The forest behind them was silent.
Ahead, the ruin waited.
Leon and Astha stood before a crumbled stone archway. It was covered in vines, moss, and time. But something ancient pulsed beneath it—a warm, steady rhythm.
Like a heart still beating underground.
Astha knelt by a broken pillar. She brushed away dirt and revealed a faint symbol beneath.
The same mark as the one glowing on Leon's palm.
"This is it," she said. "The origin of your bloodline."
Leon stepped forward, heart racing. "Let's go."
🔻 Descent into the Past
They entered the ruin, torches glowing in their hands.
The air grew hot as they walked deeper underground.
The stone walls were covered in carvings—images of fire, war, and winged warriors made of flame.
Leon paused before one large mural.
It showed five figures surrounded by fire, fighting back armies of darkness.
Above them: a glowing flame in the sky.
Below them: one stood alone, flames rising from his body.
"The Last Flameblood…" Astha whispered. "That's you."
Leon stared at the figure. He didn't feel like a hero. He barely felt in control. But something in the mural… understood him.
🧱 The Sealed Door
At the deepest chamber, they found it.
A massive stone door, covered in glowing red runes. In its center: the flame mark.
Leon stepped closer.
The mark on his hand burned to life.
"Wait—" Astha said, but it was too late.
Leon placed his palm on the door.
BOOM.
The ground shook. The runes flared. The door opened slowly with a deep, ancient groan.
Inside was a wide chamber—round, hollow, and glowing with firelight.
At its center floated a crystal flame—burning, but not consuming. It pulsed like it was… alive.
🔥 The Flame Speaks
Leon stepped inside.
As he neared the flame, it reacted. It rose higher, brighter.
And then—a voice echoed in his mind.
"Flameblood… chosen… awakened."
He staggered back. "Did you hear that?"
Astha shook her head. "No. What did it say?"
Before he could answer, the flame shattered.
A blast of fire hit Leon directly in the chest—not burning, but sinking inside.
His eyes flared red. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
Visions flooded his mind:— A city burning.— A girl screaming.— A great war… and a betrayal.
⚠️ A New Enemy Rises
Suddenly, the walls trembled.
A dark portal opened behind them.
From it stepped a tall figure, dressed in ancient armor. His face was hidden beneath a broken black helmet.
Astha gasped. "That's… not a Wraith. That's something worse."
The figure's voice was cold as death.
"So. The Flameblood lives. I thought we wiped out your kind."
Leon stood, barely stable, fire still flickering in his veins.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
The figure drew a long, dark blade.
"I am the Shadowbound.First of the cursed kings.And I've come to finish what your ancestors failed to stop."
💥 The Battle Begins
Astha stepped beside Leon.
"Can you fight?" she asked.
Leon's eyes glowed. His voice was quiet, but steady.
"I think… this time… the fire chooses me."
The chamber shook.
Light met shadow.
And the past began to burn.