Fallen Heaven: Rise of Faizi Tian
Episode 47 – Chains Beneath the Flame
The moment Faizi crossed the Gate of Ashes, the air changed.
It wasn't heat anymore — it was pressure.
Flames danced along the tunnel walls, but they gave no warmth. Instead, they pulsed in time with a deep, slow heartbeat that echoed through the stone.
Ren followed a few steps behind, silent, his eyes scanning the shifting shadows. The Seal in Faizi's chest thrummed like a living thing.
*"Closer…"* it whispered. *"I can feel it. The chains that bind me."*
The tunnel opened into a cavern so vast that the ceiling vanished into darkness. In its center rose a massive pillar of molten rock, encircled by glowing chains thicker than tree trunks. Each link pulsed with runes of sealing, their golden light fighting to contain the writhing flames inside.
Faizi felt it instantly — a power so vast it made his own energy seem like a candle before a volcano. His knees almost buckled under the weight of it.
Ren's voice was low. "That… is the Heartflame Prison."
The Seal's tone turned sharp. *"Break the chains. Free what's mine. And your power will surge beyond realms."*
Before Faizi could answer, the cavern shook. From the shadows, creatures emerged — not demons, not beasts, but living embers shaped into armored warriors. Their eyes glowed with the same golden light as the chains.
Ren drew his sword. "The Wardens. They will not let you touch the seal."
The first Warden charged, its blade made of pure light. Faizi met it head-on, steel clashing against condensed fire. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the cavern.
Two more Wardens flanked him, forcing him to shift and weave, his sword flashing in arcs of red-gold flame. Every strike he landed burned through their ember bodies, but they reformed almost instantly, their golden cores untouched.
*"Strike the cores!"* the Seal urged. *"Shatter them, and they will fall!"*
Faizi narrowed his focus, his eyes tracking the faint pulsing at each Warden's chest. The next time one lunged, he sidestepped, driving his blade straight through the core. The creature collapsed into a shower of sparks.
But there were more. Dozens.
Ren fought beside him now, his movements precise and unyielding, cutting down any that slipped past Faizi's guard. Yet even together, the endless tide pressed them toward the pillar.
At last, the last Warden fell, its core bursting in a flare of light. Silence returned — heavy, waiting.
The Seal's voice was almost feverish now. *"One step, Faizi Tian… one step, and the chains will fall."*
Ren's gaze locked on him. "Think before you move. Once they are gone, there is no putting them back."
Faizi's hand hovered near the nearest chain, the heat searing even without contact. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Was this salvation… or the beginning of ruin?
The molten pillar pulsed again, like something alive beneath the flame, waiting to be freed.