Chapter 1 : The birth of the vessel
The world felt silent.
There was no sound. No light. Only emptiness.
Then suddenly—blinding light. And a deep voice broke the silence.
"You have finally arrived."
Kael opened his eyes. Or rather, his consciousness emerged in the midst of a vast white void. Before him stood a figure that was difficult to describe. He looked like an ordinary human, but his entire body was covered in galaxies. Stars flowed beneath his skin, and his eyes shone like two suns.
"Kael," the figure said, "you have died in your world. But your destiny is not yet complete."
Kael wanted to speak, but his lips felt heavy. He could only frown.
"I am the Arranger of Order. The God behind the solar system and the universe that you understand. And now, you will be reborn in another world. A world that is foreign, but awaits a bearer of light."
"…Who are you?" Kael's voice finally came out, small but clear.
The God only smiled faintly.
"Someday, you will know. But for now—take this body. This power. A vessel capable of bearing the power of spirits. You are not yet a god, but you have the potential."
The light exploded again, and everything was gone…
***
Kael opened his eyes—and this time they really did. He was crying. The sound of a baby's cries filled the birthing chamber. The royal servants surrounded him, and a beautiful woman, pale but happy, held him close.
"My son… Kael…"
Queen Ailina, ruler of the small kingdom of Aetherion, had just given birth to a son who would one day shake the world.
Unbeknownst to her, however, the consciousness of someone from another world was hidden within the body of that tiny baby. And she knew—this was not the same world.
This was the beginning of everything.
Chapter 2: The Invisible Sign
Ten years have passed since Kael was born.
In a magnificent palace built on the Aetherion plateau, Kael grew up as an unusual prince. He was more interested in running in combat training with the knights than studying royal lineage.
In the training room behind the palace, his petite body clashed with the trainer's wooden sword. Fast punches, sharp kicks—all practiced relentlessly.
"He has never lost a fight with the palace children," whispered one of the servants. "But the strange thing is... he never uses magic."
Kael could never summon fire from his hands, or create a magical shield. But his body, was faster than ordinary humans. He could kick large rocks until they cracked. He could dodge arrows with natural reflexes.
And he began to ask.
"What really happened to me?"
Sometimes, in his dreams, he glimpsed a figure covered in stars. The God he had once met. But every time he tried to get closer, the dream was shattered.
He knew he was no ordinary child. Even his brother, Lysand, the first prince, admitted it.
"You're strange," Lysand said with a smile. "But… if anyone can change this world, I think it's you."
Kael stared at the night sky from his tower window. Deep in his heart, he knew something was calling him. And the time would soon come.
The first sign appeared in his dream—a flame that formed the shape of a face.
Chapter 3 : Trial of flame
The winter wind still enveloped the Kingdom of Aetherion, but inside Kael's body, it was as if there was an ember that would not go out. He was now ten years old, and he had silently grown into a child unlike most minor nobles. He preferred running around the backyard to learning royal etiquette. Martial arts had become part of his body. And ever since that dream came, his sleep had not been peaceful.
In his dream, he saw a creature made of fire. A shining giant, with burning eyes, standing in the middle of a sea of magma. The figure stared at him silently, but in his mind it sounded clearly:
"Come to the birthplace of the first light."
After three nights in a row of the same dream, Kael began to feel that this was not just a dream. He tried to ask Master Kalen, the palace magic teacher, but only got a faint smile and the words, "If it is truly the call of the spirits, then you must answer it."
Without the knowledge of his mother, Queen Ailina, Kael sneaked out of the palace. He only told one person: his brother, Lysand. His now fifteen-year-old brother was the only person he trusted completely. They stood in Lysand's room that night, before Kael quietly left.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Lysand asked anxiously.
Kael nodded. "I have to. This is… something I have to face alone. But I want you to know. If I don't come back in a week…"
"Don't talk like that," Lysand interrupted. He patted his brother's shoulder. "You're stronger than you think. But be careful."
In his traveling clothes and thick black cloak, Kael rode a small horse from the palace stable. He headed east, toward a long-dormant volcano—Mount Nyala.
The mountain was surrounded by legend: the place where fire first descended upon the world, where the spirit of fire lived and only appeared to the chosen.
The journey took two days. When he reached the foot of the mountain, mist covered the stone path. He found a narrow opening in the side of the cliff that looked like a natural cave. Inside, the temperature rose dramatically. The stone walls glowed red like embers.
Kael walked alone inside. The walls breathed, as if alive. And finally, he arrived at a large room like a stone hall—in the center of which stood the figure.
The Spirit of Fire.
The creature stood twice the height of an adult human. Its body was not made of flesh, but of pure, blazing fire, forming a humanoid form with broad shoulders, red-hot horns on its head, and eyes like boiling magma pits. From its back, the gleam of tongues of fire radiated like slowly moving wings.
"You come, O mortal one," he said. His voice thundered like the eruption of a crater.
"Who are you?" Kael asked.
"I am Ignarion, the Great Spirit of the First Flame. I am the beginning of the embers, the first flame that gave light to this world."
Kael gritted his teeth, trying to remain calm. "Why was I summoned?"
"Because your body carries a sleeping ember. But true fire is not inherited. It must be conquered. If you want my power... face me."
Suddenly, the floor shook. Fire flared around them, forming a dueling circle. Ignarion raised his hand, and from the cave ceiling fell shards of lava that transformed into flaming spears.
Kael prepared himself. He had no magic. Only speed, physical strength, and martial arts skills.
The fight began.
Ignarion moved quickly despite his large size. A fiery spear flew toward Kael, who dodged it with an acrobatic leap. He lunged forward and landed a punch on Ignarion's chest—but Kael's hand only passed through the flames, making no impact.
"My attack is useless...?" Kael muttered, shocked.
"Use your strength, not just your body!" Ignarion shouted.
Kael stepped back, thinking quickly. He focused all his strength into his punching technique, remembering the martial arts he had learned. This time, he attacked with a combination of kicks and punches, hitting the center of the flames in Ignarion's stomach.
The spirit was pushed back, his body flickering like fire in the wind.
"I see... you're starting to understand."
Ignarion raised his hand, and flames engulfed the entire room. Kael was engulfed in red flames—but he held on, standing even as his body began to burn in places. But he did not give up.
With a final scream, Kael leapt and struck the spirit in the chest with a straight punch that shook the entire room.
Ignarion fell to his knees. The flames began to shrink and slowly die out.
"You are worthy... Kael. I will dwell in your body. But remember, a powerful fire can warm or burn, depending on who controls it."
The flames from Ignarion's body shot into Kael's chest, merging with his body. On his arm, a symbol of a glowing red flame formed.
Kael fell to his knees, exhausted. But he knew this was only the beginning.
And the world, one day, would feel the flames that had just awakened.