Hal'Zirath was nothing like the human world. Its sky burned in shades of violet and crimson, clouds twisted as if alive, carrying whispers that made Sid's teeth chatter even in his dreams.
He had seen glimpses before — fragments of this place in visions — but now it was real, and it called to him.
Azareth's throne loomed at the center of a cavernous chamber, carved from black stone veined with crimson.
Two demon lords flanked him, their forms tall and terrible, eyes glowing like molten metal. Sid didn't belong here. He had never belonged here. Yet even from afar, he could feel the pull, the weight of power surrounding this place.
At the far end, standing silently like a shadow among shadows, was Velgrin. Sid had seen his schemes unfold in fragments, whispered in the edges of dreams, but the man — or whatever Velgrin truly was — radiated patience, calculation, and danger. Now he moved, stepping forward, his cloak brushing the floor with a whispering hiss.
Without a word, Velgrin conjured a flame in his palm. It was no ordinary fire. Black at the edges and molten gold at its core, it danced like living energy, consuming the air around it. Slowly, deliberately, he shaped it into a spear — a Soulforge Inferno. The flames seemed to devour the very shadows, reaching outward as if searching for a target.
Azareth's voice cut through the chamber, sharp and measured. "You push too far, Velgrin. Every flame burns its bearer."
Velgrin's smile was thin, almost serene. "Every flame reveals the truth, Azareth. And truth requires sacrifice."
His eyes swept the chamber, lingering briefly on the two lords flanking the throne. "The First Flame will be complete soon. Then all doubts will be extinguished."
Sid felt the stirrings of something primal inside him. The demon pulsed, eager and impatient, whispering, urging him to reach out, to touch, to take. Sid resisted, teeth clenched. He could feel the connection, the thread that tied his soul to Ravh'Zereth, quivering with desire. He had power, yes, but here, it was a child's ember next to the fire of gods and demons.
A ripple of energy passed through the chamber, almost playful, as Velgrin tossed the flame spear upward and caught it with ease. Shadows bent and twisted around him, drawn to the light and darkness in equal measure.
Azareth leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Do you not fear it will consume you first?"
Velgrin's answer was calm, unflinching.
"Fear is a luxury for the weak. Only control matters. And control is mine."
Sid's vision blurred for a moment. He felt the weight of Hal'Zirath pressing down, whispers brushing the edges of his mind, urging him to step closer. He did not. Not yet. But somewhere, deep inside, he knew that this chamber, these lords, and this First Flame were pieces of a puzzle he could not ignore. Pieces that would define him, whether he wanted them to or not.
And as the chamber's shadows stretched toward him, Sid realized that every battle he had fought in the human world was just a prelude. The real test — the one that would determine whether he could master the flame within or be consumed by it — had already begun.