Episode 6
Kael's sleep was fleeting. The embers of the Trial Flame still flickered in his memory, and the rune branded into his skin pulsed with an inner heat. Dawn had not yet broken over Emberhollow, but he was summoned again—this time by Lira, who stood at his doorway like a wraith in the dim orange glow of the runestones.
"Come," she said. "You're to descend into the Vaults."
Kael blinked groggily. "I just survived a fire that nearly cooked my soul, and now you want to toss me in a dungeon?"
She arched a brow. "It's not a dungeon. It's a place of memory… and warning."
They descended a narrow staircase carved into the heart of the mountain. Lava veins ran along the walls like molten rivers, bathing everything in a bloody light. As they walked, Lira explained.
"The Whispering Vaults house the memories of every Flamebearer who came before you. Each bearer's spirit leaves behind echoes. You must face them—and their regrets."
Kael's mouth went dry. "I don't like the sound of that."
"It's not about liking. It's about surviving."
The corridor ended at a stone door covered in silver and black symbols. Lira pressed both palms to it and whispered in a language Kael didn't understand. The door groaned open, revealing a vast chamber, circular and dark, lit only by suspended crystals glowing softly.
The moment Kael stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him.
"Great," he muttered. "Very encouraging."
Suddenly, the crystals flickered. Then they flared.
Whispers.
Thousands of voices echoed all at once—some crying, others shouting, others laughing with a madness that chilled his spine.
Then came the first vision.
A ghostly figure stepped from the shadows—a boy, no older than Kael, with fire in his eyes and ash on his hands.
"I was the first," the boy said. "I thought the Flame made me invincible. I was wrong."
Kael watched, frozen, as the boy relived his final battle—unleashing fire uncontrollably, watching it consume friend and foe alike.
The vision vanished.
Another figure appeared. This one was older—a woman with white hair and scars crisscrossing her arms.
"I tried to burn away the darkness," she whispered. "But some shadows live inside us."
Each vision came with a lesson—and a warning.
A brute of a man who used flame to take revenge and was consumed by guilt.
A girl who fell in love with a shadowmancer and lost her flame trying to save him.
A pair of twins, one light, one fire, torn apart by prophecy.
The vaults weren't just a test of strength. They were a mirror. Each bearer showed Kael a different path he could walk—and each ended in ruin unless he learned control.
Finally, the last figure appeared.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
It was his father.
Auren Valis stood tall, wrapped in flame-forged armor, eyes glowing with power—but there was sorrow in his gaze.
"Kael," the apparition said, stepping forward. "You've awakened the Flame. You bear our legacy. But legacy is a double-edged sword."
Kael stepped closer. "Why did you leave us?"
"I tried to protect you. From the prophecy. From the Circle. From me."
Tears burned Kael's eyes.
"You could've trained me. Taught me. You left Mom alone."
"I failed," Auren admitted. "But you don't have to. The Flame lives through you now. And with it… Eltherion's last hope."
Kael looked down at his hands. "I don't even know what that means."
"You will."
The vision faded. The vault grew silent.
The rune on Kael's arm pulsed—and all at once, the room surged with power. The crystals overhead cracked and reformed, each glowing brighter than before. The whispers ceased.
Then came a voice Kael hadn't heard before. It seemed to rise from the stone itself.
"You are chosen. Flamebearer. Heir of Valis. Rise."
Light engulfed him. Heat surged through his veins, but this time it didn't burn—it sang. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the Circle of Embers again, surrounded by the elders.
Lira stood beside Solenya. "He made it out."
"Not just made it," Solenya said, awe in her voice. "He tamed the Vault."
Kael staggered forward. "What… what now?"
Solenya stepped down from the dais. "Now you begin your real training. And if you survive that… you'll reclaim the Tower."
Kael frowned. "The Tower from my visions?"
"The Tower of Vorthal. Once the heart of Eltherion. Now a den of shadows. It holds what was lost—and what must be found."
"And what is that?"
Solenya met his eyes. "The Flame Crown. The true source of the power you now hold."
Kael stood taller, the rune on his arm glowing. His doubts still lingered, but something within had shifted.
The boy from Nowhere was gone.
And the Flamebearer had risen.
---
Outside, Emberhollow's bell chimed once again, marking the first hour of dawn.
The war had not yet begun.
But its first warrior had been forged.
"Your likes and comments mean the world to us! They cost you nothing but give us the encouragement we need to keep writing. Let us know you're enjoying the story!"