Z-Virus: Survival System Activated

Episode 6: The Black Flame

The Battle Had Ended But The Smoke Remained Thick In The Air Like A Curtain Of Grief Calder Stood At The Edge Of The Ridge His Sword Dripping Ash The Ground Around Him Was Littered With Burned Armor And Shattered Bones The Heat Still Radiated From The Cracks In The Earth Glowing Like Dying Coals

Rhea Sat Against A Fallen Boulder Her Side Bleeding But Her Eyes Sharp She Watched Calder With A Question In Her Gaze But Said Nothing

Holt Emerged From The Ash Cloud Carrying His Son Whose Face Was Smudged With Dirt But Alive That Was All That Mattered

They Were Alive

Barely

We Held Them Rhea Said Her Voice Hoarse But We Lost Half

We Always Knew That Would Be The Price Calder Replied

But Did We Win Holt Asked Looking Out At The Still Burning Wreckage

Calder Did Not Answer Right Away His Eyes Caught On A Single Object In The Distance A Banner Made Of Black Cloth Still Standing Somehow Unburned The Symbol On It Was Twisted Not Vane’s Sigil But Something Older A Flame Wreathed In Chains

That Wasn’t Vane Calder Said That Was Something Else

Then Who Rhea Asked

Something Worse

The Group Spent The Next Day In Silence Burying Their Dead Marking Graves With Stones They Had No Time For Rites Only A Moment To Whisper Names Before Moving On

The Desert Was Unforgiving The Wind Blew Smoke Southward The Sky Hung Heavy With The Weight Of What Was Still Coming

They Rode West Again Slower This Time Tired Wounded Changed

By The Fourth Day They Reached The Edge Of The Black Dunes A Place Spoken Of Only In Whispers Sand As Dark As Coal Shifting Like Water In The Wind

No One Comes This Far Rhea Said Even The Maps End Here

Then We’ve Come Far Enough Calder Said

They Made Camp Beneath A Rock Outcropping Shielded From The Wind The Fire They Built Was Small Just Enough To Boil Water And Warm The Bones

Holt Sat With His Son Resting Beside Him The Boy Slept Deeply A Knife Still In His Hand

He’s Changed Holt Said Quietly

We All Have Rhea Replied

That Night Calder Had A Dream

He Stood Alone In A Temple Of Stone Firelight Flickered On The Walls Carved With Faces Screaming Faces Crying Faces Burning At The Center Of The Temple Stood A Figure Wreathed In Black Flame Its Voice Was A Whisper That Cut Through Bone

You Carry The Blade Of Ash The Voice Said But You Do Not Know What It Costs

Who Are You Calder Asked

I Am What Comes When Fire Fails When The World Ends And Begins Again

Calder Reached For His Sword But It Melted In His Hand Turning To Smoke

You Will Burn The Voice Said But Not Today

He Woke Gasping Sweat Coating His Skin Despite The Cold

We Have To Keep Moving He Said

Where Rhea Asked

Toward The Black Flame He Replied

The Next Three Days Were A Trial The Dunes Were Deceptive The Ground Shifted Beneath Their Feet The Sun Disappeared Behind A Constant Veil Of Dust And The Nights Were So Cold Even Fire Could Not Keep The Chill From Their Bones

Then On The Seventh Day They Found It

A Fortress Built Into The Bones Of A Dead Mountain Black Stone Walls Risen From The Sand Like The Ribs Of A Giant Beast The Gates Were Sealed The Air Thick With The Smell Of Iron And Magic

This Is The Place Calder Said

How Do You Know Holt Asked

Because It Feels Like The End

They Approached Cautiously Weapons Drawn But No One Came To Stop Them No Arrows No Warning Just Silence And That Made It Worse

Inside The Walls Were Carvings Strange Symbols That Shifted When Looked At Directly The Kind That Made Your Stomach Twist And Your Heart Beat Wrong

They Found An Entrance A Door Carved With The Same Flame And Chain Symbol Calder Had Seen On The Banner Outside

When They Entered The Air Changed It Was Heavy Wet Despite The Dry World Outside The Corridor Led Downward Lit By Blue Flame That Burned Without Smoke Or Heat

They Reached A Hall Where A Throne Of Stone Sat At The End And On That Throne A Body Sat Slumped Clad In Black Armor

Is That Vane Holt Whispered

No Calder Said Stepping Closer This One’s Older

Much Older

The Armor Was Ancient Covered In Cracks And Symbols Calder Had Never Seen Before But The Face Behind The Helm Was Not Rotten Nor Dead It Was Sleeping Eyes Closed Hands Resting On A Blade Embedded In The Floor

It’s Not A Corpse Rhea Said

It’s A Prison

Then A Voice Filled The Room

You Should Not Have Come Here

It Wasn’t Spoken Aloud It Was Inside Them All At Once A Thought That Wasn’t Theirs

The Figure Moved Just Slightly Its Fingers Tightened Around The Hilt Of The Sword

You Carry Fire But Not Enough The Voice Said

What Are You Calder Demanded

I Am The First Flame The One Chained To Ash I Burned The Sky Before Men Named The Stars

The Ground Shook Dust Fell From The Ceiling Holt Drew His Weapon Pulled His Son Behind Him

Why Now Calder Asked Why Rise Now

Because The World Forgets And When It Forgets It Repeats The Chains Loosen With Every Death Every Lie Every Kingdom Built On The Bones Of Another

You Were Warned

The Flames In The Room Turned Black

The Doors Slammed Shut

Calder Raised His Sword

The Old Fire Opened Its Eyes

And The World Screamed

The World Shook As The Black Flame Stirred Within The Throne Hall Its Eyes Open Wide And Ancient Glowing Like Coals Buried For A Thousand Years Calder Stood Before It Sword Raised But The Weight In The Air Crushed Down On Him Like A Mountain

