In the abyss of the dream tide, gray and golden flames intertwined into a storm, as if to tear this vein of the earth apart.
Ilea and Lucian stood side by side, their flame swords burning with fierce intensity.
The gray shadow, however, wore an enchanting smile, her steps light as if dancing on a sea of gray fire.
"You cannot defeat me, Ilea,"
the gray shadow's voice, like a murmur, struck straight to the depths of the soul.
"For you are me. Your anger, your desires, your fears... they all belong to me."
Ilea swung her sword, flames exploding in the air, only to be ly parried by the gray shadow.
In the firelight, the gray shadow leaned close to her ear, whispering temptingly: "Remember? That night you craved to burn completely, yet held back out of fear. You know only I can grant you total release."
Ilea's heart jolted, her body freezing abruptly.
Fragments of her entanglement with Lucian flashed before her eyes—the fiery union, laced with pain and pleasure.
And the gray shadow morphed into her own form, overlapping with hers, blurring the image beyond recognition.
"Don't look at her!"
Lucian suddenly pulled Ilea back, his flame sword slashing horizontally to drive the gray shadow away.
He pressed his forehead to hers, growling softly: "You are Ilea, not her! Your fire belongs to you."
Tears glistened in Ilea's eyes. She teetered on the edge of collapse, yet clung to her last shred of reason at Lucian's voice.
"Lucian... don't let go."
"Never."
Their vow flames merged, and the blaze shattered the gray shadow's suppression in an instant.
The gray shadow's expression shifted, stepping back, yet her gaze remained cold and striking: "Fascinating. But the more intense your union, the stronger I grow. Go on—show me how brightly you can burn."
As the words fell, the gray flame heart swelled, and phantoms surged like a tide, swallowing the surroundings.
Ilea and Lucian were forced into a deeper battle.
Fire and ash intertwined, sword and soul clashed.
This was the moment of reckoning.
If they fell, the gray shadow would replace Ilea, and the dream tide would devour the capital entirely.
Ilea raised her flame sword high, her gaze blazing: "Today, I shall pass verdict on you... in this dream!"
With a roar, Phoenix fire erupted from her body, illuminating the entire abyss.