The forest whispered secrets as Elira walked among the tall, dark trees. Leaves stirred though there was no wind. She followed the cloaked rebels in silence, heart heavy with the fire still pulsing in her spine.
They led her to a hidden enclave nestled in the shadow of a crumbling watchtower—ancient, overgrown, long forgotten by the Crown. Inside, firelight danced across stone walls. Weapons hung in quiet readiness. And the people—men and women from all walks of life—stared at her like she was a myth come to life.
A young girl approached her first. Barefoot, soot-smudged, no older than ten. She reached out a hand and touched Elira's.
> "Your skin's warm," she whispered in awe. "Like the stories say."
Elira knelt, unsure what to say. "What stories?"
A woman stepped forward, tall and fierce, a scar across her jaw. "The Flameborn were said to return when the kingdom was weakest. When a fire must be lit to burn away the rot."
Elira's voice trembled. "I didn't ask for any of this."
The woman nodded. "None of us did. But we carry the flame anyway."
---
Meanwhile, in the capital, the Council of Lords convened in secret. Lady Seraphine stood at the head of the table, dressed in a gown black as mourning, her cane tapping softly against the floor.
> "She has vanished," one lord muttered. "And the prince with her."
Seraphine's eyes flashed. "Then find them. I want every village scoured. Every port watched. She must be contained before the people begin to believe."
> "Believe what?" another asked, weary.
> "That fire belongs to the lowborn."
---
Far beyond the palace walls, Auren stood at the edge of the rebel camp, cloaked in plain traveler's garb. He watched as Elira trained with a flame-wielder—her hands trembling, sparks flaring uncontrollably.
She was afraid.
He stepped forward, catching her wrist gently. "You're not alone in this."
Elira looked up at him, sweat on her brow, a flicker of something fierce in her gaze. "I won't run anymore. But if they want to kill me… I'll make sure they remember why they fear fire."
Auren smiled, though the weight of the future darkened his eyes.
> "Then we burn the old world together."