A Descent into Fire
The Thornwood had long been a place of mystery, but now, it was a graveyard of scorched trees and rivers of molten rock. What had once been a dense labyrinth of towering oaks and whispering pines had been reduced to charred ruins. The air carried the acrid stench of sulfur, thick enough to choke on, and every step forward brought blistering heat that made even breathing an effort.
Lyra wiped sweat from her brow.
Even with the Flameward Potion coursing through her veins, the sheer energy radiating from the forge threatened to burn her from the inside out.
Beside her, Callan adjusted his grip on his sword, his face hard with determination.
Elaris, usually so poised, crouched near the cavern entrance, her fingers tracing the blackened stone. She had been unusually quiet since they had arrived.
"This place… it's like nothing I've ever seen," Callan muttered. His voice was hushed, reverent. "The alchemical energy here is overwhelming."
Lyra nodded, her gaze locked on the pulsing glow deep within the cavern.
The Crucible.
A massive cauldron of molten energy, resting at the forge's core. It pulsed like a living thing, radiating raw, untamed power.
If her theory was correct, it held the key to stopping the Alchemist King.
"It's perfect," she murmured, determination steeling her voice. "With this, we can finally stop him."
But first, they had to reach it.
---
The Crucible's Secrets
The deeper they went, the more the cavern seemed to pulse with life.
The walls hummed with energy, ancient runes glowing in shifting patterns as if reacting to their presence.
Then, Lyra saw it.
A mural.
Carved into the stone, stretching across the entire chamber.
It depicted a figure—an ancient alchemist—standing before a towering, molten entity.
The being's body was wreathed in eternal fire, its eyes burning with an unnatural light.
This wasn't just a forge.
It was a prison.
"Gods," Elaris whispered, stepping closer. "This place… it wasn't built to harness power."
Lyra swallowed hard, her mind racing. "It was built to seal something away."
The Everburning Titan.
A being of pure alchemical fire, forged in the dawn of the world. A creature so powerful that the ancient alchemists had chosen to lock it away rather than risk its destruction.
And the Alchemist King—
He wasn't just after the Primordial Flame.
He was trying to set the Titan free.
---
The Price of Power
Lyra's hands trembled as she reached for her satchel.
They had no time to waste.
If the Alchemist King completed the ritual, the world would burn.
Her mind worked frantically as she pulled out her alchemical vials, her fingers moving with trained precision despite the pressure mounting in her chest.
She needed something—something that would let her withstand the Crucible's heat.
Shards of the forge's crystal formations—each pulsing with residual energy. Molten fragments of alchemical essence, siphoned from the Crucible's glow.
And finally—
A single drop of the Primordial Flame.
The moment it touched the mixture, the elixir ignited.
A wave of searing light exploded from the vial, bathing the cavern in a deep, unnatural orange glow.
Lyra barely had time to uncork the bottle and drink before the energy rushed through her, burning through her veins like liquid fire.
Pain flared for a split second—then it was gone.
Instead of consuming her, the fire bent to her will.
She could feel it pulsing beneath her skin, no longer a force to be feared, but a weapon at her command.
The Flamebinder Elixir had worked.
And just in time.
Because the cavern began to tremble.
---
The Alchemist King Arrives
The first sign was the shift in the air.
A pressure so intense it felt like the cavern itself was bowing in submission.
Then—a voice, smooth and cold.
"You've done well to make it this far, little alchemist."
Lyra turned, her pulse spiking.
The Alchemist King stood at the cavern's entrance, flanked by Syndicate enforcers. His robes fluttered from the sheer energy radiating off his body, his golden mask reflecting the forge's infernal glow.
Behind him, the Syndicate's forces began fanning out, alchemical constructs clicking and whirring as they activated their battle formations.
But the King's gaze remained fixed on her.
On the Crucible.
His voice was filled with undeniable triumph.
"Behold, the power of the Everburning Titan." He lifted his arms, and the runes in the cavern began to glow in response. "With it, I will reshape the world."
Lyra's fingers tightened around her satchel.
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
The King smiled beneath his mask.
"Then say your goodbyes."
He lifted his hands—
And the Crucible erupted.
---
The Titan Awakens
The entire cavern shook, cracks splintering through the molten rock as a deep, primal growl rumbled through the forge.
The Crucible's glow intensified, its surface boiling over as something massive began to rise.
A hand—wreathed in molten fire.
Then an arm, rippling with pure, alchemical energy.
And finally—
The Titan.
It towered over them, a humanoid figure of pure flame and molten rock, its eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity.
The air shimmered around its form, the sheer heat warping reality itself.
Lyra's breath caught in her throat.
They were too late.
The Titan was awakening.
And the Alchemist King—his arms raised, his voice a triumphant whisper—
Had finished the ritual.
The ground split apart beneath them.
A wave of blistering heat roared through the cavern, consuming everything in its path.
Lyra barely had time to shield her eyes before the world erupted into fire.
---
The Forge Burns
The last thing she heard—
Was the Alchemist King's laughter.
And then—
Everything burned.