed," she said softly. "Few ever do."

He was on one knee, gasping, soaked in sweat—but alive.

"Now…" she turned, her cloak trailing fire, "you begin to learn what the Ember Pact truly demands."

Chapter 13 – Trial of the Flamebound Heart