THE HIDDEN FLAME OF LUTHERCHRIS

CHAPTER 10: The Siege of Aldrath

The first scream tore through the rain.

In seconds, the peaceful valley of Aldrath became a battlefield of fire and shadow. The villagers ran for their lives as black flames swept across the houses. The smell of burning wood and ash filled the air.

Kael drew his blade in a single motion, its silver edge gleaming through the downpour. “Seris—protect the east side! Don’t let them surround us!”

Seris leapt into motion, her staff pulsing with azure light as water burst from the ground around her. Streams coiled into whips, slashing through the nearest Remnants. They fell screeching, their bodies unraveling into mist.

But for every one that fell, two more crawled out of the forest.

Collins stood frozen, the Ember Key glowing through his cloak, his heart hammering in his chest. The whispers returned — soft at first, then growing louder, echoing in his head.

> “Burn… or be burned…”

> “You cannot run from what you are…”

He tried to push the voice away, but the key pulsed violently, and his veins lit up like molten gold.

Kael saw it and shouted, “Collins! Control it! Don’t let it take you!”

But it was too late.

A blast of golden fire erupted from Collins’s body, sweeping across the square. The Remnants screamed as they burned to ash — but so did the buildings, the ground, even the rain itself turning into steam.

“Collins!” Seris cried out. “Stop — you’ll destroy the whole town!”

He couldn’t. The fire wasn’t his to command anymore. It roared like a beast freed from a cage, devouring everything it touched.

Through the storm of flame, a dark figure walked untouched — Rylan. His cloak billowed around him, his eyes reflecting the inferno.

> “So,” he said calmly, “you finally wake.”

Collins turned, breathing hard, his eyes glowing bright gold. “You did this!”

Rylan spread his hands. “I only showed you what was already inside you. The Flame doesn’t choose the weak, Collins. It chooses those strong enough to endure its hunger.”

Kael charged forward, his blade crackling with runes. “He’s using you, boy! Don’t listen to him!”

Their swords met — fire against steel. The impact sent shockwaves through the rain, shattering the ground beneath them.

Rylan moved like smoke, every strike precise and deadly. “Still the loyal guard dog, Kael. You never understood what the Flame truly is.”

Kael gritted his teeth, parrying another blow. “I understood enough to know it destroys everything it touches.”

“Only when wielded by cowards,” Rylan hissed.

Collins raised his hand, trying to summon control — but the fire flared again, wild and chaotic. His vision blurred. He saw flashes — his father’s voice, his mother’s face, the tower on fire, Rylan screaming.

Then — darkness.

When his vision cleared, he stood at the center of devastation. Aldrath was gone — reduced to cinders and smoke. The rain still fell, hissing against the scorched earth.

Kael was on his knees, bleeding. Seris knelt beside him, her water magic fading to mist. Rylan stood at the edge of the destruction, unharmed, his expression unreadable.

> “You see now?” he said quietly. “The Flame is not a gift. It’s a burden. But together, we can control it. End the Council’s lies. Free those trapped in the Ember — your parents, Collins.”

Collins’s breathing quickened. “You said… my parents are inside the Flame?”

Rylan nodded. “Yes. And only we can bring them back.”

Kael coughed, blood on his lips. “Don’t… trust him… he wants the power… not your parents.”

Rylan turned to him, eyes cold. “And you want to keep the boy chained — just like you did his father.”

Collins’s hands trembled. Flames flickered at his fingertips, but his voice was barely a whisper. “Enough… stop!”

Neither of them moved. The wind roared, and for a moment, time seemed to hold its breath.

Then — the Ember Key pulsed again.

This time, the voice was not a whisper. It was a woman’s voice — clear, commanding, and full of sorrow.

> “Collins… my son… trust your heart…”

The sound froze both Kael and Rylan. Collins gasped, looking down at the glowing key. “Mother?”

A shape began to form within the fire — faint, like a reflection on glass. A woman’s silhouette, her hair flowing like flame.

“Impossible,” Rylan whispered.

Kael’s eyes widened. “The Ember Spirit… she’s waking.”

The ground shook. The air grew heavy with heat. From the ashes of Aldrath, a spiral of fire rose into the sky — towering, majestic, alive. The villagers who had fled turned to watch from afar, their faces lit by the infernal glow.

And in that light, Collins saw what the world would now see him as —

not a hero.

Not a savior.

But a monster reborn.