The Others Could Barely Breathe Holt Clutched His Son Tight Pressing The Boy’s Face Against His Chest While Rhea Moved Slowly Along The Wall Her Rifle In Hand But Even Her Steady Fingers Trembled

You Should Not Have Opened The Gate The Voice Said Again In Their Minds Not A Sound But A Presence A Thought That Burned

We Did Not Come To Wake You Calder Said His Voice Low We Came To Stop Vane To Survive

Survival Is A Lie The Flame Replied You Knew This When You Took Up The Blade Of Ash When You Walked Into The Canyon When You Buried Your Dead And Called It Victory

What Do You Want From Us Rhea Asked Why Now

Because You Are The Last Spark The Last Chance To Rewrite The Fire

The Ground Beneath Them Cracked A Circle Of Light Forming Around The Throne Symbols Carved Into The Stone Glowed With Molten Heat The Air Grew Thicker And The Shadows Moved On Their Own

Calder Stepped Forward The Blade In His Hand Flickered As If It Too Recognized The Power Before Them

You Said You Were The First Flame Calder Said What Does That Mean

I Am The Beginning Of Wrath The Breath Of Stars The One Who Burned The First Sin And Was Bound By The Last Hope

Why Were You Bound Holt Asked

Because Fire Must Sleep Or It Consumes Everything

The Room Trembled Again A Wall Collapsed Inward Revealing Another Chamber Beyond One Filled With Statues Of Stone Warriors Each With Their Heads Bowed Each Holding A Black Blade

Calder Approached Slowly He Reached Toward The Nearest Statue And As His Fingers Brushed The Stone The Eyes Of The Statue Opened

It Moved

The Others Did Too

Statues No Longer But Guardians Of Flame

You Have Been Chosen The First Flame Said

Chosen For What Calder Asked

To Inherit What Was Lost

One Of The Stone Guardians Stepped Forward And Handed Calder A Scroll Bound In Charred Leather

He Opened It

Inside Were Maps Names Of Places That No Longer Existed Paths Through Mountains Long Crumbled And Rites Written In A Language Older Than Any They Knew

This Is The Codex Of Flame Rhea Said Reading Over His Shoulder I Thought It Was Just A Legend

Legends Are Only Forgotten Truths The First Flame Said

Suddenly A Roar Echoed Through The Fortress Not From Within But Outside From The World Above

They Are Coming The Flame Said

Vane Holt Asked

No Something Else Something That Hungers For Fire But Cannot Create It

The Flame’s Eyes Narrowed And Its Voice Deepened

The Ashborn

Calder Turned To The Others We Need To Leave Now

The Guardians Opened A Passage A Stairway That Led Beneath The Throne Deeper Into The Heart Of The Mountain

Take The Flame The Voice Said Guard It Or Burn With It

The Hall Shuddered As They Descended Below The Fortress The Air Turned Cold Walls Wet With Condensation That Smelled Of Iron And Magic

The Deeper They Went The Louder The Sound Became A Hum That Vibrated In Their Bones Until At Last They Reached A Cavern Lit With Blue Fire At The Center A Pedestal And Upon It A Small Flame That Flickered Without Smoke Or Source

This Is It Calder Said The Flame Itself

We Can’t Take That Holt Whispered It’s Alive

Then We Carry Its Light Calder Replied

He Drew His Blade Held It Toward The Flame And As If Drawn The Fire Jumped From The Pedestal Onto The Sword Sinking Into The Metal Until The Blade Glowed From Within

Rhea Did The Same And Her Rifle Smoked Then Shimmered With Power Holt Took A Dagger And Let The Flame Etch Symbols Into Its Hilt

They Became Bearers Of Fire

Suddenly The Cavern Screamed The Sound Of Something Breaching The Walls Far Above

We’re Out Of Time Calder Said

They Raced Back Through The Tunnel The Mountain Crumbling Around Them Walls Splitting Ceilings Crashing Dust Filling Their Lungs

Above The Fortress Was Burning But Not From Natural Flame The Ashborn Had Arrived

They Were Tall Shadowed Figures With Skin Like Cracked Stone Eyes Like Hollow Sockets Burning With Red Smoke Their Weapons Were Bone Their Armor Smoke They Moved Like Wind And Death

The First Flame Stood From Its Throne Fire Roaring Around It I Will Hold Them It Said

But You Must Run

Calder Wanted To Argue But Knew There Was No Time He Grabbed Holt’s Arm And Pulled Him Toward The Exit Rhea Covered Their Retreat Her Shots Now Piercing With Pure Flame Each Shot Lighting The Darkness Like A Falling Star

As They Escaped Into The Open Desert Behind The Fortress Calder Turned And Watched As The Entire Mountain Erupted In A Tower Of Black And Gold Fire The First Flame’s Last Stand

They Kept Running Not Stopping Until Their Legs Could No Longer Carry Them Until The Sky Grew Pale And The Fire In Their Weapons Dimmed

They Camped In A Canyon The Stars Above Silent Witnesses

What Now Holt Asked

Now We Light The Path Calder Said We Finish What The Flame Started

Rhea Unfolded The Scroll Reading By Firelight It Speaks Of A Place Called The Ember Vault Hidden In The East Beneath The Sand Said To Hold The Ember Core

What’s That Holt Asked

The Heart Of The World Calder Answered If We Can Find It We Can Ignite The Flame That Burns Through The Ash Once And For All

Then That’s Where We Go Rhea Said Her Voice Steady Her Eyes No Longer Shadowed With Doubt But Bright With Purpose

Tomorrow Holt Said

Tomorrow Calder Agreed

They Slept That Night With Fire In Their Hands And A Mission In Their Hearts

The Flame Was Not Dead

It Had Just Begun