Location: Rhaegros Volcanic Belt – Day 33 in Atheria
The red earth of Rhaegros breathed heat like a living furnace.
The skies shimmered with heat haze, and the air crackled faintly as embers floated upward like fireflies. Mountains lined the horizon—ash-tipped peaks and bubbling vents—each one sleeping but ready to roar.
"Never thought I'd miss snow," Sena muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Can we agree that desert clothes are our next purchase?" Baek said, fanning himself with a glowing leaf.
Eunsol summoned a water sphere that hovered above their heads, misting gently. "Better?"
Everyone sighed in relief.
Jiwoo, at the front, stared at the glowing system map only he could see.
> [Third System Key Detected – Proximity: 13.6 km]
[Vault Location: Heart of Ashen Hollow Ruins – Rhaegros]
[Warning: Local Guardian Signature Detected]
---
Ashen Hollow – Entry Denied
When they arrived at the site, they were met with broken pillars, half-melted statues, and staircases that led into glowing magma fields. The ground trembled softly beneath their feet—alive, humming, old.
A wall of heat blocked the entrance—not fire, but living resistance.
"No entry beyond this point," came a voice.
The flame parted, revealing a girl with glowing amber eyes and short crimson hair that flickered like burning coal.
She wore scorched armor and carried a spear forged from lava glass.
"I am Solace," she said, voice calm. "Keeper of the Ember Vault. Turn back."
Jiwoo stepped forward. "I've come for the third key."
Her eyes narrowed. "I know who you are, Sovereign. And I know what you carry."
Sena's voice dropped. "She knows?"
"She's not normal," Yoori whispered. "She's... tied to it somehow."
---
Solace's Challenge
Solace pointed to the ash-choked ruin behind her.
"That vault burned my people alive when they tried to claim its light. The last time someone touched its doors, the mountain exploded."
She lowered her spear slightly.
"You want it? Fine. Walk through fire like we did. Without your invincibility."
Jiwoo frowned. "You want me to seal my abilities?"
"I want you to understand," she said sharply. "You walk with power that erased cities. You've seen wealth. But have you felt the cost?"
Baek stepped forward. "Is this really necessary?"
Jiwoo raised a hand. "No. She's right."
> [System: Suppress Physical Invulnerability – Confirm?]
[Suppress Magic Resistance – Confirm?]
[YES]
He tapped yes.
The heat hit him instantly.
He staggered.
Sweat poured down his face.
He was... mortal again.
---
Trial of Flame – The Walk
Jiwoo alone entered the hollow path.
The others watched, tense.
The ground beneath him seared his boots. His breathing became ragged. Lava rained like steam from above.
The path twisted and shifted, pulling memories from his mind.
His rejection on Earth.
His sister's empty meals.
His first night sleeping in a park.
The morning he saw a coin and considered eating it.
The system whispered softly:
> "Do you burn?"
"Yes," Jiwoo said aloud. "But I walk anyway."
And he did.
One step at a time.
Until at the center of the ruin, he found it:
A sphere of fire, floating above an obsidian pedestal.
> [System Key – Flame Sector Located]
[Unlocking…]
Solace's voice echoed from behind.
"You passed."
---
The Flame Key
The flame sphere reshaped into a golden charm, shaped like a sunburst with a crack down the center. Jiwoo picked it up.
> [Third System Key Acquired – Flame Sector Unlocked]
6 Remaining.
He collapsed to one knee.
Power returned to his body—but the memory of the heat remained.
Solace approached and offered him a hand.
"You didn't run. That's more than I expected."
He looked up at her. "You stayed here all this time. Alone?"
"I'm bound to the vault," she said. "I burned so others wouldn't have to."
Jiwoo took her hand and stood.
"You don't have to guard it anymore," he said.
For the first time in decades, Solace smiled.
---
Return to the Group
Jiwoo emerged from the ruins, skin pale, shirt damp, charm glowing in his hand.
Mirae ran forward. "You okay?!"
He nodded. "Third one's done."
Sena punched his arm lightly. "Remind me never to doubt you again."
Baek laughed. "Too late."
Solace stepped forward behind him.
"I'm coming with you."
The group blinked.
"What?"
"The flame chose you," Solace said. "But its memory chose me. I can't let the rest of the vaults awaken without a witness."
Jiwoo looked into her eyes.
They were tired. But alive.
> "Then welcome to the team."
---
Final Scene – That Night by the Campfire
As the group camped near a cooling lava field, Jiwoo sat by the fire, staring at the new charm on his wrist.
Three charms now glowed.
The sky.
The water.
The flame.
Each held power. Each held memory.
Solace sat beside him, her armor discarded, hands warmed by the fire—not from need, but habit.
"I used to hate the fire," she said. "Now, it just feels quiet."
Jiwoo didn't answer.
He was staring at the flames too.
Not in fear.
Not in awe.
But in respect.
---