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Nico's flaming gauntlets struck the Trial Master's chest seam, detonating in a blast of golden fire. The cavern lit up like a miniature sun—stone cracking, molten veins bursting outward.
For a terrifying instant, it wasn't clear who was burning who.
The Trial Master staggered backward, body splitting along its seams. But Nico… Nico was screaming, the golden fire wrapping not just his fists but his whole body, eating into his clothes, searing at his skin.
"NICO!" Oliver shouted, trying to rush forward—but the heat wall pushed him back.
Sorrel thrust both paws forward, water magic exploding in streams to douse the flames, but it barely held them back. "It's not enough! His resonance—it's spiraling!"
Anne clutched her staff, trembling. "He's going to—"
Then it happened.
The fire suddenly bent inward, collapsing into Nico's chest like a whirlpool. His body convulsed, and a faint, crystalline glow flickered under his ribs.
Garrick's eyes widened. "His core—"
Every non-human carried it, a mystical core, the crystallized heart of their existence, a vessel of both soul and power. When resonance threatened to burn him alive, Nico's core absorbed it instead—stabilizing, tempering, containing.
The flames dimmed. The cavern fell quiet, save for the groaning of the Trial Master, now cracked and fading into embers.
Nico dropped to his knees, panting, steam rising from his skin. The gauntlets of golden flame still shimmered faintly, but now they were steady. Controlled.
Sorrel rushed to him, checking his pulse. "You nearly destroyed yourself, idiot…"
Nico managed a smirk, even through the pain. "Worth it."
The Trial Master collapsed into rubble, its crown of fire floating in the air before shattering into sparks. From those sparks, a single ember drifted down—bright, alive, resonating.
The Salamander's flame, purified.
Oliver caught it in his hands, heat prickling against his skin, but it didn't burn him. He looked down at Nico. "You nearly burned down the whole trial… and yourself."
Nico leaned back, still smirking. "But I didn't. That's the difference."
Zack finally stepped from the shadows, arms crossed. "Barely."
Anne exhaled, shoulders slumping with relief. Garrick muttered something about "reckless pyromaniacs" under his breath, but even he looked impressed.
Aether only nodded once, calm as always. "He survived. That is enough."
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