Awakening the Ancient Oath
The sanctum slowly quieted, its once-raging energies now subdued under Kaelin's will.
The Emberfang, cradled in her grasp, felt strangely light—yet every instinct screamed of its immense power. The blade's surface shimmered with a faint heat, as if it recognized her soul's flame.
Jericho and Mira rushed forward from the stairwell where they'd been waiting, their faces pale with worry.
"Kaelin!" Mira called, skidding to a halt. "What happened? The whole temple shook like it was going to collapse!"
Kaelin glanced down at the weapon in her hand, feeling a strange calm settle inside her.
"It accepted me," she said quietly. "The Emberfang... it's ours now."
Jericho's eyes widened. He reached out but stopped himself an inch away from the blade, as if fearing it might lash out. "You're serious. You passed the Trial of Emberfang."
Kaelin nodded, though part of her still trembled from the intensity of the trial. "But it wasn't just about strength. It was about... accepting the fire inside me."
Mira gave a short laugh, half-relief, half-awe. "Typical. Leave it to you to turn a death trial into a therapy session."
Kaelin chuckled, feeling the tension bleed away from her muscles. Somehow, Mira's sarcasm always grounded her.
---
A Sudden Change
The calm didn't last.
The runes along the walls flashed again—this time in a deep violet. A new symbol carved itself into the floor, pulsing with growing urgency.
Jericho took a defensive stance. "Something's happening."
Before they could react, a portal of swirling darkness and blue fire burst open at the far end of the sanctum. From it stepped a figure clad in flowing obsidian robes, their face hidden behind a mask shaped like a snarling wolf.
Kaelin instinctively raised Emberfang. Her instincts screamed danger.
The figure's voice slithered through the air, low and mocking.
"The Bearer of Fire awakens. How quaint."
Jericho gritted his teeth. "Who are you?"
The stranger ignored him, focusing solely on Kaelin.
"Did you think claiming the Emberfang would go unnoticed? The Old Lords felt the weapon stir. They are... most displeased."
Kaelin felt her pulse quicken, but she refused to show fear. "Let them be displeased," she said. "I won't stand down."
The masked figure tilted its head, studying her.
"Bold. Foolish. We shall see."
Without warning, tendrils of dark energy erupted from the figure's sleeves, lashing toward them.
Jericho tackled Mira out of the way. Kaelin spun, slashing the tendrils apart with a blazing arc of the Emberfang. The sword responded to her will almost instinctively, golden flames licking the air where she moved.
The sanctum became a battlefield.
---
First True Battle
Kaelin advanced, her blade singing with heat. The masked figure weaved around her strikes like smoke, countering with bursts of dark flame. Every swing of Kaelin's sword lit up the room, casting their fierce battle into sharp relief.
Jericho pulled Mira behind a pillar. "We have to help her!"
"No," Mira hissed, grabbing his arm. "This fight... it's different. Look at her. This is her battle."
And indeed, Kaelin fought like she had never fought before. Not just with skill—but with belief. Her flames burned brighter with every heartbeat, forcing the masked intruder to retreat step by step.
The figure snarled, frustration leaking into its voice.
"You are not ready for what awaits, Bearer!"
Kaelin narrowed her eyes. "Maybe not. But I'll fight anyway."
She lunged, Emberfang flaring in her grip.
A clean strike.
The masked figure staggered back, a deep cut seared across its chest. From the wound leaked not blood—but black mist.
The figure growled, raising a hand to summon more dark power—but the portal behind it began to pulse violently.
Another voice, deeper and more commanding, boomed from beyond the portal.
"Enough."
The masked figure hesitated, glancing at the portal with visible fear. It gave Kaelin one last glare.
"This is not the end, Kaelin of the Fireborn."
With that, it melted into shadows and vanished.
The portal snapped shut behind it, leaving only silence.
---
Aftermath
Kaelin stood there, panting, her body trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline.
Jericho and Mira rushed to her side.
"Kaelin! Are you okay?" Mira asked, gripping her arm.
Kaelin gave a shaky nod, her heart still hammering in her chest.
"I'm fine… but that wasn't just any enemy. That was a warning."
Jericho scowled. "From the Old Lords themselves?"
"Maybe," Kaelin said, sheathing the Emberfang. "Or from something even worse."
She looked around at the scorched sanctum and the cracked runes fading from the walls.
The victory was hollow. This was only the first ripple of a storm that had yet to arrive.
Kaelin tightened her grip on her sword.
Whatever is coming… I'll be ready.