.
đź“– Chapter 5: Trial of Flame
Arrival at the Temple of Fire
High above the clouds, nestled between jagged Himalayan peaks, the Temple of Fire stood like a slumbering beast—carved from obsidian, veins of lava glowing beneath its black stone. Wind howled with unnatural fury. The very air shimmered with heat and ancient rage.
Kael landed beside Ajay, the snowy cliff melting under their feet from the temple's heat. A long stairway spiraled downward into the mountain's heart.
"No man walks out the same," Kael warned. "You'll face your greatest enemy."
Ajay didn't ask who that was. He already knew.
Himself.
He walked forward alone, leaving Kael at the entrance.
: The Door of Flame
Ajay entered a circular chamber. In the center stood a door of pure flame—alive, roaring, and ancient. Carved into the wall was a riddle:
"Only the worthy may pass. Cast off your fear. Burn what you were to become what you are."
Ajay stepped closer. The fire licked his skin but didn't burn. The mark on his chest glowed, pulsing with growing intensity.
He stepped into the flame.
And everything vanished.
: The Fire Within
Ajay awoke in a mirror world—a vast desert of burning skies and molten ground. The wind screamed like a thousand voices. Before him stood a figure. Tall. Muscular. Eyes like fire.
It was him.
But older, darker, and wreathed in flame. His wings were made of magma, his voice thunder.
"I am the part of you that loves the power," the Fire-Ajay said. "The rage that wants to burn the world that hurt you."
Ajay clenched his fists. "You're not me."
"Aren't I?" it laughed. "You wanted revenge on the boys who beat you. You wanted to destroy the world when Diya got hurt. Admit it. You loved the assassin's pain."
Ajay tried to deny it—but a voice echoed in his memory:
"I'll make them pay."
The Fire-Ajay grinned wider. "Let me take over. Together, we'll never be weak again."
Ajay screamed and lunged—but every blow he landed, the Fire-Ajay absorbed. Fire against fire. Fist against flame.
The more Ajay fought, the more angry he became.
"You'll never win," the doppelgänger growled. "Because you ARE me."
The Vision of Death
The sky cracked open.
Suddenly, the desert disappeared—and Ajay stood in a memory.
A battlefield, long ago.
Dragons screamed in the skies. Vampires battled on the ground.
Ajay saw a woman in gold and crimson armor, wielding twin blades of flame—his mother, Amara.
She fought like a goddess, slicing through enemies with fluid grace. Her long black hair was tied in braids, her dragon wings spread wide.
Then he saw Arkon, his father—leading a vampire charge, sword of bloodlight in hand.
Ajay's heart swelled.
"So this is what they were," he whispered. "Together."
But then came the betrayal.
A black arrow pierced Amara's side—shot by a vampire general from the Crimson Order.
Arkon screamed, rushing to her—but it was too late.
As she fell, she turned toward the sky and whispered:
"Protect our son…"
Her eyes closed.
Ajay watched his father fall to his knees, holding her body, surrounded by enemies. The memory blurred in a storm of blood, smoke, and silence.
Ajay dropped to his knees, sobbing. "Why… why did they hide this from me…"
The fire within him boiled.
But then—a whisper.
"You are not what they made you. You are what you choose to become."
It was her voice—his mother's—echoing across time.
Mastering the Flame
Ajay stood slowly. The vision faded. The fire returned.
The Fire-Ajay appeared again, smirking.
"Still want to fight me?"
Ajay looked at him calmly.
"No. I want to forgive you."
The flames around him dimmed. Ajay stepped forward and embraced his darker self.
The fire exploded—then calmed.
The Fire-Ajay vanished, and Ajay stood alone, glowing with golden-red energy. The mark on his chest evolved—forming a second ring of fire around the original symbol.
The Trial of Flame was complete.
Exit and Revelation
Ajay awoke back in the temple chamber. Kael stood by the entrance, watching him.
"You survived," he said. "Most don't."
Ajay said nothing, still trembling from the emotion of what he saw.
"I saw her," he whispered. "My mother. The day she died."
Kael bowed his head. "She died to protect you from the Crimson Order and the rogue dragons. They feared a child born of both bloods."
Ajay clenched his fists, but there was no rage this time. Only purpose.
"Then I'll finish what they started. I'll unite them—or I'll burn the ones who stand in the way."
Kael smiled. "Then you're ready for the next trial."
🩸 Epilogue: Whispering Shadows
Far below the mountains, in a ruined crypt, the Crimson Lord placed his hand over a dark pool.
He had seen the same vision Ajay did.
"The boy has passed the First Flame," he muttered. "He's stronger than expected."
A figure emerged behind him—a vampire with shadow wings and snake-like eyes.
"Shall we send the twins?" the figure asked.
The Crimson Lord nodded slowly. "Yes. Let the children of Nightfall hunt the Prince. And send word to the dragons."
"Which ones?"
The Lord grinned.
"The rogue ones."