Part I: Glitch in the Flame
It began in the training hall.
Yui had been practicing her new technique—Infernal Pulse, a mid-range AoE skill unlocked after the first trial.
She'd summoned the flame effortlessly.
But something snapped.
The air split. The floor cracked. And a jagged red-black fire—corrupted and wrong—burst from her hands and kept growing.
> [WARNING: Skill Deviation Detected]
Flame Type: UNKNOWN
Status: Unstable / Forbidden Tier Signature Detected
Vera rushed forward, driving a rune-blade into the flame's heart. It fizzled, cracked the marble floor—and died.
Yui collapsed to her knees, shivering.
"What the hell was that?" she gasped.
Azazel appeared beside her, silent and pale.
"I… don't know," he said at last. "But that wasn't my flame. That was something older."
> [System Error Logged: First Flame Resonance Interrupted]
Sync Rate: 49% → 57%
Yui held her hands, staring at the smoke curling from her fingers.
"I'm changing…"
---
Part II: The Hidden Blade
That night, in the inner sanctum of the palace, Vera stood alone in the shadows—her sword drawn, its edge glowing with imperial script.
A hidden voice echoed in her mind:
> "If she loses control, if the flame becomes corrupted… you must end her. That is your purpose."
Her hand trembled.
She remembered Yui's laugh. Her kindness. Her fire that wasn't cruel like Azazel's, or cold like the nobles'. It was alive. Human.
But she also remembered the scroll Azazel showed her:
> Twin-Flamed Queen. The ender of empires.
If that fire turned… no one would survive.
Vera sheathed her blade and leaned against the wall, eyes closing.
"I'll protect her. Even from herself."
But deep down, her soul already knew:
> She couldn't kill Yui. Not unless it was the very end.
---
Meanwhile:
In a distant dungeon below the Imperial vaults, the sealed First Flame stirred.
A single molten word burned into the darkness:
> "Soon."
---
System Update
> Flame Resonance: 57%
Next Threshold (60%) will trigger: Combat Class Evolution
> WARNING: Instability Detected
Suggested Action: Emotional Anchoring (Bonded Companion Recommended)