The sky had turned gray.
Clouds gathered above the village of Eldrin, but no rain fell. Just heat. A strange, dry heat that made the air heavy and the trees still.
Luna stood on a rocky hill overlooking the village. Her encounter with Kaelora had changed her. She could still feel the water's calm inside her, like a steady river in her chest.
But now something else stirred—something hot, wild, and angry.
The second element was calling.
She followed the heat as it led her out of the woods, beyond the safety of her quiet world, into the Crimson Caves, a place feared even by grown men. It was said to be cursed—filled with fire and spirits that burned all who entered.
Luna's feet burned with each step as she walked over dry, cracked ground. The wind was gone. Even the birds didn't follow her now. She entered the mouth of the cave, where glowing red light pulsed from deep within.
The further she walked, the hotter it became.
Sweat rolled down her forehead. Her clothes clung to her. But she didn't stop.
Then suddenly, a blast of fire exploded in front of her. She jumped back, shielding her face. From the flames stepped a tall, powerful figure made entirely of fire—his chest glowing like molten lava, his crown burning above fierce golden eyes.
Ignar, King of Fire.
> "You," he growled, voice like an erupting volcano. "The girl who dares walk into my realm."
Luna tried to speak, but the heat stole her breath.
> "You are not ready for me," Ignar said. "Go back to your forest, Summoner."
But Luna stood her ground. "I came to awaken you."
> "You? Wake me?" His laugh echoed like thunder. "Do you think power is given? It is taken. Earned in flame and forged in pain."
Luna's hands trembled. "Then test me."
For a moment, Ignar stared at her—then raised his arm.
A wall of fire rushed toward her.
Luna threw up her hands, and in that instant, water burst from her palms, forming a shield that clashed against the fire. Steam hissed all around them, filling the cave with fog.
But her water was weakening.
The fire was stronger.
> "Water cannot defeat fire," Ignar growled. "Only will can."
Luna fell to her knees, panting. Her energy was draining fast. The heat pressed down on her. Her vision blurred.
"Why… why do I have this power," she gasped, "if I can't even stand…?"
Then, in her mind, Kaelora's words returned:
"The first step is trust—not in us, but in yourself."
She closed her eyes.
And for a moment… she let the fire in.
She didn't fight it. She felt it. Not just its anger, but its hunger—its wild need to protect, to burn what is false, to light what is dark.
She stood.
Her eyes opened, glowing red and blue at once.
"I don't fear your flames," she whispered. "Because the fire is in me, too."
Ignar's flames paused.
Around Luna, sparks began to rise. Fire danced at her fingertips—not wild, not angry. Controlled.
A small flame formed in her hand, alive and steady.
Ignar watched her silently.
Then, for the first time, he bowed.
> "You do not command fire," he said. "You become it. And today… you have."
The flames in the cave faded into glowing embers. The heat eased. The stones beneath her feet no longer burned.
Luna lowered her hand.
The second king had been awakened.
But as she turned to leave, Ignar spoke once more.
> "The next will not test your strength… but your heart."