The ruins of Emberfall lay quiet after the battle, but Nova could still feel the remnants of power lingering like smoke in the air. Each shattered pillar and scorched stone whispered secrets she couldn't quite hear—like memories carved into time, waiting for the right ears.
Lucien moved quietly beside her, scanning the surroundings as if expecting more of the masked wraiths to appear.
"Do they always attack like that?" she asked.
"Only when they're afraid," he said grimly. "And they're afraid of you now."
Nova wrapped her arms around herself. The warmth of her flames had faded, leaving a strange emptiness behind. It wasn't pain, exactly—but it felt like something was missing, like she'd left a piece of herself in the fire she summoned.
"Why do they want me dead?" she asked. "What do they gain by stopping me?"
Lucien hesitated. "It's not just about you. It's about the blood you carry. Liora sealed something—something powerful—before she vanished. The Shadow Court has been hunting her descendants ever since."
Nova frowned. "So I'm just a piece on their chessboard?"
"No," he said, his voice firm. "You're the flame that might burn the board to ash."
They continued deeper into the ruins. At the far end of the sanctuary, an altar stood, cracked and covered in ash. Strange markings adorned its surface—symbols Nova didn't recognize. As she approached, her pendant began to glow faintly.
Lucien noticed. "Your pendant… it's reacting."
Nova placed her hand on the altar. The glyphs lit up instantly, and the ground trembled beneath her feet. A secret chamber revealed itself—stones sliding aside with ancient groans of effort, exposing a spiral staircase descending into darkness.
Lucien whistled low. "Hidden vault. Classic Emberfall."
"You coming?" Nova asked with a small smirk.
He gave a mock bow. "After you, Flameborn."
They descended into the depths, the air growing colder with every step. The stairs led to a domed chamber lined with torches that burst to life as they entered, illuminating walls carved with ancient battles and forgotten names.
At the center stood a pedestal—and upon it, a scroll wrapped in fireglass.
Nova stepped forward, drawn to it like a moth to flame.
"Is that…?"
"The Chronicle of Cinders," Lucien said reverently. "Liora's record. No one's seen it for generations."
Nova reached out and touched the glass. It cracked instantly, disintegrating into glowing dust. The scroll floated up, unrolling itself in midair.
Golden script danced across the surface—words that shimmered like flame. As Nova read them, visions filled her mind.
Liora, standing at the gates of Emberfall, holding the Emberfang.
A war between flame and shadow.
A betrayal from within.
And a prophecy.
"When the last ember of the bloodline rises, fire shall either cleanse the world… or consume it."
Nova staggered back, eyes wide.
"I'm… I'm the last ember."
Lucien caught her before she fell. "You saw it?"
She nodded. "And more. There's someone—someone who betrayed her. A trusted one. A Shadowborn with fire in his veins."
Lucien's expression darkened. "That narrows it down to only a few. The Shadow Court used to be part of the Ember Circle. Until they broke away."
Nova felt the weight of it settling on her shoulders. Her bloodline. Her power. Her destiny.
But she also felt something else—rage. Not fear.
"They're afraid of what I might become," she said.
"They should be," Lucien replied.
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from above.
Nova and Lucien turned just as part of the ceiling collapsed—revealing a black-feathered raven with silver eyes circling above.
It screeched, then vanished in a blur of smoke.
Lucien swore. "Messenger of the Court. They know you're here."
"Then we leave," Nova said, tucking the scroll into her satchel. "But we take Emberfall's fire with us."
As they made their way back to the surface, Nova looked back one last time at the altar, at the flickering glyphs and burning torches.
You started this, Liora, she thought. Now I'll finish it.
Outside, the sky had shifted. Storm clouds churned overhead, casting the ruins in eerie twilight. But Nova didn't flinch. She walked with purpose, her steps steady.
Lucien glanced at her as they reached the edge of the forest. "What now?"
Nova didn't hesitate. "We find the Emberfang. Before the Shadow Court does. Before they bring war."
"And if war finds us first?"
She looked at him, her eyes glowing faintly.
"Then we burn it down."