The first light of dawn stretched over the valley, casting long shadows across the terrain. Kael stood at the head of the assembled warriors, his black flames pulsing softly along his arms.Every individual under his command had been briefed: scouts had mapped the strongholds, strategists had formulated attack plans, and Kael’s elemental control combined with cursed flame mastery made him the spearhead of the offensive.Ryven stepped beside him, staff in hand. “Kael, remember, this is more than a physical battle. These remnants are cunning, and their shadow techniques can corrupt both body and mind. Precision, coordination, and observation are key. Lead wisely.”Kael’s gaze hardened. “I understand, Master. Today, we strike not recklessly, but decisively. Shadows thrive on hesitation. We will give them none.”With a single nod, the warriors split into coordinated units, moving silently toward the stronghold. Kael led the central strike, wind currents aiding his speed, earth pillars cus

The stronghold lay in ruins. Shadows dissolved into the ground like smoke into the wind, leaving only fractured stone, scorched earth, and exhausted warriors standing amidst the aftermath.The silence that followed the monstrous core’s destruction was eerie unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath.Kael stood at the center of the battlefield, his chest rising and falling steadily, cursed flames dimming but still lingering faintly around his arms. His vision sharpened with every blink, scanning the field, ensuring that nothing lingered of Malrik’s corruption.The stronghold was gone, but his instincts whispered otherwise something deeper lingered, hidden, watching.Lyra approached, her blade dripping with the last remnants of shadow. “It’s over,” she said, though her voice carried doubt.Kael shook his head slowly. “No. This was only a piece of something larger. Malrik’s lieutenants are gone, but what of the ones who trained them? What of the forces who stood above Malr

The road east was more than a path, it was a trial.bKael walked at the head of their diminished company, his steps steady but his thoughts weighed down like iron. Every face behind him was tired, hollowed by grief from the last battle. They carried wounds that weren’t just flesh and bone, but spirit.Lyra remained at his side, sharp eyed, her hand never far from her blade. She carried herself like a commander even when her shoulders sagged with fatigue.Every so often, Kael caught her glancing at him not with doubt, but with concern, as though she feared the cursed flames that now licked faintly at his body might devour him from within. And then there was Ryven.The Hollow Flame walked a few paces behind them, his hood low, his presence like a shadow draped across the group. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, the silence that followed seemed longer than his words.On the second night, when Kael could no longer ignore the weight pressing against his chest, he turned to him.“Ryven

The ruins lay in ruinous silence, but only for a heartbeat. Then it came. From the crack in the gate poured a shadow thicker than night, writhing like smoke yet heavy as molten steel. The pressure of it bent the air, smothering even Kael’s flames for a moment.Out of the shifting darkness crawled a form not fully flesh, not fully spirit, a thing half-born from the seal itself.Its body was human shaped, but stretched too tall, its limbs too long. Where its heart should have been was a gaping void glowing faintly with embers. Chains still clung to its shoulders, dragging sparks as they scraped across the broken stones.Its face was a mask of shifting fire, no features save for two molten eyes that locked instantly onto Kael. The statues that had once worshipped froze, then fell to their knees again this time trembling, chanting a single phrase in broken unison: “SHADE OF THE FLAME.”Ryven’s blade hummed with power, his stance rigid. “Damn it… the seal spat out an echo.” Lyra staggered

The ruins were silent, but the silence carried weight. The kind of weight that pressed into the lungs and made every breath feel borrowed.Kael sat against the cold stone, sweat dripping down his face, his skin streaked with ash and blood. His chest still burned not with the hollow master’s presence, but with the raw fire that pulsed like a second heartbeat.Lyra crouched beside him, gently wiping the blood from his lips. “You nearly scared me to death.” Kael gave her a faint smirk, though his voice was hoarse. “Nearly? Guess I’ll try harder next time.”Her glare could’ve melted stone, but the shake in her hands betrayed her fear. She pressed harder with the cloth, as if grounding herself through the small act of tending to him.Ryven stood a few steps away, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the ground where Kael had convulsed. The stone was cracked, scorched black in wide spirals, like something vast had pressed itself into the world through Kael’s body.“The tether is broken,” Ryven said