The night was unusually cold in the quiet town of Wrenford. The wind carried a thin mist, curling around the rooftops like curious spirits. From the window of a small brick house on the edge of the forest, a faint light flickered — the light of a single candle, burning stubbornly against the darkness.Inside, Collins Lutherchris sat by a dusty wooden table, staring at a faded map and a locket he had worn since childhood. The locket was shaped like a tiny flame — golden, warm to the touch, and always pulsing faintly, as though it had a heartbeat of its own.He didn’t know why it pulsed.He didn’t even know why his parents had left it with him before they vanished ten years ago.All he knew was that they were gone… and that this house — their old house — was the only piece of them he had left.---The floorboards creaked softly as Collins stood and stretched. His dark hair fell across his eyes, and his worn tunic brushed the candlelight. Outside, the forest rustled. Somewhere in the dis

The morning after the battle with the Earth Wraith came with heavy skies and a restless wind. Collins stood outside his house, staring at the faint smoke still rising from the forest. His heart was torn between two worlds — the quiet life he’d always known, and the unknown path that awaited him beyond the mountains.He tightened the strap of his bag and took one last look at the little brick home. The cracked window. The squeaky porch. The smell of pine that always lingered after rain. It was everything he’d ever had — and now he was leaving it behind.“Ready?” Seraphine asked gently. She was already mounted on her horse, her violet hair tied back beneath her hood. Beside her, Master Alden adjusted the reins of his sleek black stallion, while the silent guard followed behind with a pack beast carrying supplies.Collins nodded quietly.“I guess I am.”“Then let’s move,” Alden said. “We have a long road to Veylar.”---The journey began through the winding forest paths of Elderwood, whe

The dawn over Wrenford came slow and silent. The storm from the night before had left the sky veiled in gray, and the ground soaked and heavy with mist. Collins hadn’t slept. The image of the shadows moving through the forest refused to leave his mind.He sat by his window, the small shard — the Ember Key — resting in his hand. It pulsed faintly, matching his heartbeat. Every few seconds, a faint whisper escaped from it — words too ancient to understand, yet strangely comforting.> “Guard the Flame… the eyes are watching…”He clenched his fist and stood, glancing toward the forest. Something inside him whispered that whatever had awoken last night wasn’t done.It was calling to him.---By midday, he packed his things — the locket, his mother’s spellbook, and the shard — and stepped outside. The streets of Wrenford were unusually quiet. Merchants who normally shouted their prices now spoke in hushed tones. People avoided his eyes.It didn’t take long for him to notice why.Three figur

Smoke still drifted above the blackened clearing.The forest smelled of scorched bark and rain, a haunting silence hanging in the air. Collins stood trembling, staring at his hands — the faint glow fading from his skin like dying embers.He couldn’t feel his legs. His mind spun with everything that had happened.The Shadowborn. The Hunters. The power that had erupted from him like a living fire.He dropped to his knees, the earth beneath him warm from the lingering heat. “What… what did I just do?”The silver-haired Hunter approached slowly, lowering his sword. His tone was cautious, not angry. “You survived your first awakening. Few ever do.”Collins looked up, exhausted. “You said… my father chose the Flame. What did you mean?”The Hunter hesitated, exchanging a quick glance with the woman beside him. “This isn’t the place to talk,” he said finally. “More of those things will come once they sense the Ember Key’s energy.”“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Collins snapped, staggering

The storm had not stopped since Rylan’s departure.Rain lashed against the tavern roof, and thunder rolled across the valley like an angry spirit. Collins sat awake long after Kael and Seris had fallen silent, his thoughts circling endlessly around one word.Brother.He couldn’t stop seeing Rylan’s scarred face — the same sharp jawline as his father, the same fire in his eyes. But it was that final whisper, echoing like a ghost in his head, that kept him awake.> “Come find me, little flame…”By dawn, the whisper had grown louder.---The sky was a dull gray when he left The Broken Lantern. Kael was still asleep by the dying fire, and Seris was on watch outside. Collins moved quietly, slipping out the back door, the Ember Key warm beneath his cloak.Each step toward the river felt heavier. The rain had softened into mist, curling through the air like living breath. He didn’t know where he was going exactly — only that he had to follow the pull in his chest.> “Follow the river north,”