The wind howled across the scorched battlefield. Smoke curled through the air like wounded spirits. In the center stood Seraphina, flame dancing in her hair, her gown torn and soaked with ash. But she did not waver.
Across from her stood Malrec—the Fallen King—his cloak tattered, his crown cracked. Shadows pulsed from him like poison, writhing with the screams of centuries.
Cassian, barely able to stand, called out, "Seraphina—don't face him alone!"
She turned her head, meeting his eyes with a calm that shook him.
"I'm not alone," she said softly. "You're with me. They all are."
Behind her, the flames brightened. Across the ruins, villagers, soldiers, and allies raised their heads. The Everflame shimmered in every torch, every lantern, every heart that still dared to hope.
Malrec laughed, low and cruel. "You think fire can stop death? You think hope can end me?"
"I don't think," Seraphina said. "I know."
Malrec hurled a blast of dark energy at her—but this time, she didn't flinch.
She raised her hands, and the Everflame rose in a golden wall, absorbing the shadow and singing as it did.
Malrec's eyes widened. "That magic—it's not yours!"
Seraphina stepped closer. "No. It belongs to everyone. I'm just its voice."
She began to sing.
It was soft at first, a trembling note, but it grew. The melody carried through the wind, weaving through rubble and ruins, stirring light in every heart. Her voice shimmered with warmth, and the Everflame responded—rising, burning, healing.
Malrec screamed and charged, blades of shadow erupting from his arms.
Cassian shouted, "Seraphina!"
She kept singing, even as Malrec reached her.
And just as he struck—
Cassian leapt forward.
Steel met shadow.
Malrec howled, stumbling back as Cassian landed beside Seraphina, bleeding, but smiling.
"I told you," he muttered. "You're not doing this alone."
Seraphina's voice rose in pitch. The flame around her burst into wings, wrapping both of them in light. The Everflame surged skyward like a beacon.
Malrec staggered, shadows falling away like dust in the wind.
"No—no! I was promised eternity!"
"You chose darkness," Seraphina said, her voice like thunder. "But light never forgets."
With one final note, she raised her hands.
A pillar of golden fire struck Malrec, not to destroy—but to release.
The shadows tore from him with a scream. His figure—tired, human, broken—collapsed to his knees.
Then he was gone.
Only light remained.
---
Later that night
The battlefield had turned to quiet ash.
Seraphina stood at the edge of the hill, watching the stars. Cassian approached slowly, one arm in a sling.
He didn't say anything at first.
Then: "So… you saved the world."
Seraphina smiled. "We saved the world."
He gave her a crooked grin. "And now what, Lightbearer?"
She looked up at the sky. "Now we rebuild. We heal. We remind people that light is never lost. Even in the darkest times."
He stepped beside her. "You always talk like a princess."
She turned to him, teasing. "That's because I am one."
He chuckled. "Then I guess I'll keep being your knight."
She leaned into him, warmth in her chest. "My knight. My prince. My friend. My flame."
Their hands found each other in the quiet. Above them, the stars burned a little brighter.
---