"Some paths must burn before they shine."
The mountains loomed like sleeping beasts under the pale glow of three moons. The air was dry, and the scent of ash hung faintly in the wind. Lior and Kael followed a narrow trail that twisted between jagged cliffs. Each step crunched softly beneath their boots.
Neither of them spoke for a while. The silence after the city felt heavy, as if the echoes of the bells still lingered in their minds.
Kael finally broke the quiet. "Do you think they really found peace?"
Lior glanced at him. "I hope so."
Kael nodded, his eyes on the path ahead. "You looked like you were crying up there."
"I was," Lior admitted. "For a moment, I saw what they lost. It was beautiful once."
Kael sighed. "This world seems to hold beauty and ruin in equal measure."
They walked on. The path began to slope upward, and the temperature dropped. Frost clung to the rocks, glittering faintly under the moonlight. The higher they climbed, the thinner the air became.
At the crest of the hill, they found a flat plateau. In the middle of it stood a single road paved with black stones that glowed faintly from beneath, as if embers burned deep inside the rock.
Kael frowned. "That looks like it's alive."
Lior crouched and placed his hand near the stones. Heat radiated upward, steady and strong. "The Ember Road," he murmured.
"You've heard of it?"
"I think so. Elder Thane once told the children stories about it. He said it was built long ago by the first kings of Elyndra to guide travelers through the mountains. But it was sealed when the north began to burn."
Kael stared at the glowing path. "And now it is open again."
Lior rose to his feet. "Which means someone opened it."
A faint sound came from the far end of the road, a rhythmic thud followed by a low growl. They exchanged glances.
"Not friendly," Kael muttered.
"Probably not." Lior stepped forward. "But we have to see."
As they moved along the road, the air shimmered with heat. Shadows danced on the edges of the path, twisting shapes that seemed almost human. Lior could hear faint whispers carried by the wind, though the words made no sense.
Halfway across the plateau, a figure emerged from the haze. It was tall and thin, its skin dark as coal, and flames burned where its eyes should have been. Chains hung from its wrists, glowing red like molten iron.
Kael reached for his blade. "That's not something you can talk to."
Lior felt the mark on his hand pulse faintly, though he tried to ignore it. "Stay behind me."
The creature tilted its head. When it spoke, its voice crackled like burning wood. "You walk the road of the condemned. Only ashes may pass."
Lior tightened his grip on his staff. "We're not your enemies."
The creature laughed, a hollow sound that made the air tremble. "Then burn as friends."
It lunged forward, its chains whipping through the air. Lior barely dodged the first strike. The impact shattered a piece of the glowing road, scattering sparks into the darkness.
Kael darted around to the side, blade flashing. His strike met the creature's arm, but the blade hissed uselessly against the heat.
Lior called out, "Kael, the chains, aim for them!"
Kael nodded, adjusting his stance. Lior raised his hand, focusing his energy. The light in his palm brightened until it burst outward, creating a barrier of blue flame. The creature's next attack collided with it and rebounded with a roar.
Kael used the opening to slash through one of the glowing chains. The moment it snapped, the creature screamed, and its flames flickered violently.
Lior gathered his strength and sent another wave of energy forward. The magic hit the creature square in the chest, pushing it backward toward the edge of the cliff.
It staggered, teetering for a moment, then turned its burning eyes on Lior. "You carry the crown's shadow," it hissed. "The fire remembers."
Before Lior could answer, the creature stepped backward and vanished into the abyss below, leaving only drifting embers behind.
Kael dropped to one knee, panting. "What did it mean by that?"
Lior's pulse still thundered in his ears. "I don't know. But it knew me. Or what I am becoming."
Kael stood and sheathed his blade. "Then maybe it is time we stop pretending you are ordinary."
Lior looked down at his hands. The faint light beneath his skin pulsed again, softer this time, almost like a heartbeat. He clenched his fists. "Ordinary or not, I'm not turning back."
Kael smiled faintly. "Good. Because I think the road ahead just got longer."
They turned toward the end of the Ember Road. The stones there blazed brighter, forming an archway of molten light that pulsed gently, inviting them onward.
As they stepped through, the world around them shifted. The mountains faded, replaced by a vast valley filled with red mist. Strange lights floated through the air like spirits.
Kael whispered, "Where are we now?"
Lior looked at the horizon where dark shapes moved beneath the fog. "Somewhere we are not supposed to be."
Behind them, the Ember Road cooled and dimmed, sealing off their path of return.
And before them, the valley waited.