The flames still danced faintly on my skin as I stood before the massive stone door. Every rune upon it pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat — deep, resonant, alive. The clearing around us was eerily silent now, save for the faint crackle of dying embers where the wyvern's body lay cooling.
Alex limped up beside me, his expression torn between exhaustion and wonder. "It's reacting to you," he whispered.
I nodded slowly. "It feels… familiar. Like it's calling my mana."
The moment I placed my hand on the door, heat surged up my arm — not burning this time, but warm, vibrant, welcoming. The runes glowed brighter, flaring from crimson to gold, and the sound of shifting stone echoed like thunder in the still air.
The door began to open.
A gust of ancient air rushed out, dry and heavy, filled with the scent of dust and time. We shielded our faces as the wind howled past us, and when it finally subsided, we stared into the darkness beyond.
It wasn't just a cave.
It was a sanctum.
The walls shimmered faintly with traces of old enchantments, lines of mana forming patterns like constellations. In the center stood a pedestal carved from obsidian, and atop it rested a crystal orb — glowing faintly with inner fire.
We stepped inside, our footsteps echoing softly. The air felt thick, ancient. Each breath seemed to hum with unseen energy.
Alex ran his fingers across one of the glowing walls. "Brother… this is no ordinary chamber."
"No," I murmured, my voice low. "It's a legacy ground. Father must have built this himself."
I approached the pedestal cautiously. As I reached out, the orb pulsed, and a deep, familiar voice filled the chamber — not from around us, but from within the orb itself.
> "Alaric. Alex. If you are hearing this… then I am long gone."
My heart stopped.
The voice — I would never forget it. My father's.
Alex gasped softly beside me. "Father…"
> "You must have already seen what greed and betrayal can do," the voice continued, sorrow woven through every word. "I entrusted you with the map not for wealth, but for truth. The treasure you seek is not gold, but power and knowledge — the foundation of our family's heritage."
The orb's light shifted, and an image appeared in the air — a sigil shaped like a burning sun intertwined with twin serpents.
> "We were once called the Flameborn, descendants of the first fire mage who touched the heart of a dying star. That blood still flows in our veins, though the world has forgotten."
The chamber trembled faintly as the orb flared brighter, revealing murals along the walls — paintings of warriors wreathed in flame, dragons bowing before men, and empires burning and rebuilding under the same crimson banner.
Alex took a step back, awe in his eyes. "We're… descendants of them?"
I stared at the mural, feeling a strange pull in my chest — a recognition buried deep in my soul. "It seems so."
> "But power," Father's voice continued, "is a double-edged flame. It will forge you, or consume you. What lies beyond this door is only the beginning. You must grow, not just in strength, but in heart. Otherwise… you will burn like those who came before."
The orb's light began to fade.
> "My sons… if you ever doubt your path, remember this: fire does not destroy. It purifies."
And then, the light went out.
For a long while, neither of us spoke. Only the faint hum of mana filled the silence.
Finally, Alex broke it, his voice small. "I… I miss him."
I closed my eyes, forcing back the surge of emotion that threatened to rise. "So do I."
When I opened them again, the pedestal had changed — where the orb once rested, there were now two rings, each glowing with faint red light.
One bore the sigil of a phoenix. The other, a dragon.
Without hesitation, we took them. The moment the rings touched our skin, fire surged through our bodies — not in pain, but empowerment. My mana pulsed, resonating with the flame within the ring, while Alex's aura shimmered with golden light.
"This…" he breathed. "This power…"
"It's his legacy," I said softly. "And now it's ours."
The runes on the walls dimmed, and a new passage revealed itself at the far end of the chamber — a narrow path descending deep into the mountain, glowing faintly with mana-infused light.
I looked at Alex and smiled faintly. "Ready to see what lies ahead?"
He nodded, determination in his eyes. "Together, always."
And with that, we stepped forward — into the heart of the mountain, into the unknown, carrying the fire of our father's legacy in our veins.