The wind whispered farewells as the group departed from Eldreth. No trumpets, no grand send-off — just the soft rustle of leaves and the silent respect of those who had once doubted them.
Rayyan walked ahead, his gaze fixed yet distant. The dream still echoed in his mind — a white sun blazing above a colossal gate, its rays dancing like fire, and a voice — faint but resolute — whispering, "Son of the Lost Flame."
Beside him, Nael glanced up. "You saw something again, didn't you?"
Rayyan didn't answer. He didn't need to. Nael understood — as he always did.
---
Ruins of Serabahn
By dusk, the wild trees began to thin, revealing fractured stone roads and collapsed pillars — Serabahn.
"Once a city of wisdom," Zafir said, brushing moss off a faded carving. "Now a tomb of forgotten truths."
They moved with caution. Strange distortions lingered in the air — like memories stitched into reality. Nael blinked and thought he saw himself as a child, holding Rayyan's hand — but when he turned, it vanished.
Lunir muttered, "This place is cursed with remembrance. Be careful what you feel."
At the heart of the ruins stood a half-buried archway, sculpted with three blazing orbs — one white, one yellow, one blue. Vines coiled around it like veins. It was The Gate of Reflection.
---
Trial of the Soul
They approached — and the gate pulsed once. A soft wind blew, and then each of them stood alone.
Rayyan saw a scorched field — the night he touched the cursed ember. He screamed, cried, begged for someone to come — but no one did. He felt the loneliness claw into him again.
But this time, he didn't run. He walked toward his younger self, knelt beside him, and whispered, "You were never weak. You just didn't know what you carried."
Nael stood under a broken tree — the day he thought Rayyan had left him. "You didn't want me," he said aloud.
But in the reflection, he saw Rayyan sobbing after a battle, whispering his name over and over. The truth hit him — his brother was just trying to protect him from the horrors he bore alone.
Lunir watched his old tribe accuse him of cowardice. He had fled — not out of fear, but because he knew staying would ignite war.
He faced them. "I did what you couldn't. I chose peace."
Zafir stood before a charlatan wearing his father's robes, preaching false flames to children. He remembered the rage. But now, he closed his eyes. "I won't be your mirror. I'll be your end."
One by one, they emerged from the illusions — changed, but not broken. The gate opened.
---
Chamber of Suns
Inside, fire danced along ancient mural walls. The chamber was circular, its ceiling open to the stars.
They walked slowly, eyes tracing the story carved in flame:
A woman cloaked in shadowfire, holding twin infants.
A man of white flame, standing defiant against a red being — Eblis.
Above them: three suns in orbit — white, yellow, and red — slowly colliding toward a single point.
Zafir read aloud:
> "From the fractured flame were born sons of power.
One destined to restore, one destined to sacrifice."
Nael's voice shook. "Does this mean… one of us has to—?"
Rayyan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not now. Not yet."
---
The Ambush
A sudden tremor shook the ground. From shadows, armored figures emerged — cloaked in black with inverted flame sigils on their chests.
"Take the white-flame bearer alive!" one hissed.
The chamber burst into chaos. Blades clashed. These soldiers were mimics — using corrupted flame to mirror Rayyan's strikes.
Zafir conjured a prism wall, shielding Nael. "They're not natural — these flames are… hollow."
Rayyan closed his eyes. A heartbeat. Then another.
And then, white flame burst from his body, not wild but focused — like a star awakening.
He struck once — and the mimic shattered.
The others retreated as the chamber cracked. "Retreat! It's collapsing!"
They ran — the floor giving way behind them — and leapt just as the gate fell into ruin.
---
A New Path
They sat breathless among the rubble.
Lunir unrolled a scorched scroll he had grabbed. On it, a single word:
"Barzakh."
Zafir's expression changed. "It's not just a place… Barzakh is the realm between life and death."
Rayyan looked at the stars above. "Then that's where we go next."
Nael stared at the sky. "To find our mother. And to find out what we really are."
The white sun from Rayyan's dream slowly rose over the horizon.
The path forward was no longer shrouded.