Plans, Promises, and the Return to Ashenwell
Location: A buried war room beneath Thalum — long abandoned, once used by ancient flamecasters to coordinate during the Cataclysm Wars. Now, reclaimed by five Kindled siblings... and one mouthy spark.
Dust still clung to the ceiling, but the air was clear now. Grim stood at the center of the ancient stone table, flamelight casting long shadows across the runes etched into its surface. It had once mapped empires. Now, it would guide something far more dangerous.
The Court was moving.
And they were no longer hiding.
The Discussion Begins
Max sat furthest from the fire, darkness curling around his shoulders like a second skin.
"They're testing boundaries," he said. "Attacks along the southern ridges. Probes. No casualties. Just… vanishings."
Ayesha nodded. "Same pattern in the highlands. Sound goes dead for seconds. When it comes back—people are gone. Flame echoes, but no bodies."
Hadi sat cross-legged on the table, tossing a crackling pink orb between her hands. "So… they're harvesting? That's worse than killing."
"They always waited until the Headmaster was gone," Tristan added. "But now… he's back."
They all paused at that.
Even the flame between them seemed to hush.
The Headmaster Returns
Sparks, leaning against a broken statue, finally spoke.
"You all talk like he's a god."
Grim arched an eyebrow. "He's close enough."
Sparks rolled her eyes. "Oh great. Another ancient fire wizard with cryptic words and long stares. Can't wait."
Max smirked. "You'll like him. He scares everyone else."
"Does he do the 'appear-out-of-nowhere' thing?" she asked.
Tristan nodded. "And the 'answer your question before you ask it' trick."
"Ugh," Sparks groaned. "Flame grandpas are the worst."
Grim coughed to cover a laugh.
Grim Speaks — "We Burn Together"
He stood straighter now, eyes hard, voice calm but deep.
"The Court is afraid of only two things — unity… and power they can't touch."
"We were broken. Scattered. Put in cages. But we survived. All of us. Even when they cut us off from each other. Even when they tried to burn the family out of us."
He looked to each of them in turn.
"Max, who became the silence they feared. Ayesha, who carved power from precision. Tristan, who turned frost into a sword. Hadi, who danced on the edge of chaos and never fell."
Then he turned to Sparks.
"And her. A flame that wasn't meant to be here, but fights harder than anyone I know."
Sparks blinked.
"Okay, whoa. That's the nicest thing you've ever said. Are you dying?"
"Every time I talk to you."
They smirked.
But then Grim turned back to the table.
"The Court is not eternal. They bleed. They hide when the Headmaster is around. They fear the one place they couldn't break—Ashenwell."
A pause.
"So we go back."
The Decision — Back to the Academy
The room fell still.
Ayesha was the first to nod. "It's safe ground. For now."
"And if he's truly returned," Tristan added, "it shifts the balance again."
Hadi cracked her knuckles. "And if they show up, I get to punch someone. Win-win."
Even Max leaned forward slightly. "We're stronger together. Let's see if they remember that."
Then all eyes turned to Sparks.
She sighed, arms crossed. "Fine. But if that Headmaster starts glowing and floating, I'm throwing a chair."
Grim grinned.
"Deal."
Final Notes
Before they broke for rest, Ayesha spoke softly.
"We need to talk about Sparks. Her… condition."
Max nodded. "She's stabilized. But it's temporary."
"I know," Grim said. "We'll fix it. But one thing at a time."
Tristan added, "We should check the Vaults once we're back. There may be a vessel. Something strong enough to contain a core like hers."
Grim's jaw tightened. "We'll find it."
Hadi flicked Sparks on the forehead. "Try not to explode on the way."
"You try not to sparkle-shock us to death."
"Rude."
They laughed.
The kind of laughter that hadn't existed in years.
But beneath it—steel.
They weren't children anymore.
They were the Ashenkindled.
And the Court had no idea what was coming.