Night fell heavily on the Black Forest, as the last black flames left by Nazar's retreat faded, leaving behind the scent of ash and iron.
But far away, in a cellar deep beneath a dark mountain, the secret council of hunters met.
The vast room was lit by dim oil lamps, their light casting dancing shadows across walls lined with fiery carvings and iron chains.
Seven men sat around a circular black table, their faces covered by silver masks, except for their eyes, which glowed a faint red.
In the center stood Nazar, his injured arm wrapped in a black bandage, his eyes burning with anger and shame.
"You're defeated?"
A large man growled, pounding the table with his fist, sending the ground shaking.
Nizar raised his head, his eyes shining.
"It wasn't a complete defeat... They only recovered a portion of the fire, and the contract was still attached to it."
"But you failed to kill the Heir of the Wind," a woman said in a cold voice, playing with a black iron ring in her hand. "You could have crushed it before it could grow strong."
Nizar remained silent for a moment, before responding in a low but angry voice:
"He's not just an Heir... He merged the wind with the fire, and broke the Shadow Dragon."
A moment of silence fell within the council before a short man with a mask bearing a golden line said:
"And that means it's time to use the next move."
The red symbols on the table suddenly lit up, forming a magic circle. At the center appeared the flaming image of Eren and Leylin's faces, golden flames and violet wind swirling around them.
The short man said,
"The union of the golden fire with the winds means the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy... This is what we feared."
"The prophecy... That says that fire will be freed from the shadows, and the winds will be free, starting a world war."
The woman said quietly, her voice filled with hidden terror.
The large man raised his head.
"It doesn't matter... We will prevent it at all costs."
Nazar approached the table and said, his eyes shining with hatred.
"Give me permission to use the Black Ashes."
The woman holding the ring shook.
"You understand what that means... You will free the spirits of the ancient shadows."
Nazar shook his head.
"Without that, these heirs will become a threat to all our plans."
There was a moment of silence before the man in the golden mask nodded.
"We agree... You will lead the release of the Black Ashes, but remember... if you fail this time, you will no longer have a place among us."
Nizar smiled darkly behind his mask.
"I won't fail this time."
He reached out and opened a small black bag. Inside was dusty black ash, pulsing with a faint red light.
"With these ash... I will turn their golden flames into shadows, and break their winds forever."
At that moment, the shadows in the room began to shake, and shadowy figures emerged from the black smoke on the walls, whispering in ancient voices:
"Free us... Feed us their souls..."
Nizar slowly closed the bag, his voice dripping with menace:
"The next stage has begun, Heir of the Winds... Princess of Fire... I will pursue you both until your very last breath."
Outside the vault, the winds rose above the mountains, while below, the shadows laughed inaudibly, announcing that the battle between Shadows and Fire was nearing its climax.