1️⃣ Dawn Arrival
The dawn was pale and cold as they climbed the final ridge, the ash falling like grey snow through the twisted trees. The wind carried the scent of char and earth, and somewhere, deep in the forest, a low hum resonated like a heartbeat.
Aeris was the first to see it—
The Tree of Embers.
It stood in a hollow carved into the earth, ancient roots tangled in blackened stone, branches arching toward the sky, burning with small, steady flames that did not consume the wood. The air shimmered with heat and ash, and the ground was littered with petals of emberlight that pulsed softly before fading.
Aeris fell to his knees, breath catching. The ember within him thrummed, echoing the hum from the tree.
Evin stood beside him, hand on the hilt of his sword, eyes sharp but reverent. Mira and Liora approached slowly, the girl's silver bell chiming, the sound like a soft promise against the silence.
"It's beautiful," Liora whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
And it was.
A moment of fragile stillness before the storm.
2️⃣ The Guardians' Test
They stepped into the hollow, the emberlight brushing against their skin like warm rain. As Aeris approached, the flames flickered, bending toward him. The ember inside him pulsed, and he felt something—an awareness, ancient and vast, brushing against the edge of his mind.
Then the ground shifted.
From the shadows beneath the roots, shapes began to rise—tall, gaunt figures of blackened wood and ember flame, eyes like burning coals, limbs cracking as they moved. Guardians of the Tree.
Evin's sword was out in an instant, Mira chanting softly as a glow surrounded Liora, the bell in her hand ringing with each of her breaths.
Aeris stepped forward, the ember within him burning bright, a soft flame dancing on his palms. The Guardians did not attack immediately. They watched.
Testing.
Judging.
A low voice, like the creaking of old wood, spoke:
"Light bearer, why do you seek the Tree?"
Aeris swallowed, the flame in his hands trembling. "To heal what has been broken. To understand. To protect."
The Guardians stepped closer, emberlight flickering across the clearing, shadows dancing.
"Then show us your flame."
3️⃣ Trial by Flame
The first Guardian lunged, its wooden arm swinging with impossible speed. Evin intercepted it, blade flashing as he redirected the blow, but the creature did not fall.
Aeris raised his hands, and the flame burst forth in a wave, a controlled fire that swept around the Guardian without touching the forest. The creature paused, flames crackling along its limbs, and then it screamed—a sound like the groaning of trees in a storm.
Mira stepped forward, weaving protective wards around Aeris, her voice steady, unwavering. Liora's bell chimed as she lifted it, the sound resonating, pushing back the dark whispers that seeped from the Guardians.
One by one, the Guardians approached Aeris, and one by one, he met them with flame, with light, with the ember burning within him. Each test left him weaker, the ember's heat searing through his veins, but he did not fall.
Evin fought beside him, Mira shielding them, Liora's song a trembling hope in the heavy air.
Until at last, only one Guardian remained—a towering figure with branches like antlers, its eyes two blazing coals.
It raised its hand, and the flames along the Tree flared, and in that moment, Aeris saw—
A vision:
The Tree in a world of ash, ember petals falling over bodies.
His mother's face, smiling softly, eyes sad.
Himself, alone in the dark, the ember's light the only warmth.
The Guardian stepped closer.
"What will you give for the flame, Aeris?"
Aeris fell to his knees, the ember within him burning, cracking through him like molten light.
"I will give everything," he whispered.
And the Guardian placed a hand on his head, and the flame consumed them both.
4️⃣ Within the Ember Realm
For a moment, there was nothing but flame.
Aeris stood in a vast expanse of darkness, the ground beneath his feet cracked and glowing with ember veins. Above him, the Tree of Embers burned, its branches reaching into a sky of ash.
A figure stepped from the Tree, cloaked in flame, eyes soft and sad.
"Little light," the figure whispered.
His mother.
Aeris reached out, tears burning as they fell, steam rising from his cheeks.
"Don't leave me," he begged.
She smiled, brushing a hand against his cheek. "You are never alone. The ember is not your curse, Aeris. It is your promise."
Around them, the flame pulsed, and Aeris felt it—the ember within him resonating with the Tree, with the flames, with the heartbeat of the world.
"You must return," his mother said, stepping back. "They need you."
5️⃣ Return
Aeris gasped, falling back into the clearing, the emberlight of the Tree swirling around him like falling petals. The last Guardian stepped back, bowing its head, its flames dimming.
Mira was at his side instantly, pressing her hands to his chest, tears on her cheeks. Evin stood nearby, blade still raised, but his eyes softened as Aeris opened his eyes.
Liora was crying, clutching her bell, the sound soft, trembling.
"It's over," Aeris whispered.
And for now, it was.
The Tree of Embers glowed softly, its flame steady, the Guardians stepping back into the shadows beneath its roots. The hollow was silent except for the hum of the ember, the rustle of ash falling like snow.
They made camp at the edge of the clearing, the Tree watching over them like a silent sentinel.
6️⃣ Camp Under the Tree
That night, the flames of their campfire were pale compared to the Tree's glow, but the warmth was comforting. Mira brewed tea with the last of her herbs, pressing a warm cup into Aeris's hands.
Evin sat beside him, sharpening his sword, the rhythm steady, grounding.
Liora curled up beside Aeris, her small hand clutching his sleeve as she fell asleep, the silver bell at her waist chiming softly with each breath.
For a while, they simply sat in silence, the emberlight painting them in gold and shadow.
Mira hummed softly, a lullaby her mother once sang, her voice blending with the rustle of the Tree's branches.
Evin closed his eyes, letting the sound wash over him, the tension in his shoulders easing.
Aeris opened his journal, the leather cover warm against his palms, and began to write, the ember within him pulsing softly.
"We found it. The Tree of Embers. I saw her. She told me I'm not alone."
He paused, looking up at the Tree, at his family gathered around the fire.
"Even if light fades, it leaves warmth behind. I will remember."