The night sky fractured as a deep rumble echoed across the eastern plains. In the heart of the Fallen Vale, an ancient seal split open—an invisible prison shattered by time and the silent stirrings of a flame long thought extinguished.
Kael stood atop the rocky slope overlooking the valley, his cloak fluttering violently in the rising wind. The air had grown dense, vibrating with tension. He'd felt it in his blood even before the rumble—a premonition carved into his soul. Lin stood behind him, wide-eyed and tense, gripping the blade he had reforged for her.
"This energy…" she murmured. "It's oppressive. Like something older than the sects… older than the continents."
Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the distant mountain's base, where columns of golden smoke began to spiral upward like the breath of a slumbering god.
"The seal broke," he said. "The Warden is waking up."
"The Warden of Chains?" Lin asked. "The one from the scriptures?"
Kael nodded grimly. "He was imprisoned by the Celestial Alliance thousands of years ago. Not killed—because they couldn't. Only bound."
A thunderclap cracked the skies. The land trembled. In the valley below, a massive figure began to rise from beneath the earth, shrugging off soil and ruin like a serpent shedding its skin. Its body was forged from celestial alloy and stone, bound in runes of stasis. Chains wrapped around its limbs pulsed with sealing marks—marks now dim and flickering.
Kael clenched his fists. His flame stirred wildly in response, recognizing the power that stood before him. Not as an enemy—but as a remnant of the same ancient force.
"We have to run," Lin said, grabbing his arm. "This thing—it's a calamity. Even Grand Elders don't stand a chance."
Kael turned toward her. "If we run, it spreads. If we fight… we might buy the world some time."
She stared at him. "You're not ready. Your soul sea isn't stable yet, and the Seventh Ember—"
"I'm not going to use it," Kael said. "Not unless I have no choice."
He stepped forward, drawing his blade. The black-steel edge pulsed with heat, flames licking along the spine. But before he could descend the slope, a voice boomed from the valley below.
"Who dares stand before the Warden of Chains?"
Kael and Lin froze. The giant raised a hand, snapping two of its own chains. The force of that act split the valley in half, toppling entire ridges into dust. Its head turned toward them—two hollow eye sockets glowing like twin stars. And then, slowly, it began to walk.
Far away, within the Vault of Memory, Aelira gasped. The murals along the chamber's ceiling shifted again, showing the Warden's rise.
Solen's eyes narrowed. "It's too soon. The Warden was not meant to awaken until Kael touched the Tenth Seal."
Aelira turned. "Kael's near him. He'll face him alone!"
Solen raised a hand and conjured a star-map. "No. Not alone. You must reach him before the Warden breaks free completely. He is drawn to Kael's fire. If he absorbs it—he will never be stopped."
Aelira nodded, wrapping the Celestial Fang across her back. Her heart raced.
"Then I fly."
Back in the valley, Kael had already clashed with the Warden. Their first exchange sent shockwaves across the mountains, blowing Lin back several meters. The Warden fought not like a berserker, but a tactician—each move deliberate, as if forged through eons of battle.
Kael grunted, fire flaring from his shoulders, reinforcing his body. The Forsaken Flame coursed through him now, pushing back the Warden's crushing aura. But even as he evaded a massive hammer-fist, he knew he was outmatched.
The Warden slammed a foot into the ground, creating a shockwave that hurled Kael into the air. Chains flew toward him, writhing like serpents, and wrapped around his limbs mid-air.
"Bearer of the old fire," the Warden's voice rang, "your kind scorched the skies. I was forged to end you."
Kael's flame surged as he roared, breaking one of the chains. The action tore into his side, flesh burning from the strain. But his will refused to bend.
"I'm not your enemy," Kael shouted. "I'm trying to stop what's coming!"
The Warden hesitated for a moment—then crushed the ground again, unleashing a wave of soul energy so dense the very clouds twisted above.
And that's when a streak of silver light fell from the sky.
Aelira landed between them, Celestial Fang drawn.
"Enough," she said.
The Warden paused, registering her presence.
"You…" the Warden's voice softened. "Starborn. Moonblood. The seal's last heir."
Kael's eyes widened. "You're here…"
Aelira nodded. "I couldn't let you face this alone."