The next morning came quietly, but Yuvan felt the weight of something unseen pressing against his spirit. The strange dream, the whispers, and the Keeper's words looped endlessly in his mind.
Still, he refused to crumble.
"I came here to grow stronger," he muttered, splashing cold water on his face. "If the world throws mysteries at me, I'll solve them. One at a time."
Just as he stepped out of the dormitory, a voice rang out.
"Yuvan! Elder Qin summoned you. Said it's urgent."
Yuvan blinked. "Elder Qin? The Formation Hall elder?"
"Yeah, hurry! And don't make him wait, or he might trap you in a spatial loop for a week."
Minutes later, Yuvan stood at the edge of a stone platform deep underground. Surrounding him were floating arrays, spinning rune-circles, and a massive heatwave radiating from a lava chasm beneath.
Elder Qin, a tall man with wild white hair and glowing green eyes, was muttering to himself while scribbling symbols mid-air.
He didn't even look up.
"Boy, good. Come. Hold this."
Without another word, he thrust a bronze talisman into Yuvan's hand. The moment Yuvan touched it, the runes on the talisman flared—and the entire cavern shook.
From the depths below, a roar echoed.
ROAAAAARRR!!
Yuvan froze. "W-What was that?!"
Elder Qin squinted. "Hmm. One of the fire spirits seems unhappy. Maybe I poked it too hard."
He turned to Yuvan, as if only now noticing him.
"You've got an unusual physique. Fire doesn't reject you. I need you to assist me with suppressing the ancient flame seal down there."
Yuvan's hands trembled. "Ancient flame…?"
Elder Qin pointed at the lava chasm. "Beneath that pit lies the remnant of the first Sunfire Beast. A creature older than most stars. Dev Yadav sealed it with a Heaven Suppressing Rune, but the seal weakens every few hundred years."
"You want me to—?"
"No. I want you to stand there and not die while holding that talisman," the elder said flatly. "The seal will react to your presence. If it rejects you, you'll burn alive. If it accepts you, it'll stabilize for now. Got it?"
Yuvan swallowed hard… and stepped forward.
As he neared the chasm's edge, the talisman glowed brighter. The air thickened. Sweat poured down his back, but he kept moving.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A pillar of fire erupted, almost like a serpent trying to devour him. The talisman in his hand shone fiercely and shielded him in a cocoon of gold.
Yuvan grit his teeth and stood firm.
For a moment, he felt something… ancient. A presence like a sleeping dragon opening one eye.
"You… again?"
The voice from the dream. That beautiful, terrifying voice.
Yuvan's knees buckled. "Who… are you?"
"I am bound beneath flames. One day… you will burn with me."
Then the voice vanished. The flames receded.
The talisman's light dimmed.
Elder Qin stepped beside him, nodding with a rare look of respect.
"Not bad. You didn't explode. You may have potential."
Yuvan collapsed on the ground, heart racing.
Far above, Dev Yadav stirred slightly. A faint smile crossed his lips.
"So… she's begun whispering again."
He gazed up at the sky. "Interesting. The boy may walk a dangerous path. Let's see where it leads."