The desert was silent.
The snow of the north was far behind now. Leon and Astha rode swift beasts through the cracked, glowing sands of the Scorched Expanse—a forgotten land where lightning storms danced across glass dunes, and only ghosts dared wander at night.
Ahead, on the horizon, stood the remains of a stone gate half-buried in sand.
Astha lowered her hood, shielding her eyes from the sun.
"That's the entrance. The Flameblood of the Wildfire Clan was said to guard this region."
Leon wiped sweat from his brow. "Let's hope they still remember their name."
🏜 The Glasswind Path
As they crossed the desert pass, wind stirred violently. Shards of glass lifted into the air.
Leon paused.
His flame mark glowed suddenly—hot and warning.
"We're not alone," he said.
Astha slowed her steps. "I feel it too. The shadows here… they're too still."
The sky darkened.
A sound rose—not thunder, but chains dragging across stone.
And then...
From behind a broken spire stepped a figure—tall, armored in scorched black steel, flame leaking from cracks in his mask.
His voice, hollow and echoing, cut through the silence:
"Leon of the Crimson Core. You walk roads your ancestors burned. Now you'll join them."
💀 General Kael
Leon stepped forward, fire rising around him.
"Who are you?"
The figure removed his mask—revealing eyes burning with red fire and ash for skin.
"I am General Kael of the Ashborn. First of the Flameblood betrayers.I was made to kill your kind—and now, I've come to finish the last."
Astha gasped. "He's… from the war. One of the Flamebloods who turned."
Kael raised a blade made of melted bone and fire.
"Prove you're worthy. Or die screaming like your line before you."
⚔️ Flames Collide
Kael struck first—his blade glowing with deathfire.
Leon blocked it with a shield of flame, but the impact sent him flying back.
Astha unleashed light sigils—"Prism Barrage!"—but Kael absorbed them with his armor.
Leon stood, coughing. "He's not just strong… he's fire twisted into hate."
"Then fight harder!" Astha shouted.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"Let's burn, then."
He raised both hands.
"Crimson Wrath: Second Rite!"
A ring of flame exploded from him, striking Kael head-on.
But Kael walked through it.
"You burn like a child," he said, grabbing Leon by the throat.
💥 Fire Reforged
Leon choked, vision dimming.
Then—Astha leapt in, placing a glowing sigil on Kael's chest.
"Sealbind Rune!"
For a moment, Kael's body locked in place.
Leon broke free, falling hard.
He struggled to stand. "I can't beat him with strength…"
His eyes glowed.
"Then I'll burn smarter."
He channeled his flame downward—into the ground.
The glass beneath Kael cracked… then shattered.
The Ashborn general fell into a pit of molten sand.
Leon knelt, gasping. "That won't hold him long."
Astha pulled him up. "Then let's run while we can."
🏛 The Hidden Gate
As Kael's screams echoed from the pit, Leon and Astha stumbled toward the ancient gate.
It opened as they neared—revealing stairs into the earth and a gust of warm, sacred air.
At the threshold stood a young woman with fire-orange hair, holding a spear lit with flame.
Her voice was calm but firm.
"You carry the mark. You are late."
Leon blinked. "Who are you?"
"I am Kaera of the Wildfire.You are Flameblood. Come inside. Before the Ashborn rises again."