The Eternal Flame had burned for centuries. The Firekeeper, a woman of trembling grace, approached Sharath in private after the ceremony.
"I feared you'd erase us," she said, her eyes glistening.
Sharath bowed. "I only seek to protect those who once had no choice."
She handed him a small pendant—a flame forged in bronze.
"Carry it, so you remember: Even light without fire has roots in warmth."
She turned, her crimson robes whispering across the marble.
The Eternal Flame was not extinguished. But beside it, the first MageCore now glowed.
Two lights. One past. One future.