The tomb shook violently, its ancient stones groaning under the weight of the destruction. Amina barely managed to regain her footing, her arms outstretched as she steadied herself against the falling rubble. The flames around her flickered, struggling to maintain their shape as the earth trembled beneath her. The ground cracked wide open, sending jagged fissures across the floor, and the very air seemed to thicken with the power that Valec had unleashed.
No, Amina thought, her chest tight with panic. This cannot be how it ends.
She didn't have time to think about what had just happened—what Valec had said. He had been so close to breaking, to seeing the truth, to choosing something other than destruction. But now, his dark energy had surged, and it was clear that whatever control he had left was slipping away. He was becoming something else entirely.
The tomb was collapsing around her, and she had to escape. But the way out had been blocked by Valec's final act of defiance, and now, the exit was buried under tons of rubble. Panic threatened to take over, but Amina fought it back. She couldn't give in—not when she was so close.
Lumeah, her face streaked with dust, appeared by her side. Her voice was urgent, filled with fear. "Amina, we need to move. Now."
Amina didn't hesitate. With a determined breath, she reached for the flame inside her. She could feel it still burning, but the fire had grown dimmer, weaker. The flame was a part of her, but even she couldn't deny that Valec's power had taken its toll. Her connection to it was frayed, as if the very fire was being pulled in two directions.
"We can't leave him like this," Amina said, her voice firm but filled with uncertainty. "I have to stop him."
Lumeah's expression hardened. "You don't have time, Amina. If you don't get out now, we'll all be buried here. The tomb is collapsing. Valec is gone, and the flame is no longer our concern."
"No," Amina said, shaking her head. "It's never just about the flame. It's about understanding him—understanding what happened to him. If I don't confront him now, he'll destroy everything."
Lumeah grabbed her arm, her grip tight. "Listen to me. Valec is beyond saving now. He has chosen his path. And if you keep pursuing him like this, you'll be consumed by the same darkness he is."
Amina's eyes flashed with a mixture of defiance and despair. Consume me? The flame inside her pulsed, reacting to her emotions, as if sensing her inner turmoil. She had come this far. She couldn't just walk away.
But even as she reached for the fire, a voice echoed deep within her mind—a voice that was not her own.
You cannot save what is already lost, Amina.
Amina froze, the voice familiar and yet not. The words carried weight, ancient and full of sorrow. And as they settled into her thoughts, the flames around her flickered one last time before dimming completely.
For a brief moment, everything went silent. The tremors stopped, the rumbling ceased, and the air felt still, like a breath held in the void.
Amina's heart raced in her chest. She looked to Lumeah, whose face had gone pale. "That… that voice. Do you hear it?"
Lumeah shook her head slowly. "There's no one else here, Amina. Only you."
Amina's mind spun. She knew she hadn't imagined it. That voice—had it been Amariel's? Or something else entirely? The flame had spoken to her before, guiding her, but this… this felt different. It was a warning. A warning she couldn't ignore.
"You have to go," Lumeah said, her voice insistent. "Now, before it's too late."
Amina opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, the ground beneath her cracked open with a deafening roar. The walls of the tomb crumbled, and the ceiling above them began to cave in. The force was overwhelming. Stones and rubble cascaded down in a deadly rain.
Amina and Lumeah were both thrown off their feet, landing hard against the cracked stone floor. Pain shot through Amina's side, but she forced herself to stand, her eyes scanning for a way out.
The tomb was coming apart at the seams.
And then, she saw it.
Through the growing chaos, a sliver of light—the faintest glimmer of an exit—appeared in the distance. It was small, almost hidden, but it was enough. There was a way out.
Without another word, Amina grabbed Lumeah's arm and pulled her toward the light. But as they stumbled forward, the air grew thick with heat. The temperature in the tomb was rising rapidly, as if the flames that had once been contained within the walls were now bursting free.
Amina's heart skipped a beat. Valec… he's still here. This isn't over.
The light ahead grew brighter, the path clearer, but as they neared it, the ground beneath them split wide open. Dark tendrils of shadow rose from the fissures, snaking up around them like a living thing. Amina's blood ran cold as the tendrils reached for her, each one seething with a heat that threatened to pull her back into the heart of the collapsing tomb.
"No!" Amina screamed, summoning the last of her strength to push forward. Her flames flickered, struggling to ignite, but they were weak—so weak. The power was still there, but it wasn't enough.
A whisper echoed in the back of her mind.
This is your final choice, Amina. The flame can save you. But it may destroy him. And in doing so, it will destroy you, too.
Amina's breath caught in her throat. She understood what the voice meant now.
It wasn't just about stopping Valec. It was about who she was willing to become in the process.
And that, perhaps, was the real test.