Kazuki sat up slowly, the ground rippling beneath him like heated glass.
"Okay," he muttered, blinking at the surreal horizon. "I've officially lost track of what genre this is."
The world was flame—but not destructive fire. It was gentle and surreal, more like memory than heat. Ethereal fire danced in the air, curling into whispering shapes—faces, scenes, flickers of moments both real and imagined.
Aurelis scanned the area warily. "This isn't just a trial. It's… sentient. Be on your guard."
Kazuki rose, brushing imaginary dust off his cloak. "Thanks, Captain Obvious. Next you'll tell me the floor bites."
He stepped forward.
The floor bit.
"AARGH! WHY?!"
Something flared beneath his foot—an angry glyph of red flame that burst upward like a startled cat. It yowled, swirled into a laughing face, then faded into smoke.
Aurelis stifled a laugh.
Kazuki groaned. "So it is sentient. Great. And apparently sarcastic."
Suddenly, the flame-scape twisted. Like a sheet of silk in a strong wind, the horizon rippled—and from it emerged four pillars of memory-fire, towering and ancient. Each one pulsed with a different rhythm… like heartbeats from a world long forgotten.
Then came the voice.
Soft. Sad. Old.
"You who stumble into the Trial of the Flame Whispers… prove that your soul is more than accident."
"Okay, rude," Kazuki muttered. "I'm very purposeful sometimes."
The voice continued, ignoring him:
"To pass, you must face four echoes—fragments of your truth. Only then may you reach the Ember Core and learn what binds this world."
Aurelis's eyes sharpened. "It's a trial of identity."
"Ugh. Why can't it ever be a trial of, like, eating pudding fast?"
From the flames stepped four echoing figures. Vague at first, but then more defined. Kazuki and Aurelis stared in silence as they took shape.
The echoes were… them.
But twisted.
One version of Kazuki wore golden armor, stood tall, arrogant, commanding. His smile was cold, eyes unblinking.
"I am the hero they deserved. Not the joke they got."
Another version was broken—literally scorched, hunched, alone. He dragged a melted staff and spoke to no one.
"I should've never joked. I should've taken it seriously… maybe then they'd still be alive."
Aurelis's echo wore black plate, face stoic, her blade dripping mana.
"Kindness is weakness. I'll destroy this world before I trust it again."
The final echo shimmered—an unrecognizable version of Kazuki, surrounded by companions who obeyed like machines. His smile was… hollow.
"Everything is under control. Nothing surprises me anymore."
Kazuki swallowed.
"Oookay. That's creepy."
The flame voice whispered:
"Confront yourselves—or be consumed."
The four echoes stepped forward, blades raised, mana flaring.
Kazuki turned to Aurelis. "So, uh… team-up against ourselves?"
She nodded grimly. "Let's do this."
And so began the Trial of the Flame Whispers.