The vault was silent.
Dust floated in the air, lit by the soft red glow of Leon's hand. Shelves lined the walls, filled with broken scrolls, faded banners, and weapons older than memory.
But at the very center… sat a single book.
It was thick. Bound in cracked black iron. Sealed shut with four glowing chains.
A title was etched into the cover in ancient flame-tongue:
"Ashara: The Flameblood War Chronicle."
Astha stepped back. "That book is locked with blood magic. We can't open it unless…"
Leon placed his palm on the cover.
The chains reacted.
They melted away.
Click.
The book opened.
📜 The Truth Revealed
The pages inside were written in a glowing red ink—still burning after hundreds of years.
Leon read aloud:
"In the age of fire, five noble houses bore the Flameblood.Each guarded a different flame—the Ember of Sight, the Blaze of War, the Hearth of Healing, the Wildfire, and the Crimson Core."
Astha leaned in. "Five houses?"
Leon turned the page.
Drawings appeared—five emblems, each shaped differently. One of them… matched the mark on Leon's hand.
"The Crimson Core," he said. "That's me."
Then, the next line chilled them both:
"The Crimson betrayed the others."
Leon froze. "What?"
Astha read ahead. "One of the Flameblood lords—your ancestor—turned against the other houses. He tried to steal all five flames."
The page told of a terrible battle.
A Flameblood civil war. Entire cities burned. The Flamebloods destroyed each other from within.
*"To stop him," Leon read, "the remaining four houses sealed the Crimson Core beneath the earth… swearing never to speak its name again."
💔 The Weight of Blood
Leon sat back, breath caught in his chest.
"All this time… I thought my magic made me chosen."
Astha looked at him gently. "It does. But it also makes you feared."
Leon clenched his fists. "My power comes from betrayal. From destruction."
Astha touched his shoulder. "But you're not your ancestor. You've already saved lives with this power. That book explains where you came from… not who you are."
He looked down at the flame mark on his hand. It flickered… quieter now. Sadder.
📖 A Final Warning
The last page in the book was newer—written later, with a rushed hand.
"If the Crimson Flame awakens again… the Shadowbound will rise to finish what the war began."
"One flame. One heart. One final choice."
Beneath it, a symbol neither of them had seen before: two overlapping flames—one red, one black.
Leon whispered, "This wasn't just about power. It was about survival."
Astha looked up. "And it's happening again."
🔥 The Fire Watches
As they closed the book, a pulse of magic echoed through the vault. Something ancient… had been disturbed.
In the distance, beyond the mountains and sea, shadowy eyes opened.
And far below the academy, in the deepest forgotten halls…something began to wake up.