The morning after the battle with Gravelox was quiet.
The desert breeze was softer now, and the ground didn't shake anymore. The team rested in a shaded camp near the ancient ruins.
The sand no longer hissed. The tension had eased. But the war was far from over.
Zahid sat on a rock, sharpening the edge of his staff with a piece of glass. The firelight danced across his bronze skin and clear tattoos—marks left by the Glassfire Spark.
Eon approached him, silent as always.
"You've changed," Eon said.
Zahid nodded. "I didn't know I could burn like that."
"You held it back for too long," Eon replied. "But it's part of you now."
Zahid looked down at his hands. "It's strong… but dangerous."
Eon nodded slowly. "That's why you're coming with me."
Zahid blinked. "Where?"
"To the Andes," Eon said. "Another Rift is opening. And the next Spark will need us."
Later that day, the team gathered around a map made from magical thread and glowing dust. Layna pointed at the Andes Mountains in South America.
"The Rift there is unstable," she explained. "The scouts say strange storms are forming around it. Purple lightning. No signal from the base."
Rin looked worried. "Are we all going?"
Eon shook his head.
"No. I'll go with Zahid. You, Ayo, Selene—stay here. Rest. Train. The next phase is coming soon."
Rin hesitated. She had been fighting hard. The last few days had changed her life.
But she nodded. "Understood."
Zahid stepped forward.
"I'll follow you, Eon. Wherever this leads."
The two of them prepared to leave at sunrise.
But that night… the enemy made its move.
---
In the Shadows of Camp
The stars were high, and the campfire was small.
Rin sat near a tent, holding her hands out to the heat. Ayo and Selene were nearby, asleep.
She couldn't rest.
Her dreams were full of voices.
Whispers. Warnings.
Something wasn't right.
Suddenly, the fire shifted.
A cold breeze passed.
Rin's eyes widened.
"...who's there?"
No answer.
Only silence.
She stood, slowly. Her hands glowed with healing light.
Then—a chain shot out from the dark, wrapping around her ankle.
She screamed and rolled, breaking free just in time.
From the shadows, a form slithered forward.
Noctheris.
A Conqueror General. Long and dark, like a serpent made of smoke and steel. Chains flowed around it like liquid metal. Its eyes were purple slits glowing in the night.
"You shine too brightly," it hissed. "Time to put you out."
Rin raised her arms.
"Verdant Wall!"
A green shield burst from her fingers, blocking the next strike.
She dashed back, trying to wake the others.
"Ayo! Selene! Wake up!"
But Noctheris moved fast.
It leapt across the sand, blades forming from its arms.
Rin dodged again—barely.
"You're not ready," the General whispered.
"Then I'll fight anyway!" she shouted.
She pushed both hands forward.
"Verdant Surge!"
A burst of green energy struck Noctheris, pushing it back a few feet.
But it wasn't enough.
The Conqueror hissed in pain—but laughed.
"Good… fight harder. I want to see how deep your roots go."
It vanished into the dark again.
Ayo finally sat up.
"What—what's going on?!"
Rin gasped, catching her breath. "It was here. Noctheris. It attacked me…"
Selene looked around, alarmed. "Where did it go?"
Eon's voice called out from the edge of camp.
"It was a warning. Next time… it won't hold back."
---
Flashback – The First Flame Civilization
Long ago—long before Earth had countries or kings—there was a place called Solvinar.
It was hidden in a wide valley, surrounded by blue mountains. The people there lived close to the land. They knew the stars. They spoke with stone and wind.
But what made Solvinar different was the magic.
They had the System.
It was old. Wild. Not the System of today. Not yet.
The people called it The Gift of Balance.
They didn't have screens or numbers, but they felt the power in their blood. The land responded to them. Fire grew from their hands. Water moved with their songs.
Eon came to them as a traveler.
He looked like one of them—but his eyes were ancient.
He spoke their language.
And when he placed his hand on their stone gates, the doors opened with golden light.
The elders knew what he was.
"You are not one of us," they said. "But you carry the Flame."
Eon lived with them for years.
He taught them how to shape the Gift into tools. How to tame beasts, how to seal dark creatures in stone.
Together, they built a city powered by flame and song.
But the peace did not last.
One night, the sky tore open.
A Rift appeared—and from it came something dark.
The first Conqueror.
It had no name then—just hunger.
It landed in the valley, destroying the mountain's edge.
The people fought. Eon fought beside them.
But many died.
Eon finally sealed the creature beneath the temple, locking it with a Flame Brand that burned even without fuel.
Solvinar survived.
But the people were changed.
"The Gift must be protected," they said. "Or it will become a curse."
And from that time forward, Eon knew: the System was not only power.
It was a door.
And not all who walked through it came from Earth.
---
Present – Departure
The next morning, Eon and Zahid stood at the edge of camp.
A portal shimmered in front of them.
It led to the Andes.
Eon looked at Rin before leaving.
"Stay sharp. Noctheris won't stop."
Rin nodded. "I'll be ready next time."
Zahid gave her a quiet nod. "We'll return soon."
Eon placed a hand on Zahid's shoulder.
"The next Spark is waiting. And this time… we may find answers the stars have hidden."
They stepped through the portal.
Light swallowed them.