Three days have already passed since the battle of Eren with the Soul Beast. He felt a new power coursing through his veins but at night, he would catch the faint crackling of the flames inside him whenever he closes his eyes.
Lylin sat across from him beside the fire of the hut, staring into the flames as if she saw something far away that he did not. Worry ran through her golden eyes, but he did not wish to disturb her with his questions.
"Lylin, what is amiss?"
He asked her at last. His wife slowly raised her head, regarding him with dead eyes for a moment before she scarcely breathed, "They knew."
"Who?"
He didn't understand at first, then remembered her talks of the Celestial Realm, of exile, and of binding.
"Are these. your enemies?"
She nodded slowly, and whispered, "They hunt souls that have escaped from the Celestial Realm, slaying them or capturing them bound for all time. and I. am one of their quarry."
Eren got a chill run down his spine, but he clutched the hand he'd discovered he could use to ignite fires and spoke in a tough voice,
"I won't let them have you."
She smiled sadly and added,
"You don't understand how powerful they are, Eren."
Before she could go on, the air outside the hut shook violently and a small explosion gave way to a dense stillness. Leylin stood up immediately, her eyes glinting cautiously. "They've come."
Eren trailed after her outside. Darkness had fallen, and a crescent moon illuminated the village. But at the fringes of the forest, dark forms glided silently.
Three men in black robes that extended to below their knees, silver masks over their faces, stood before him in silence, each holding a long staff from which a faint blue light emanated.
One of them moved forward, raised his head towards Leylin, and spoke with an icy voice, "The Exiled Fire Princess. Your journey has come to an end."
Leylin had a flame burning in her heart. She moved her hand, and there was a small red flame burning, but the sparks that flew out were weak.
"Eren, you have to run now!"
But Eren stood before her. He moved his right hand, which he had been practicing to make fire with, and lit a small flame floating above his palm. He said in a resolute, but fearful, tone, "I won't leave you behind."
The middle hunter snarled in sarcasm.
"A friendly mortal who wants to battle the Soul Hunters? Foolish."
One of the hunters called out his staff, and a blast of cold wind shot forth. The flame atop Eren's hand trembled and was about to be put out. But he recalled Leylin's phrase: "The wind is a friend of fire."
He closed his eyes for a second, and the wind swept over the fire, but he did not allow it to extinguish. Instead, it pushed him ahead, and the fire became taller.
He opened them and screamed, holding out his hand, firing out a spark that went towards the hunters. It was not strong, but it pushed the hunter away.
Then Leylin held Eren's shoulder and reminded him sternly, "This is not a fight you can win now!"
But before he could respond, one of the hunters pointed the staff at Leylin, and blue spirit chains wrapped around her feet and pulled her towards them.
Leylin let out a scream as she tried to struggle free, but the chains pulled with strength, sparks dropping from her hands to no avail.
"Eyrin. Run!"
Eyrin's heart burned. He wasn't afraid, but he was furious. He raised his hand again and tried to start the flame, but the fire wouldn't go out; there was only a burning heat in his palm.
He looked at Leylin as she was being led away, his tears and fury brimming in his eyes.
Then a voice in his soul spoke to him:
"If you want to save her. let the fire burn."
He screamed from the bottom of his heart, and his hand erupted into a blinding blaze of red flame he'd never created before. Fire fluttered before his eyes, like the wings of fire.
He hurled himself at Lilin, sparks pouring from his body, and was intent on freeing her no matter the cost.
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