Episode 16
Dawn broke over the Hollow Expanse like a bruised wound—pale light bleeding through ash-filled skies. Kael, Lira, and Taron stood at the edge of the crumbling ridge, staring down into a vast valley of glass.
It shimmered—unnaturally smooth, as though fire had once carved it into mirror.
"Is this…?" Lira asked.
Taron nodded slowly. "The Scorchmirror. The heart of the ancient flamequake."
Kael took a breath. The air was dry, dead. No magic stirred here. No ley lines hummed beneath his boots. But something deeper pulsed—a quiet power, older than the Flameborn themselves.
"We cross it," he said.
---
Whispers in the Mirror
As they descended into the Scorchmirror, their reflections followed them—distorted in the glass, faces warped, expressions twisted.
Kael's reflection smiled when he did not.
Lira's reflection wept silently, even as she laughed at one of Taron's jokes.
Taron's didn't move at all.
They reached the center by midday. A lone obelisk stood there, blackened but intact. Symbols glowed faintly on its surface, ancient script none of them could read.
Kael placed his palm on the stone.
A cold voice entered his mind.
> "The Flame sleeps in blood. Wake it, and the world burns anew."
Kael's hand recoiled. The obelisk went dark.
"Something was sealed here," he whispered. "Something powerful."
Lira knelt beside the base, brushing away ash.
She uncovered bones.
Tiny bones. Dozens.
"Children," she said, voice shaking. "They sealed it with sacrifice."
---
Ashrial's First Gate
By nightfall, they reached a jagged stone wall—once a mountain, now broken in half. And within it… a door.
Ancient.
Circular.
Made entirely of black fireglass, with runes surrounding the rim.
"The Gate of Ashrial," Taron breathed. "It's real."
Kael stepped forward. The runes ignited as he approached, one by one. Fireless. Cold light.
Then—nothing.
The gate remained sealed.
"It's waiting," Lira said.
"For what?" Kael asked.
Taron studied the markings. "Not a 'what'. A who."
---
Meanwhile: Within the Ember Sanctum
High atop the Flameborn capital, Elder Vara watched the Vision Pool ripple.
She saw the gate.
She saw Kael.
And she saw something else—a shadow stirring beyond the veil of flame.
"The gate opens," she said.
Master Relth appeared beside her. "Shall I send the Blades?"
"No," Vara replied. "Let them open it. Let them awaken it."
She smiled.
"Then we strike."
---
The Shadow Wakes
Back at the gate, Kael sat in silent meditation, remembering the obelisk's warning.
"The flame sleeps in blood."
He rose.
Drew his blade.
And without hesitation, cut his palm.
Blood fell on the runes.
They ignited—blinding white light surged through the stone. The gate trembled… and began to spin.
Slowly. Heavily.
Then it opened.
And behind it… was nothing.
No walls. No passage.
Just endless darkness.
A void.
And a voice.
> "At last. The bearer returns."
Kael stepped forward.
And was swallowed.
---
Inside the Gate
He fell.
But not through space—through memory.
He saw fire raining from a black sky.
He saw a girl with golden eyes scream as soldiers dragged her away.
He saw the first Flameborn, bound by chains of light, cast into the void by those they called kin.
Then, a tower of ash.
A throne.
And a sleeping body upon it.
"You must wake her," the voice whispered.
"Or all will burn again."
Kael opened his eyes.
He stood in a city of glass towers and flame-wrought bridges—Ashrial.
But it was empty.
Abandoned.
Dead.
Yet the embers still glowed.
---
Lira's Discovery
Outside the gate, Lira screamed Kael's name, banging her fists against the now-sealed circle.
"It's closed!" she cried.
Taron stood beside her, eyes wide. "He went alone."
"No," Lira said. "I'm going after him."
She pulled a dagger and cut her own hand, pressing her blood to the stone.
Nothing.
No reaction.
Taron grabbed her shoulder. "Lira—look."
From the surrounding cliffs, shadows moved.
Whisper Sisters.
Six of them this time.
"They found us," he said grimly.
Lira stood, eyes blazing.
"Then we fight."
---
Battle at the Gate
The Whisper Sisters descended with eerie silence, blades gleaming, faces masked.
Taron unleashed steel—not magic—and fought like a man possessed.
Lira moved through the battlefield like a flame—fast, furious, deadly.
But they were outnumbered.
Then—the gate glowed.
And from it, fire exploded.
Kael emerged.
But not the same.
His eyes burned gold.
His veins glowed like magma.
And in his hand, he held a new sword—black, jagged, alive with flame.
The Whisper Sisters backed away.
Kael raised the sword.
And the world around them burned white.
Dear Readers,
First of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my stories. I put in a lot of hard work and effort to bring you exciting and memorable content. However, lately, I've noticed that the response has been quite low—very few likes, comments, or story collections.
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If I don't see any support, I may have to consider stopping the stories, as it's disheartening not to receive appreciation for the hard work we put into writing.
Thank you for understanding.