The journey to Emberfall was not marked on any map.
As dawn broke, painting the sky in streaks of orange and crimson, Nova and Lucien traveled through the whispering woods—where the trees seemed to lean closer, listening. Each step into the forest felt like a descent into forgotten legends. Shadows moved at the corners of her vision, but never close enough to touch.
Nova clutched the parchment tighter, her fingers tracing the name Liora Avaryn again and again as if repetition would summon answers.
"Emberfall's a place of memory," Lucien said ahead of her, slicing through the dense brush with a short blade. "It'll either welcome you… or try to consume you."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "That's comforting."
He smirked. "Just being honest."
The wind shifted, carrying the scent of ash and old magic. Nova stopped.
"Do you feel that?" she whispered.
Lucien turned sharply, his eyes scanning the trees. "Yes. We're close."
They emerged into a clearing that pulsed with power. Towering ruins stood before them—arches carved with glowing glyphs, worn statues of flame-winged figures, and a broken fountain where embers flickered in place of water.
"This is Emberfall?" Nova asked, stepping forward.
Lucien nodded. "What's left of it."
The ruins vibrated with energy. The moment Nova stepped onto the stone pathway, the air shimmered—and the glyphs began to glow brighter. A warm pulse throbbed beneath her feet.
She was being recognized.
Accepted.
The stone beneath her flared with golden fire, forming a trail to the center of the ruins.
Lucien watched, awe briefly softening his guarded face. "It's reacting to your blood."
Nova followed the trail, heart pounding. She stepped into a wide circular platform surrounded by carved pillars. Symbols floated above the platform, whispering in tongues she didn't understand—yet somehow felt.
She closed her eyes.
Images filled her mind—of warriors with burning eyes, of skies lit by fire, of a woman standing alone before a tide of shadow. She wore the same mark Nova now bore.
Liora.
Her great-grandmother.
She saw a flash of Liora kneeling before a council, handing over a blade wreathed in fire—The Emberfang.
Nova gasped as the vision vanished.
Lucien caught her before she stumbled. "What did you see?"
"Liora," she breathed. "She left something behind. A weapon."
He frowned. "The Emberfang. I've only heard legends."
"It's real," she said, gripping his arm. "And I think I'm supposed to find it."
Suddenly, the glyphs around them dimmed. The warmth was gone, replaced by a chilling silence.
A low hum grew louder—a tremor that crawled up her spine.
From the shadows, a figure emerged. Cloaked in black, face hidden behind a twisted porcelain mask. Its voice was like smoke and steel.
"Child of Flame… you've walked into the ashes of your past. But you won't walk out."
Lucien stepped in front of her instantly, blade drawn. "A Shadow Wraith."
Nova felt the fire rising within her, wild and eager. "Let it come."
The wraith raised a hand—and the ground cracked. Vines, dead and writhing, surged forward. Lucien slashed through them as Nova summoned her flame, hands igniting like torches.
The wraith launched forward with unnatural speed, blade drawn. Nova met it head-on, the fire bursting from her like a living creature. It screamed as the flames tore through its magic, but it kept coming.
Lucien moved like a storm beside her, his strikes clean and deadly. But the wraith wouldn't fall.
Nova reached deeper. To the flame within her blood. The ember passed from Liora. She closed her eyes and whispered:
"Burn bright."
A ring of fire exploded from her, knocking the wraith back into the pillar. It shrieked as the flames consumed it entirely—until nothing was left but scorched stone.
The forest was silent again.
Nova dropped to her knees, breathing hard.
Lucien knelt beside her. "You called on the Ember Core."
She blinked at him. "What?"
"It's the deepest part of the flame," he explained. "It only responds to those it deems worthy."
Nova looked at her hands—still warm, still glowing faintly. "So… I passed?"
"For now," he said, helping her up. "But this was just a scout. The real threat is still coming."
Nova squared her shoulders, eyes blazing. "Then we find the Emberfang before it does."