The road ahead was long.
Ravenhart Academy faded into the mist behind them, its towers barely visible through the early morning fog. Leon tightened the strap on his cloak. The air was colder now—sharper.
A storm was coming.
Astha walked beside him, map in one hand, her light sigil softly glowing on the other.
"The Flameblood of the Ember Sight clan was said to live in the Northern Peaks," she said."If any of the houses survived, they would've gone into hiding—far from cities."
Leon nodded. "Then we start with the mountains."
🏞 The Journey Begins
They traveled through whispering forests, over shallow rivers, and into valleys shadowed by towering peaks. The wind howled like wolves in the distance.
At night, they camped near old stones covered in moss—ruins of a time when the Flamebloods were still kings.
Leon often stared into the fire.
The power in him was growing. Calmer now—but deeper. Stronger.
Sometimes it whispered.
"Burn brighter… they will fear you… all of them."
But each time, Astha's voice brought him back.
"Don't lose yourself," she would say. "You're not a weapon. You're a person."
And every time, Leon chose to listen.
❄️ Danger in the Snow
On the fifth day, they reached the mountain trail.
Snow fell gently, covering their footprints almost as soon as they were made. The air here tasted like magic—ancient and wild.
Then Leon stopped.
Something moved ahead.
A shadow, tall and limping, dragging something behind it.
"Get behind me," Leon whispered.
But before they could hide, the creature turned.
It had once been human.
Now, it was covered in frost, eyes glowing blue, skin cracked like ice.
Astha gasped. "A Frostbound."
"I thought they were myths," Leon said.
"They're real," Astha replied. "And they serve… the Shadowbound."
The creature screeched and charged.
⚔️ Fire vs Ice
Leon raised his hand.
"Flameblood Surge!"
Fire roared from his palm—but the Frostbound absorbed some of the heat. Its body sizzled but didn't stop.
Astha sent a beam of light toward its chest. "Sigil Flash: Prism Bolt!"
The ice cracked.
Leon ran in, jumping from a stone and striking the creature with a burning punch to its face.
It screamed, ice shattering.
Then it fell… breaking apart into snow and ash.
🧭 The Hidden Mark
Where the creature had stood, something strange remained.
A small shard of ice—with a rune carved into it.
Astha examined it. "It's a tracker. Someone sent this thing to find us."
Leon frowned. "Then they know we're searching for the houses."
He crushed the shard under his boot.
"Good. Let them come."
💬 A Moment Between Them
That night, they camped beneath a stone arch etched with forgotten sigils.
Astha sat beside Leon, watching the flames.
"You've changed," she said softly. "You're stronger. Quieter. Not the same boy from the academy."
Leon smiled faintly. "And yet, I still don't know what I'm doing."
She looked at him. "You're doing what the others never did—you're trying to unite. Not conquer."
A pause.
Then she asked, "Aren't you scared?"
Leon stared into the fire. "Every second. But with you here… it doesn't feel like I'm alone."
Their eyes met—warm and close.
But before anything more could be said, the wind shifted again.
And in the distance…
a horn blew.
🌄 A Glimmer of Hope
Astha stood. "That sound—it's not enemy."
Leon rose beside her.
On the mountain ridge ahead, torches flickered.
Figures moved.
One of them stepped forward—tall, cloaked in furs, and bearing the sigil of the Ember Sight over his chest.
A voice called out:
"Flameblood… if you walk in peace, then come.The old blood still burns here."