🔥 Chapter 3 — Testing the Ember
Kael felt the Ember pulse violently along his arm as the first new general advanced, green energy coiling around him like living chains. Every step the general took warped the frozen ground, creating obstacles of jagged ice and rock.
Rhyne called out, dodging a whip of energy. "Kael! Watch his rhythm! He isn't just strong—he predicts your movements!"
Kael narrowed his eyes, feeling the Ember respond instinctively. Flames spiraled along his arms, licking the icy ground. "Then I'll move with it, not against it. The Ember knows the rhythm—I just have to trust it."
The general struck again, energy whips snapping toward Kael. This time, Kael didn't dodge blindly. He let the Ember guide him, twisting and flowing, deflecting the attacks with controlled bursts of fire. Sparks and green energy collided in blinding arcs, freezing and vaporizing sections of the battlefield.
Rhyne's voice rang out: "Keep him off balance! Make him react to you! Don't let him dictate the fight!"
Kael's eyes glowed brighter. He focused on the gaps between the general's strikes, the spaces where the rhythm faltered. The Ember extended along his arms like liquid fire, forming blades and shields that moved as extensions of his will. He struck precisely at the openings, each blow testing the general's defenses.
The general hissed, stepping back, recalibrating. Kael realized this wasn't just a battle of strength—it was a battle of control. Every movement, every strike, every pulse of energy had to be in harmony with the Ember.
"Rhyne… I can feel it," Kael shouted over the roar of clashing energy. "I can control the flow! Not just strike, but shape the battlefield!"
Rhyne grinned, deflecting a green whip with his sigil blade. "That's it! Push him! Don't give him a moment to adapt!"
Kael unleashed a spiraling wave of fire, encircling the general, forcing him to move, to react, to reveal weaknesses. The Ember hummed like a living being, guiding Kael's attacks with uncanny precision.
For the first time, the general faltered—not broken, but tested. Kael knew the battle was far from over, yet hope surged. The Ember had awakened further, and with it, Kael's power was evolving faster than even the King's generals could anticipate.