The mountain winds howled through the broken arches of the Mirror Temple, shaking frost from ancient stones. Though the air shimmered with soft magic, there was a sharpness beneath it now—a crackling tension that made Kai's skin hum.
He stood in silence, facing the mirror that had shown him futures not yet lived. Lucien stood close behind him, one hand on Kai's shoulder, firm and grounding. Rhydian, still and watchful, leaned beside a crystal wall, arms crossed over his chest as if bracing himself for something he couldn't yet name.
The words still glowed faintly across the surface of the Mirror:
"To save it, you must sever what once bound the flame."
Celira paced slowly in the circular chamber, muttering beneath her breath, her long fingers tracing the pattern carved into the floor—an ancient magical circle, buried under a thin veil of snow. She looked up suddenly. "I know what this means." Kai turned to her, his pulse quickening. "Tell me."
Celira stopped in the center of the circle. "The 'flame' is your magic, Kai—what was inherited, what was sealed. You were born into it, shaped by it. But something bound it long ago. Something from your bloodline. Possibly… someone." Lucien stepped forward. "You're saying he has to sever that bond?"
Celira nodded. "It could be a curse, a pact… or a person. Something old. Something sacred. It has to be undone." A long silence followed. Then Rhydian spoke, voice low. "I know what it is."
All eyes turned to him.
Rhydian didn't meet them. "It's me."
Kai blinked. "What?"
Rhydian stepped into the light, his breath fogging in the cold. "When you were a child, your family wasn't just trying to protect you. They needed to bind your power to someone… to contain it. They chose me. As your guardian. As the flame's anchor." Lucien stiffened. Kai's voice came out barely above a whisper. "You knew this?"
"I remembered it after the dreamwalk," Rhydian said, slowly. "Your mother made me swear. I was too young to understand. But the magic made it real. That's why I always felt drawn to you—not just by love, but by blood oath. That's why the Watchers never touched you when I was near."
Kai's head spun. "So… the bond that needs to be severed—" "Is mine," Rhydian said, finally looking up. "To set your power free." Kai stepped back, breath caught in his throat. Lucien stepped to his side, gently pulling Kai into the warmth of his arms. "You don't have to decide anything now."
But Kai already knew.
The Mirror hadn't shown him just possible futures. It had shown him paths. And all of them—peaceful, whole, true—required him to stand on his own. To choose not from duty or guilt, but love. Real love. He looked up at Rhydian. "I… I'll always be grateful to you," Kai said softly. "You saved me. You protected me. But what I feel for Lucien—it's not just a bond. It's who I am now. And I need to grow into that… without being bound to the past."
Rhydian closed his eyes. Then smiled—sad and soft. "I know. I've known for a while." Kai took a deep breath. "Will it hurt?" "Probably," Rhydian said. "But some pain is worth it."
Celira stepped forward and began drawing the runes on the floor in silver chalk. "We'll need your blood, Rhydian. And yours, Kai. Only with both will the flame be released." Lucien's jaw tensed. "Is it safe?"
"No," Celira said honestly. "But it's necessary."
The Ritual Begins
The runes shimmered with magic as Celira lit each corner with glowing embers. The wind outside died down, as if the mountain itself held its breath.
Rhydian knelt on one side of the circle. Kai knelt on the other. Between them, the mirror reflected their faces—two boys who had grown in shadows, forged in different ways. Kai bit his lip as Celira handed him a silver knife. He cut his palm without flinching. Rhydian mirrored the motion.
The blood dropped onto the center of the runes, mixing together in a slow swirl of light and heat. The room began to shake. Celira whispered the incantation.
"By the flame that once was bound, By blood made oath, now be unwound. Sever ties that hold the light, And let it blaze through starless night."
The runes erupted in fire.
Kai cried out—not from pain, but from the flood of power suddenly rushing back into him. Like a dam had burst inside his chest, and every part of him that had been dulled or chained now surged awake. Rhydian gasped and fell back, clutching his chest. Lucien ran to Kai, catching him before he collapsed. The glow around Kai was golden now, fierce and wild, yet warm. Not burning. Just… pure.
"It's done," Celira whispered. Rhydian was breathing shallowly, but he was alive. The bond was broken. Kai looked down at his hands, and for the first time—they weren't trembling.
They camped just outside the temple, fire crackling gently as snow fell in soft flurries. Rhydian was resting quietly, covered in furs, Celira by his side. He would recover. Kai sat wrapped in Lucien's arms, back against his chest, looking into the flames.
"I feel different," Kai whispered. Lucien pressed his lips to Kai's hair. "You are different. Freer." "I didn't know how heavy it was until it was gone." Lucien tilted his head. "Are you afraid?" Kai shook his head slowly. "No. Just… curious. What comes next?"
Lucien kissed behind his ear. "We follow the thread. Whatever path it takes." They sat like that for a while—quiet, warm, the future open and glowing ahead. Somewhere far below, the Mirror Temple shimmered and faded into mist, its purpose fulfilled.
But the story of the flame was just beginning.