Episode 4
Kael floated.
There was no ground, no sky, only endless black laced with sparks of gold. His body felt weightless, yet heavy with pain. Memories spun around him — his mother's voice, Seren's fire, Lira's eyes filled with fear.
And the Seer.
The explosion of flame and void had shattered the world around him. Had he survived?
A voice echoed, ancient and warm.
"You are not ready… but you are chosen."
Kael opened his eyes.
---
He gasped, coughing ash from his lungs. The scent of scorched earth filled his nose. Around him, the forest lay in ruin — trees blackened, the sky choked with smoke. The ground where he'd stood was now a crater, still glowing faintly.
And in its center, Kael knelt.
Alive.
Barely.
His cloak had been incinerated. The pendant around his neck was cracked, pulsing with weak embers. His fingertips were blackened, his veins glowing faintly beneath the skin.
The Seer was gone — no body, no trace. Only silence.
Kael stumbled to his feet, vision blurred. The world swayed, but he kept walking.
"Lira…?"
No answer.
Only wind, whispering like a thousand voices.
He followed the path they had taken, limping, his strength draining by the step.
---
Hours passed — or maybe days. Time bent strangely in this forest now.
Just when he was ready to collapse, a hand caught him.
Lira.
"Kael!" she cried, pulling him into a tight embrace. "You're alive!"
He sagged into her arms. "Barely."
Others emerged from behind the trees — the man with the metal arm, the tattooed woman, and two younger scouts. All looked shocked to see him.
"How… how did you survive?" the old man asked.
Kael shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't stop it… I became it."
The woman stepped forward, awe in her eyes. "You channeled the Core Flame."
"The what?"
She knelt beside him. "A divine spark left by the last gods. It's said only one born in fire and sacrifice could touch it without being consumed."
"I didn't mean to—"
"That's what makes it real," she whispered.
---
They moved quickly after that.
The forest was no longer safe. Strange shadows lingered on the edge of vision. Voices called in the night, tempting and cruel. Even the air felt heavier — as if the forest itself grieved.
By the time they reached Emberhollow, Kael had fainted twice.
Emberhollow was a hidden village deep beneath the mountains, carved into glowing stone and lit with eternal flame. Ancient runes pulsed in the walls. The people here were different — wary but hopeful. Some had fire in their eyes. Others carried scars from battles lost long ago.
Lira led Kael to the Temple of Cinders — the heart of the village.
There, a woman waited.
Tall, robed in flame-colored silk, her eyes burning gold. Her presence was both calming and terrifying.
"You've brought him," she said.
Lira bowed. "He survived the Seer. He touched the Core Flame."
The woman studied Kael. "And yet he stands."
"I… don't know what's happening to me," he admitted.
"You are awakening," she said. "And with you, so is Eltherion."
---
That night, Kael lay in a chamber carved from crystal. Runes glowed faintly above, casting warm light. He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the Seer's violet gaze… and heard that voice.
You are not ready.
A knock came.
Lira stepped in, carrying a small bundle. "Thought you could use clothes. You smell like roasted goat."
He smiled weakly. "Thanks."
She sat beside him. "I've seen people try to fight the Seers before. None came back."
"I didn't fight it," he said. "I just… burned."
"Even more reason to be afraid of you."
He looked at her. "Are you?"
Lira hesitated. "No. I think… I think I was waiting for you."
Kael didn't know what to say.
She stood. "Rest. Tomorrow, you begin training. The Circle won't stop. Neither can we."
As she left, Kael whispered to himself, "Neither can I."
Outside, deep beneath the earth, the Sword of Elarion stirred in its stone cradle — a faint hum, as if recognizing the return of its heir.
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