The ride back to Ember Hollow was silent but heavy with revelation. Ash clung to Kael's cloak like shadowy threads of the past refusing to let go. The whisper-stone pulsed gently in his pouch, Nyra's last message still echoing in his head:
"You're not alone, Kael. Come home. We have much to discuss."
But home didn't feel the same anymore.
Not after witnessing a world fall in flame.
Elara rode beside him, her expression unreadable. She hadn't spoken much since they left the ruins—though Kael knew her silence wasn't emptiness, but containment. She was processing everything the same way he was.
"Do you think Nyra knows?" he asked finally, breaking the quiet.
"About the memory? Or the phoenix queen?" Elara responded.
"Both."
Elara's fingers tightened on the reins. "If she does, then she's been hiding more than just strategy."
Kael nodded grimly. The idea of betrayal stirred uneasily in his gut. He didn't want to distrust Nyra—she'd trained him, protected him—but the flame didn't lie.
And the past never stayed buried.
---
They arrived at Ember Hollow by dusk. The hidden village nestled into the cliffs had always felt like a haven, but tonight, it looked like kindling.
Kael couldn't help imagining what would happen if the dark army ever found them.
If they came like they did before.
Merek met them at the gate, his face creased with relief. "Thank the flame. You both made it."
Kael dismounted quickly. "Where's Nyra?"
"In the council chamber. Waiting."
---
Nyra stood before the old ember map when they entered, flames tracing the outline of the continent like veins. She turned slowly, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You saw it," she said without preamble.
Kael met her gaze. "The phoenix queen. Her fall. The betrayal."
"And the flame's memory lives in you," she said, almost to herself.
"You knew," Kael accused. "You knew what I'd find."
Nyra didn't deny it. "I suspected. But confirmation changes things."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because memory and truth are not the same," she said sharply. "Because if I had told you, you would've chased ghosts instead of forging your own path."
Kael stepped forward, fire rising around his boots in ripples. "They aren't ghosts. They're warnings. If the last flame fell because of betrayal, then we need to know who and why."
Nyra stared at him, a flicker of something strange—fear? regret?—passing through her eyes. "Do you know the betrayer's name?"
Kael hesitated. "No. But he looked like me."
Silence fell.
"I believe the flame has chosen you for a reason," Nyra said finally. "But not to dwell in what was. You're meant to finish what they couldn't."
---
Later that night, Kael stood at the balcony of the main tower, staring at the vast expanse beyond Ember Hollow. The stars above blinked faintly, as though too tired to shine fully.
Elara joined him, wrapping her cloak tighter.
"She's hiding something," Kael said softly.
"She's hiding everything," Elara replied.
Kael turned to her, fire reflecting in his eyes. "Then it's time we stop waiting for answers."
"What are you thinking?"
"I want to find the others," he said. "Other flamebearers—if they still exist. Others who might remember. Others who weren't broken by the Court."
Elara gave him a look. "That's a warpath."
"It's a reclamation."
A long pause. Then, she nodded. "Then I'm with you. Always."
Kael smiled faintly. "Even if I burn?"
"I'll burn with you."
And in the stillness between them, something more than fire stirred—something fragile, warm, and real.