The road stretched endlessly, winding through dense forests and valleys kissed by mist. By midday, Seraphina and Cassian found themselves beneath a crimson sky, the sun filtering through smoke-like clouds.
"Do you hear that?" Seraphina asked, pulling her horse to a stop.
Cassian tilted his head. "Wind."
"No... it's something else."
A low hum, faint as a whisper, vibrated in the air around them.
Cassian dismounted, hand on the hilt of his sword. "Let's check it out. Stay close."
They followed the sound into a grove of glowing trees—trees that shimmered faintly gold at their trunks.
"Magic," Seraphina whispered, reaching out.
The hum grew louder, until a voice echoed in her mind.
"Bearer of light. Step into the flame."
She gasped and stumbled back. "Did you hear that?"
Cassian looked at her, concern tightening his jaw. "No. What did it say?"
"It spoke to me. Called me... 'Bearer of light.' And told me to step into the flame."
Cassian scanned the grove. "There's no fire here."
"There will be."
Seraphina stepped forward, and as she did, the trees parted, revealing a stone circle. At its center, a pedestal burned with cold blue fire.
Cassian grabbed her arm. "Wait. What if it's a trap?"
She turned to him. "Then it's a trap. But I still have to go."
He didn't let go. "Promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't lose yourself in there. I've seen magic twist people. You're strong, Seraphina—but don't let this thing take your heart."
She looked at him, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. "You're the only reason it hasn't."
Then she stepped into the circle.
---
As her foot crossed the threshold, the flames surged upward, surrounding her.
"Seraphina!" Cassian shouted, drawing his sword.
But inside the flame, she heard nothing but silence—until a voice spoke again, louder, clearer.
"Do you seek truth or power?"
"Truth," she answered, her voice trembling.
"Then see."
Flashes. Her mother, singing to a baby wrapped in gold cloth. A war. Fire devouring a castle. A crown shattered. A child taken and hidden.
Then—herself. Holding the Everflame. The world burning around her.
"No!" she cried. "I don't want this!"
"Destiny is not what you want. It's what you choose."
Then she was thrown from the circle. The fire vanished.
Cassian rushed to her side. "You're shaking. What happened?"
She clung to him, eyes wide. "I saw it. My mother… she knew. I was born into this."
He held her tighter. "What else did you see?"
"Myself. Holding the Everflame. And everything burning."
Cassian's voice dropped. "That's not your future. That's a warning. And we can change it."
Seraphina pulled back slightly. "You keep saying we. Why?"
He looked at her, voice quiet but firm. "Because I'm in this with you, whether you want me to be or not. Because I'd rather burn beside you than live in a world without you."
Her breath caught, heart thudding.
"Cassian…"
But before she could speak more, a horn echoed in the distance.
Cassian's expression darkened. "Scouts."
Seraphina stood. "He's coming."
Cassian nodded. "Then we keep moving. And next time, we won't run. We fight."
---
Far away, atop a mountain ridge, the Moonmarked watched the smoke rise from the flame grove.
"So, you've seen it now, little flame," he murmured, his mask catching the last light of dusk. "Let's see how long you hold onto your hope."
---