When I opened my eyes, everything smelled faintly of salt and herbs. The light filtering through the woven roof above me was soft, golden — not the blinding kind I'd gotten used to after a fight. My body felt like one massive bruise, but the bed was warm.
For a moment, I just lay there, listening to the muffled sound of waves outside, the low hum of island wind moving through bamboo chimes. My arms ached, my ribs throbbed, but I was alive. Barely.
A gentle laugh came from somewhere near the window. "Ah, finally awake."
I turned my head. Granny Nivara sat there, stirring something in a clay bowl, her silver hair tied into a bun that probably hadn't moved in decades. Her hut smelled of sea salt, sage, and bitter roots.
"You were impressive out there, young man," she said without looking up. "Though I'd rather not have to mend every bone in your body again."
I managed a small smile. "Thank you… I think."
"You think right." She nodded toward the bowl. "You've got a strange kind of strength. The island can tell."
"The island can tell?" I muttered. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She only gave a knowing smirk, her wrinkled hands still moving with quiet rhythm. "You'll find out soon enough."
Before I could ask more, the door slid open.
Leilani stepped in, sunlight framing her figure. She looked me over, arms crossed. "Good to see you alive, Kael. You looked half-dead yesterday."
"Just half?" I stretched, wincing. "Guess I'm improving."
"Don't push it." She smirked faintly. "You're going to want to hear this — the next trial's been announced."
I groaned. "You people never rest, do you?"
She ignored that. "It's called the Trial of Embers. A combat tournament. Every challenger that passed the rite has to fight. Only the winners earn the right to undertake the Rite of the First Flame."
"Ah." I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "So basically, another day of getting punched in the face."
Leilani raised a brow. "Or another chance to prove you belong here. Your arena's south of the village. Starts by sundown."
"Your's is different?"
"Yeah, so don't worry I'm not gonna kick your ass." She chuckled.
"Fate must be on my side then." I giggle. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," she said with a grin. "Try not to die."
I laughed, though my stomach was already twisting with anticipation. "No promises."
By the time I reached the southern cliffs, the sky had turned amber. The arena wasn't made of steel or marble — it was carved straight into the island's heart, a vast circle of pale coral and dark volcanic stone. The sea crashed below, waves echoing like drums of war.
Hundreds filled the stands. Warriors, elders, children with flower crowns, even the ones who used to whisper behind my back. Their eyes followed me as I walked in.
"That's the outsider."
At the far end stood Elder Kahoni — tall, broad-shouldered, his shark-tooth necklace gleaming in the fading light. When he spoke, his voice rolled through the arena like thunder.
"Today, the island tests those who would bear its flame! Warriors who passed the first trial, step forward! Only those whose wills burn brightest will move on!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. My heartbeat joined them.
My first opponent stepped forward — a lean boy with electric-blue markings running down his arms. Sparks snapped at his fingertips as he smirked.
"Didn't think the outsider would make it this far," he said, cracking his neck.
"Guess you'll have to rethink that," I replied.
The elder's hand dropped.
He lunged first — lightning-fast, fists leaving trails of blue fire in the air. I barely dodged, the heat licking my cheek. His strikes came in flurries, wild but rhythmic. I studied his timing, his balance, every shift of his shoulder.
"Too slow!" he barked, swinging again.
"Just watching," I muttered, stepping in. "Learning."
I caught his arm mid-swing, twisted under, and drove my elbow into his ribs. He gasped, the sparks on his skin flickering. I didn't stop. A quick step forward, a right hook — he crumpled, clutching his side as the electricity fizzled out.
The crowd went silent.
Then Elder Kahoni raised his hand. "Victory to Kael!"
The silence broke into hesitant applause — uncertain, but growing.
Between fights, I sat by the coral wall, wrapping my split knuckles with salt-soaked cloth. The air shimmered from heat and mana. Across the ring, two warriors fought — a spear-user weaving through ferocious fists, the crowd roaring with every clash.
My chest still heaved from the first round, but watching them, something inside me settled. I wasn't the weakest one here anymore. But I also wasn't close to the strongest.
The second match started before I could overthink it.
My opponent was massive — easily twice my size, muscles carved from stone. His stance was rooted, his eyes calm.
"Let's make it quick," he said, rolling his shoulders.
I grinned. "Sure. If you insist."
He moved first. His punch landed like a hammer, slamming into my guard and rattling my bones. The second hit sent me staggering back. He didn't chase — just waited, measured.
"You rely too much on reaction," he said. "Predict, don't follow."
I spat blood, smiling through it. "Thanks for the lesson."
The next time he charged, I was ready. His left shoulder dropped just before every strike — his tell. I ducked under, spun, and slammed my knee into his ribs. He grunted.
"Better," he said, grinning through the pain.
We traded blows — mine fast and wild, his heavy and precise. Each hit stung like molten stone. Then I saw it — the shift of his hips, the twist before the final hook.
I copied it.
Our fists collided midair, the crack echoing across the ring. His eyes widened. My knuckles split, but I didn't care — I drove my elbow into his chest with everything I had.
He stumbled, coughed once, then laughed as he hit the sand. "Good hit, outsider."
"Kael," I said, panting. "Name's Kael."
"I'll remember that." He said, smiling.
Elder Kahoni's voice cut through the air. "Victory to Kael!"
This time, the cheers came faster. Louder.
By the finals, the sun had sunk halfway into the sea. The arena burned gold and crimson. My last opponent stepped forward — tall, composed, eyes like burning coals.
The crowd murmured his name with reverence. He was said to have trained under the elders.
He bowed once. "You've come far, Kael."
"You know my name," I said. "That's either good or bad."
"Depends if you survive this."
The elder dropped his hand.
He struck first. Not fast — perfect. Every motion calculated, each step balanced. His blows forced me back, each one hitting like a drumbeat. My guard shattered under the rhythm.
"You fight with grit," he said between strikes. "But no control."
My breath came ragged. My body screamed. I tried to block, failed. His next strike swept my legs — I hit the ground, the sand hot against my back.
Then something in me clicked.
I remembered the first time I'd watched Aria fight — her stance light, her hands open, her motion like flame given form. I'd studied her every move back then. Now, without thinking, my body fell into that same flow.
Low center. Weight light. Fire in the breath.
The crowd gasped. "That's the Champion's stance!"
My opponent hesitated — just for a heartbeat.
That was all I needed.
I surged forward — one strike to the ribs, one to the jaw, a spinning hook that drove him to his knees. My body moved on instinct, fluid and fierce.
He looked up at me, chest heaving. "So you did watch her closely," he said, half-smiling.
"Every second," I replied.
He exhaled, nodding once. "Then you've earned this."
He lowered his guard. The fight was over.
Elder Kahoni raised his hand. "Victory to Kael!"
The crowd exploded. Cheers rolled through the arena, echoing off the cliffs. My name — not outsider, but Kael — carried on the wind.
I raised my fist high, sweat and blood dripping down my arm, heart pounding like war drums.
Elder Kahoni descended the steps, his shark-tooth necklace glinting in the torchlight. His expression softened as he stood before me.
"You have fought with courage, and you have fought with understanding," he said. "The island recognizes you, Kael."
He lifted his staff, its tip blazing with light.
"From this day forth, you bear the right to undertake the Rite of the First Flame."
The torches roared, their embers spiraling into the night sky.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Leilani watching — expression unreadable, but there was pride there. Maybe even relief. I guess her tournament ended earlier.
For the first time since I set foot on this island, I wasn't just the outsider.
I was one of them.
And I wasn't done burning yet.