The chamber shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling. Flames flickered across the walls.
The Shadowbound warrior raised his black blade, his armor groaning with age and power.
Leon stood at the center, fire swirling around him.
Astha took her place at his side, light glowing at her fingertips.
"Ready?" she whispered.
Leon's voice was steady. "Let's end this."
⚔️ The Clash Begins
The Shadowbound moved like lightning.
His sword came down with a roar—Leon blocked it with a flaming barrier, but the impact threw him backward.
Astha leapt in front of the second strike. "Mirror Light: Reflect!"
A blast of silver light struck the warrior in the chest. He staggered but didn't fall.
"You're both children," he growled. "Unworthy of the fire you hold."
Leon stood again, breathing hard. "We're stronger than you think."
He charged.
His fists blazed with fire as he struck the armored warrior. Sparks flew. Metal bent. But it wasn't enough.
The Shadowbound grabbed Leon by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
Astha cried out, "Let him go!"
✨ Astha's Light Unleashed
She drew a circle of runes in the air.
"Radiant Mark: Chains of Dawn!"
Golden chains shot out and wrapped around the Shadowbound's arms.
He hissed in rage and let Leon go.
Leon gasped, falling to his knees.
Astha ran to him. "You okay?"
He nodded slowly. "Not for long."
The warrior broke free from the chains with a burst of dark magic.
The room darkened, shadows curling at his feet.
"You cannot stop what has already begun," he said. "The Flameblood line ends here."
🔥 Leon Awakens
The fire mark on Leon's hand glowed brighter than ever before—blinding red, hot like the sun.
His chest burned. His veins felt like rivers of lava.
A voice echoed in his mind again.
"Unleash it."
"Burn the shadow."
Leon stood. Fire lifted off his body like wings.
Astha stepped back, eyes wide. "Leon... what are you doing?"
He looked at her, calm in the center of the storm.
"What I was born to."
He raised his hands.
"Flameblood Rite: Crimson Wrath!"
A ring of fire exploded from his body—pure, ancient fire.
It slammed into the Shadowbound, burning through his armor, searing through the darkness.
The warrior screamed.
"No! This power was lost—forgotten!"
Leon stepped forward, fists blazing. "Not anymore."
He punched the ground.
Fire rose like a dragon, engulfing the Shadowbound entirely.
The chamber filled with light.
🧱 Silence After the Flame
When it ended, the Shadowbound's armor lay in pieces.
Smoke curled from the ground.
Leon fell to his knees, exhausted. The flame mark on his hand faded to a soft glow.
Astha rushed to him, catching him before he fell.
"You did it," she whispered.
"No," Leon said with a weak smile. "We did."
🌌 But Far Away...
In the throne room of shadows, a dozen other dark figures stood in a circle.
The flame had been seen.
And the Shadowbound's defeat… had awoken them.
One stepped forward, draped in red robes, his face hidden.
"The boy has power.Now it's our turn."