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Chapter 53 - The Ashes Between Worlds

Flamebound: Rise of the Cursed Prince

Anime Title Style Generation Prompt:

> Glowing anime title text design for Flamebound: Rise of the Cursed Prince.

Half of the title in crimson red fire, the other half in icy blue flame.

Add glowing embers, soft light effects, and a faint magical aura around the text.

Font style: epic fantasy anime, sharp edges, elegant yet powerful.

The word Flamebound burns with red-orange glow, while Cursed Prince shines with cool blue light.

"Rise of the" should appear smaller, between them, glowing faint white or silver.

Perfectly centered title for an anime poster, 4K quality, cinematic lighting, balanced contrast between fire and frost.

The ash beneath his boots shifted with every step, whispering like the ghosts of forgotten warriors.

Rondan moved cautiously through the barren plain, his senses sharpened by the strange hum of the world. The horizon shimmered with heat, and soon—emerging from the veil of drifting embers—he saw it.

A city.

Or what was left of one.

The towers he'd glimpsed from afar stood like blackened bones of giants, half-consumed by the earth. Rivers of glowing magma ran between the ruins, pulsing like veins through a corpse. The air trembled with faint, rhythmic breaths—as though the city itself was alive, sleeping and dreaming in its own decay.

Rondan gripped the hilt of his sword.

"This place… it's breathing," he muttered.

The moment he stepped between the first set of ruined gates, the mark on his arm flared—bright gold turning crimson once more.

Then he heard it.

Footsteps that weren't his own.

From the shadows of the molten alleys, armored figures emerged—silent, faceless, their forms forged of molten metal and ash. Their eyes burned with the same sigil he bore.

"Guardians," he whispered.

One of them raised its weapon—a massive halberd that glowed white-hot at the edge—and the rest followed.

No sound, no roar, only a rush of heat and killing intent.

Rondan drew his blade. The runes along its edge lit up as if remembering old wars. He shifted into stance, feeling the pulse of the flame within him respond—fierce, alive.

> If this is the heart of the forgotten flame…

Then I'll carve my way to its truth.

The first guardian charged. Their clash split the silence like thunder. Sparks and molten embers flew in every direction, lighting the ruins with violent beauty.

Rondan spun low, cutting through the guardian's knee joint. It didn't fall—it melted, reshaping itself, the wound sealing as molten metal flowed back into place.

"Damn," he hissed, leaping back. "You don't die easily, do you?"

He raised his left hand, the golden rune blazing across his skin. Flame burst from his palm, wild and unstable—but it answered his will.

With a roar, he struck again, and this time his blade carried the weight of that inner inferno.

When the steel met molten flesh, the guardian shattered—exploding into shards of glowing ash.

But there were still more.

Dozens. Maybe hundreds.

And in the distance, above the burning spires, he saw something move.

A colossal silhouette—shackled in light—watching him from the heart of the ruins.

Rondan tightened his grip.

"The flamekeeper was right," he muttered.

"This isn't a city of the dead. It's a tomb of gods."

And with that, he stepped forward again—toward the heartbeat of the forgotten flame.

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