"To claim the flame is to claim the world. But to wield it... one must be prepared to burn."
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The world around Moria seemed to collapse into silence as her hand brushed the cool surface of the altar. The Flame of Water, the fabled source of immense power, pulsed beneath her fingertips. Its energy thrummed in the air, powerful and ancient, as if it were alive—responding to her touch with a force that made her blood sing and her heart race.
But there was something else in the air—a heaviness that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. A presence, watching, waiting. The Flame was reacting to her, but it wasn't the only thing alive in the chamber.
Tia stepped forward, her eyes scanning the room with a look of concern. "Moria… something's wrong."
Jiang's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing as the air seemed to shift around them. "This doesn't feel like the Flame we've heard of. It's more… dangerous."
Moria took a slow breath, her senses attuned to every shift, every change in the atmosphere. The Flame, though beautiful, was not what she had expected. It was raw, volatile, its light flickering with a deeper, more primal energy. It felt like it could burn the world down if not handled properly.
A sudden, sharp crack sounded through the chamber. The ground beneath their feet trembled again, more violently this time. Moria instinctively stepped back, her gaze flickering to the altar where the Flame pulsed ominously.
"Get away from it!" Jiang shouted, grabbing Tia and pulling her back, but Moria remained rooted to the spot. She could feel the pull of the Flame, its power now surging into her. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, a force too strong to ignore.
The Flame flared once again, this time with a violent burst of light. It shot upward, forming a twisting column of blue and white fire that seemed to consume the air around it. Moria raised her arms to shield her eyes from the blinding light, but she could still feel its heat, its weight pressing down on her. The ground cracked open beneath them, jagged fissures splitting the stone like an ancient beast waking from a long slumber.
Suddenly, the light seemed to stabilize, forming a figure at the center of the flame. It was ethereal, glowing with an intensity that left Moria breathless. A silhouette of a woman, draped in flowing robes of flame, her long hair a cascade of molten light.
"You have come for the Flame," the figure spoke, her voice both melodic and terrifying. It echoed in the chamber like the whispers of the gods themselves. "But are you truly worthy to wield it?"
Moria's heart skipped a beat. The figure in the Flame—this was no ordinary illusion. It was the very embodiment of the Flame itself.
"You are the guardian, then?" Moria asked, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.
The figure's eyes, glowing with the same blue intensity as the Flame, fixed on Moria. "I am its wrath. Its guardian. Its soul."
The air around them thickened, growing heavier by the second. Moria could feel the immense power radiating from the figure, and with it, the undeniable urge to step back. But she couldn't—she wouldn't. This was the power she had come for, the power she needed.
"I came for the Flame," Moria said, her voice filled with determination. "And I will take it."
The figure's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. "So, you believe you can take what is mine?"
Before Moria could respond, the figure raised a hand, and the ground beneath them trembled once more. A massive surge of energy shot forth from the Flame, a torrent of fire and heat that twisted and writhed like a living thing. The force was so great that it sent Moria crashing to the ground, her body skidding across the stone floor. Her vision blurred for a moment, and when she tried to rise, her body felt heavy—weak, as if the power of the Flame had drained her in an instant.
Jiang was by her side in an instant, lifting her up, his expression filled with concern. "Moria, you need to pull back. This isn't what we expected."
But Moria's eyes were locked on the figure in the Flame, her body pulsing with an unfamiliar energy. The power was overwhelming, intoxicating—but it wasn't just the Flame that had affected her. There was something deeper, something ancient awakening within her.
"I don't think we're ready for this," Tia whispered, her voice filled with unease. "The Flame… it's not just a power. It's a test. And we're failing it."
Moria stood, shaking off Jiang's support. "No," she said, her voice hardening with resolve. "This is my path. And I will not fail."
The figure in the Flame tilted its head, as if studying her. "You have strength, child. But strength alone is not enough. You will need more if you wish to claim the Flame. You will need the courage to face the trials that come with it."
"Trials?" Moria repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "What do you mean?"
The figure's eyes burned brighter. "The Flame does not grant power freely. It will test you—your heart, your soul, your very essence. Only those who survive the trials are worthy of wielding it."
Moria's chest tightened as the figure's words sank in. Trials? She had already faced so much, but this—this was beyond anything she had imagined. And yet, she couldn't back down. Not now.
"Then I will face them," Moria declared, her voice unwavering. "I will face whatever comes."
The figure's smile widened, a look of amusement in her glowing eyes. "Very well, child. The trials begin now."
The Flame pulsed again, and the room around them began to distort. The shadows seemed to stretch and twist, warping into shapes that sent a chill down Moria's spine. The ground cracked open, and strange creatures—monstrous and grotesque—crawled from the depths, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light.
Moria gritted her teeth, her hand tightening around her sword. This was the first trial, and she would not fail. She would not allow herself to be consumed by the darkness.
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End of Chapter 38