The smell of smoke was still filled in the air, thick and oppressive. The clearing was eerily quiet, save for the soft crackle of leaves burning nearby. Elara's knees buckled, and Kai was quick to catch her before she fell. Her skin felt feverishly hot under his hand, as if there were embers smoldering just beneath the surface.
"Elara," he said gently, almost hesitantly. "Look at me."
She tried to focus, but her vision swirled. The world around her shimmered with bizarre colors, golds, reds, and deep oranges that seemed impossible. Her heart pounded painfully, each beat sending a wave of warmth radiating from her chest.
"What did I do?" she murmured. "I didn't mean to…"
"You saved us," Seren replied, her voice trembling. She knelt close by, soot smudged on her face, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear. "You burned them all."
Elara's breath caught in her throat. Burned them all.
She tore her gaze from Kai and looked down at her hands. Faint red threads glimmered beneath her skin, tracing her veins like molten fire. She tried to brush them away, but the light only pulsed brighter, alive and responsive.
Kai's expression turned serious, but his voice stayed steady. "You touched the ember stone. It awakened something within you. Whatever magic flows in your blood… it's no longer asleep."
Elara felt the ground shift beneath her. "Then what am I, Kai?"
He paused, searching for the right words. "A descendant of the fire-born kings, perhaps. Or…" His voice trailed off. "Something even older."
The wind shifted, carrying a faint sound of laughter, low, echoing, and surreal. Elara's head snapped up. The silver-haired man had vanished, but his voice lingered, whispering through the trees like curling smoke.
"Burn bright, child of ashes…"
Seren clutched Elara's sleeve tightly. "He's gone. The one who spoke… he disappeared."
Kai stood up, scanning the treeline, every muscle in his body tense. "No. He's still watching. A man like that doesn't retreat, he waits."
Elara forced herself to stand, her legs shaking. "We need to move. If more of them come…"
"We're not in any shape to fight," Kai interrupted. "You almost burned yourself to a crisp."
Her anger flared up. "So what? Should we just hide again? Wait for the next attack? I refuse to live like prey, Kai."
"Then you need to learn to control the fire before it controls you," he replied, his tone sharp. His words hit hard.
Seren stepped in between them, her voice shaking. "Please, both of you. We need to find shelter, not tear each other apart."
Kai was the first to look away, his jaw clenched. "There's an old watchtower not too far from here. It's abandoned, but it can be defended. We'll rest there."
They set off under a dim, overcast sky. The forest was eerily quiet, as if even nature was afraid of the remnants of Elara's power. Each step sent waves of exhaustion through her; the fire inside her simmered quietly now, but she could feel it waiting, alive, aware.
When they arrived at the tower, it was little more than a crumbling ruin, stones charred and half-covered in ivy. Inside, Kai cleared away the debris while Seren carefully wrapped Elara's burned palms with torn linen and whispered prayers.
"You shouldn't touch me," Elara said softly. "It might happen again."
Seren offered a weak smile. "Then I'll burn with you, my princess."
Elara's throat tightened. For a brief moment, she wished she could believe she was still the same person Seren saw. A scared heir holding onto hope. But deep down, she knew the truth: something inside her had changed forever.
Later, as night descended, Kai sat across from her, the firelight dancing in his eyes. The silence between them felt alive, thick with tension.
"Just say it," Elara finally whispered. "You think I'm dangerous."
Kai met her gaze. "I think you're powerful. And with power comes a price."
"What price?"
He hesitated. "That's something we'll need to figure out before the fire consumes everything."
She swallowed hard. "You're scared of me."
Kai didn't argue. "I've seen what uncontrolled power can do. But I'm more afraid of losing you before you learn how to use it."
For a brief moment, warmth spread through her chest, not the kind that brings danger, but something softer. Hope.
Then, from deep within the forest, a single horn sounded, low, sorrowful, and unmistakable. Kai went still.
"That's not a rebel's call," he murmured. "That's a royal signal. Someone from the old court."
Elara's heart skipped a beat. "A survivor?" "Or a trap."
He stood up, his hand resting on his sword. "Either way, we can't just brush it off."
Outside, the wind picked up again, and for a fleeting moment, the flames in their little fire danced higher, taking the shape of a crown before crumbling into ash. Elara watched, her blood running cold. The fire within her whispered gently: The crown calls to you.
Elara stumbled back from the dying fire, her heart racing in her chest. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely above her breath.
Kai frowned, confusion etched on his face. "Hear what?"
"The voice," she replied, her throat parched, making her words come out in a raspy whisper. "It… spoke to me."
He stepped closer, his movements careful. "Voices don't come from flames, Elara."
"Then you didn't see it, the crown in the fire?" she pressed, desperation creeping into her tone.
"I saw fire," he replied, his voice growing firmer, "and a woman who's pushing herself too far."
His skepticism hit her harder than any weapon could. "You think I'm losing my mind."
Kai's expression softened just a bit, but he stayed silent. He didn't need to say anything.
Elara turned to the narrow window of the tower. Beyond the trees, faint glimmers flickered on the horizon, the direction of the signal. She couldn't tell if they belonged to survivors or executioners, but something deep inside her, the same voice that had whispered from the fire urged her to move toward them.
Seren stirred in her sleep, softly calling out Elara's name.
Elara replied in a hushed tone, "We're not finished yet."
Outside, the wind carried the acrid scent of smoke and iron, as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting to ignite once more. And somewhere beyond the trees, a second horn echoed the first.