The Realm of Flames wasn't what Kael expected.
He'd imagined infernos and ash, a hellscape of eternal burning. Instead, it was beautiful—cities built from volcanic glass, gardens where fire-flowers bloomed in patterns of red and gold, people who walked through flames like they were walking through water.
But there was tension in the air. Fear.
"The Heart of Fire has awakened," their guide said. She was a woman named Sera, with skin like burnished copper and eyes that literally flickered with flame. "Three days ago, the volcano at the center of our realm began to pulse. We know what it means. We remember the old stories."
"Where is it?" Kael asked.
"In the Crucible, at the heart of Mount Ignis. But you can't just walk in and take it. The Heart of Fire has a guardian—a being created specifically to protect it. If you want the Heart, you'll have to defeat the Phoenix King."
Lyra cursed softly. "Of course it has a guardian. Why would anything be easy?"
They'd assembled a team for this mission. Theron had reluctantly joined them, along with Lady Crimson and Lord Azure. The Sorceress had stayed behind to monitor the other Hearts' awakenings. Five heroes from five different realms, working together to prevent another war.
It should have been impossible. But here they were.
The climb to Mount Ignis took two days. The closer they got, the more Kael could feel the Heart of Fire calling to the Heart of All Things within him. They were resonating with each other, power recognizing power.
"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, staying close to him.
"The Hearts want to be together," Kael said. "They're parts of a whole. Separated, they're dangerous. But together..." He didn't finish the thought. He didn't know what they'd be together.
The Crucible was a massive chamber carved into the volcano's heart. Lava flowed in rivers along the walls, providing light and heat that would have killed a normal human. But Kael wasn't normal anymore, and his companions were protected by enchantments.
At the center of the chamber, suspended above a lake of molten rock, hung the Heart of Fire. It looked like a star captured mid-explosion—all crimson light and barely contained fury.
And guarding it was the Phoenix King.
He was magnificent. Twenty feet tall, made entirely of living flame, with wings that spread across the entire chamber. When he spoke, his voice was like a crackling bonfire.
"Turn back, children of the lesser realms. The Heart of Fire is not for you to claim."
"We don't want to fight you," Kael called out. "We just need to contain the Heart before it destroys everything."
"Destroy? The Heart does not destroy. It transforms. It renews. It is the essence of change itself." The Phoenix King's flames burned brighter. "You carry its sibling within you. I can feel it. The Heart of All Things. You think you can contain two such forces?"
"I have to try."
"Then you will die trying."
The Phoenix King attacked.
It was like fighting a natural disaster. Waves of fire that reshaped the battlefield. Attacks that came from every direction at once. The only reason they survived the first thirty seconds was that Lord Azure created shields of frozen water, and Lady Crimson redirected some of the flames.
But they couldn't win through force.
"Kael!" Theron shouted. "Use your gift! Show it a future!"
Kael tried. He reached out with his power, trying to show the Phoenix King what would happen if the Heart of Fire wasn't contained. But the guardian's mind was alien, ancient, bound to a single purpose.
It didn't care about futures. It only cared about duty.
"It's not working!" Kael yelled.
"Then we fight," Theron said, his sword gleaming. "Like we should have from the start."
But Lyra grabbed Kael's arm. "Wait. You can't show it a future. But can you show it the past? Can you show it why the Hearts were created in the first place?"
Kael understood. The Hearts weren't originally weapons. They were gifts. Tools meant to unite the realms, not divide them.
He reached out again, but this time, he didn't show the Phoenix King what could be. He showed it what had been. The moment the Hearts were first created. The hope and love that had gone into their making. The intention behind them.
The Phoenix King froze mid-attack.
"I... remember," it said, its voice filled with wonder. "I remember the beginning. Before the corruption. Before the war. I remember what I was meant to protect."
The flames began to dim. Not dying, but calming. Becoming less destructive fire and more living light.
"If you take the Heart," the Phoenix King said, "promise me you'll use it as it was meant to be used. Not as a weapon. Not as a tool of division. But as a bridge. A connection."
"I promise," Kael said.
The Phoenix King bowed its massive head. "Then take it, child of Ashford. And may you succeed where we failed."
Kael approached the Heart of Fire carefully. When he touched it, the power flowed into him, merging with the Heart of All Things. For a moment, he thought he'd burn from the inside out. The pain was incredible.
But then Lyra was there, her hand on his shoulder, grounding him. And Lord Azure was channeling cooling energy. And Lady Crimson was helping him balance the fire. And even Theron was lending his strength.
Together, they contained the second Heart.
When it was done, Kael collapsed, gasping. Inside him, two Hearts now pulsed in rhythm. It was twice the power. Twice the burden. Twice the danger.
But he was still himself.
"Five more to go," he managed weakly.
"Five more," Lyra agreed, helping him stand. "But we did it, Kael. We actually did it."
The Phoenix King watched them leave, its flames now gentle and warm. As they descended the mountain, Kael felt something shift in the world. The realms were stabilizing further. The danger was lessening.
But it wasn't over. It wouldn't be over until all seven Hearts were contained.
And Kael was beginning to wonder if he could survive containing them all.
But that was a problem for another day. For now, they'd won a victory. And that was enough.