The sun hung low in the sky when Kahel returned to the woods, the trees casting long shadows that stretched across the path. The air smelled of damp moss and earth, and a soft breeze stirred the leaves overhead. Birds flitted between the branches, their songs sharp and clear in the cool air.
Kahel's heart pounded as he stepped deeper into the forest. The ember pulsed inside him, steady and warm, but wild, like a caged beast waiting to break free. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was his.
Today, he would test it.
He found a small clearing—a patch of bare earth surrounded by towering trees, their branches arching high like the ribs of a giant beast. The ground here was soft, littered with fallen leaves and scattered stones.
Kahel stood in the center, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply.
Focus.
The ember flared in his chest, heat spreading through his body. His skin tingled, his fingertips burned faintly, and a strange pressure built in his core.
He raised his hand in front of him, fingers spread.
Burn, he thought.
At first, nothing happened. Then, a faint wisp of heat stirred in his palm—barely a flicker, like the warmth of a candle. His breath caught, excitement racing through him. He focused harder, willing the flame to grow.
The ember pulsed.
A sudden rush of energy surged through him, sharp and violent. His hand trembled as the warmth built, hotter, brighter—until a thin tendril of flame flickered to life between his fingers.
Kahel's eyes widened.
It wasn't like any normal fire. The flame was pale, almost silver, with streaks of dark red running through it. It shimmered in the air, pulsing like a living thing.
A grin stretched across his face.
He tried to shape it, to hold it steady, but the flame hissed and twisted, slipping through his control. His pulse quickened, excitement mixing with panic.
Hold it!
The flame flickered, growing unstable. It snapped toward the ground, searing the grass and leaving a faint trail of blackened ash. The heat surged, wild and unpredictable. Kahel clenched his jaw, sweat beading on his forehead.
Then the energy slipped from his grasp.
The flame vanished with a sound like a sigh, leaving only a faint warmth in the air.
Kahel dropped to his knees, gasping. His hands trembled, but the ember still pulsed inside him, steady and waiting.
A burst of laughter bubbled from his chest—harsh, breathless, and fierce.
"I did it," he whispered, voice ragged. "I did it."
A crack of a branch snapped his attention away.
He froze, breath caught in his throat, as a low growl echoed from the trees.
Kahel turned slowly, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
From the underbrush, a pair of yellow eyes glowed in the fading light.
A beast emerged—large, low to the ground, its fur dark and matted. Its shoulders rippled with muscle, and its fangs gleamed as it snarled. A wild wolf, far larger than any Kahel had seen before, its body tense with hunger and aggression.
Kahel stumbled back, heart racing. The ember in his chest flared in response, sharp and hot.
The wolf lunged.
Instinct took over. Kahel threw up his hands, the ember roaring inside him. Heat surged through his veins, his skin burning with raw power.
Without thought, a burst of pale flame exploded from his palms.
The flame struck the wolf mid-leap. It yelped, twisting in the air, and crashed into the dirt with a thud. The beast scrambled to its feet, growling, smoke rising from its singed fur.
Kahel stood frozen, shock and fear gripping him.
The wolf's gaze locked onto him, now filled with fury. It lunged again, faster this time.
Kahel barely dodged, the beast's claws grazing his arm, tearing through fabric and skin. Pain lanced through him, hot and sharp. He stumbled back, breath ragged.
The ember surged, hotter than before.
Kahel gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and forced the flame to respond.
It came in a burst—wild, uncontrolled, but real. A jet of pale fire shot from his palm, striking the wolf in the chest. The beast howled, thrashing as the flame clung to its fur, searing into flesh.
Kahel didn't stop. He couldn't stop. He poured everything into that flame—fear, rage, pain, the memory of his mother's smile, the flash of her death. The ember fed on it all, burning brighter.
The wolf collapsed, smoke rising from its body, the scent of scorched fur filling the air.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Kahel stood trembling, his breath ragged, heart pounding in his ears. Blood dripped from the cut on his arm, but he barely felt it. His gaze fixed on the charred remains of the beast, disbelief and awe warring in his mind.
"I did that…" he whispered.
The ember pulsed once, strong and steady.
Behind him, deep in the shadows of the trees, the figure watched. The hood concealed his features, but a faint glimmer of light reflected from their eyes.
he watched Kahel in silence, unseen, his presence a quiet weight in the air.
For a moment, the figure seemed to lean forward, as if examining the boy more closely. Then he stepped back, his form melting into the darkness like smoke.
Kahel felt none of this. He stood in the clearing, alone, a pale flame flickering faintly in his palm, and the weight of what had just happened sinking into his bones.
The ember had awoken.
And so had the path he was destined to walk.