The journey westward began beneath a sky of molten gold and steel gray, clouds rolling like restless spirits above us. Our small party had grown quieter with every mile. The trail to the Crystal Caves led us through thick forest underbrush, up winding trails that snaked between forgotten ridges and through valleys cloaked in perpetual fog. The Flame inside me pulsed steadily, a gentle warmth at first, but it burned hotter as we approached our destination as though it knew what lay ahead.
We traveled for three days, passing ancient waystones etched with Moonborn runes, many so worn with age they barely whispered their warnings. Wildlife grew sparse, as did birdsong. Even the wind seemed reluctant to cross this land.
Lucian rode ahead, alert as ever, his senses stretched thin across the landscape. Kieran led from the flank, eyes scanning for signs of danger or traps. Lira stayed beside me, her gaze often on the treetops, as if expecting the sky itself to fall. Yven, the healer who had insisted on joining us, rode at the rear, quiet but observant.
On the fourth morning, we reached the edge of the gorge a massive canyon carved into the rock by some ancient, forgotten force. Crystalline growths jutted from the walls like glass swords. Moonlight refracted through the formations, casting rainbows that danced across the stone.
At the base of the gorge, a wide cave mouth opened into shadow. Above it, a rune glowed faintly a circle of Flame surrounding a weeping eye.
"The seal is here," I said, the words feeling heavy with fate.
Lira shivered. "It doesn't feel like the other ruins."
"That's because it's not," Lucian said, his voice low. "This place was never abandoned. It was sealed from the inside."
The Crystal Caves swallowed us in silence. The air was cooler here, laced with the scent of stone and something older like burnt ozone and forgotten prayers. The walls glittered with veins of quartz and violet crystal, some growing in great arching blades that resembled wings or thorns.
Our footsteps echoed eerily, too loud in the hush. At intervals, soft pulses of energy vibrated through the floor, like the heartbeat of something sleeping far below.
"It's alive," Yven whispered. "The cave… it's breathing."
We moved deeper through winding tunnels and jagged stone bridges that arched over black abysses. The Flame inside me surged, guiding our path without hesitation, until finally, we entered the heart of the cave.
The chamber was immense. Pillars of crystal rose like trees in a cathedral of light and shadow. At the center stood a figure tall, regal, armored in shards of silver and iridescent stone. Their long hair shimmered like frost under moonlight. In their hands, they held a translucent sword driven into the stone at their feet.
"Who seeks the Seal?" The voice echoed like thunder across the cavern.
I stepped forward. "Aurora Quinn. Flamebearer. Daughter of Isolde. Guardian of the First Seal."
The figure studied me. Their face was neither kind nor cruel just timeless.
"She spoke of you," they said after a long moment. "Of her daughter born with fire in her veins."
"You are the Guardian?" I asked.
"I am Solen, once of the Nightfire Order. I bound my soul to this Seal. I have stood vigil for four hundred and sixty-seven years."
"How do I awaken the Seal?"
Their eyes narrowed. "By proving you are worthy of it."
The floor rumbled. Light dimmed. The crystals around us flickered and changed color, glowing red and blue like storming stars.
With a slow motion, Solen lifted their blade and the trial began.
Power exploded around us. An invisible force slammed into my chest, throwing me backward. I hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.
Lucian and Kieran rushed forward, but a wall of energy flared up, blocking them.
"This is her battle alone," Solen declared.
I forced myself up, summoning the Flame into my palms. The fire leapt from my veins, gold and white, crackling with purpose. I met Solen's charge with a roar, our energies clashing in a cascade of light and thunder.
They were fast, faster than any enemy I'd faced. Every strike of their sword sparked echoes of memory within me. My mother's smile. Lira's laughter. Marcus's warning. The cries of the Moonborn, and the silence of those too afraid to speak.
Solen pressed forward, blade whirling, voice like iron.
"You carry anger. You carry pain. You carry doubt. What makes you think you are worthy of Flame?"
I countered, flames flaring into a protective barrier.
"I never claimed to be perfect," I shouted. "But I won't let that stop me."
Solen's sword flashed. "Power corrupts. Even your mother feared it. And still, she fell. Why will you not?"
"Because I remember who I fight for," I said, standing firm. "Not for glory. Not for vengeance. But for hope. For healing. For those who can't fight for themselves."
The Flame surged through me like a tidal wave. I lifted my hand, no longer to strike but to offer.
"I don't need to defeat you. I need to show you that the fight isn't over. That your sacrifice still matters. Let me carry it forward."
For a long moment, nothing moved. Then the crystal sword lowered.
Solen's form flickered.
"I see now," they murmured. "You are not like the others. You are not here to inherit my burden. You are here to transform it."
Light erupted from the floor, rising in beams to the crystal ceiling. The Seal's rune flared to life. The Flame within me echoed it, burning hot but steady.
Solen stepped back, their body turning to shards of crystal.
"Thank you," they whispered. "Let the light you carry cleanse the darkness yet to come."
And then they were gone, a dusting of radiant motes drifting into the air.
We emerged from the cave as dawn broke over the ridges. The stars faded slowly into the growing light. The Flame inside me was stronger now but also quieter. Calmer. The Second Seal was awake.
Lira looked back at the cave mouth.
"Do you think the others will be like him?"
"I hope not," I said. "But I think each will test us in a new way."
Lucian's expression was grim. "Then we'll keep walking. Until the last seal burns."
But even as he spoke, a flicker of darkness moved in the distance. My heart clenched.
Malrik had felt the seal awaken. I could feel his presence stirring far to the east. And I knew we had just run out of time.