The valley stood suspended between storm and silence.
Kael's breath came in ragged bursts as blood trickled down his side, his torn cloak flapping in the wind. The Warden of Chains loomed like a divine colossus, partially unbound, his half-freed limbs trailing divine rune-inked chains that hissed in the air. And between them, blade drawn, stood Aelira—the light of the Celestial Fang casting a silver aura around her like a lunar goddess descended to war.
She didn't look at Kael.
Not yet.
Her entire focus was fixed on the Warden.
"Warden of Chains," she said, her voice calm and steady despite the impossible pressure radiating from the ancient being. "Return to your rest. This era is not yours."
"You wield her blade," the Warden said. "The last Moonborn. The blood of Selira… carried into a time unworthy of stars. Why?"
"To stop the fire from consuming again," she answered.
For a long second, no one moved. The Warden's chains clattered in the wind. Kael struggled to rise, forcing his injured limbs into motion, leaning on his sword.
Aelira finally looked at him.
The moment their eyes met, time felt like it splintered.
He saw the pain in her gaze—the fear, the longing, the hope. And something else, barely veiled.
Determination.
"You weren't supposed to be here," Kael said softly.
"You weren't supposed to fight alone," she replied.
Behind her, the Warden's massive arm shifted. "You both seek to delay what must come."
Aelira raised the Celestial Fang. "We seek to shape it."
Suddenly, the Warden lunged, faster than before. The chains lashed out, but this time Aelira met them head-on. Her sword glowed with moonlight, and every swing cleaved through the divine bindings as if slicing mist. She moved like a dance of silver flame, each motion in harmony with the chaotic fury of the battlefield.
Kael's hands ignited as he drew in the Forsaken Flame, its power barely contained behind his clenched jaw.
"Don't burn too bright," he told himself. "Not yet."
The Warden swung a massive fist at Aelira, but Kael intercepted, landing a blow that redirected the strike into the mountainside. The impact leveled an entire cliff.
Together, they moved—Fire and Moonlight—two forces forged in different realms but destined to clash as one.
Each time the Warden attacked, Kael countered, his flame burning hotter, faster. But Aelira followed, grounding him, her presence anchoring his raging power with calm clarity.
They began to push the Warden back.
But just as Kael thought they might succeed, the Warden changed.
The remaining chains fell away.
And for the first time in ten thousand years, the full might of the Warden of Chains was unleashed.
His body shimmered with celestial inscriptions. His eyes burned with dual cores of starlight.
"Now… you face me unbound."
He struck.
Kael threw up his arms in a flaming barrier, but it shattered.
Aelira was blown back, blood flying from her lips as she slammed into a stone wall.
Kael roared and surged forward—but the Warden struck him with a chain-wrapped fist that sent him hurtling into the ground.
Silence fell.
Then footsteps.
Aelira stood, bloodied but still holding her sword.
Kael slowly rose as well, coughing, flame trailing from his wounds.
They looked at each other, breathless.
And then, they moved again.
Together.
Aelira slashed through a flurry of chains, carving a path for Kael. Kael used the opening to channel the Sixth Flame—just enough to sear through the Warden's shoulder.
The Warden reeled, and for the first time, groaned.
The sky cracked.
Aelira spun, her sword glowing white-hot now, forged with star essence.
Kael shouted. "Aelira—now!"
She leapt.
The Celestial Fang pierced the Warden's chest, releasing a torrent of ancient starlight. At the same time, Kael unleashed a wave of controlled flame—his power refined, not wild—striking the same point.
The combined force triggered a rupture of light and heat.
The Warden let out a final roar before collapsing in a shockwave of dust and echoing silence.
They had done it.
Together.
When the light faded, Aelira was kneeling, the Celestial Fang buried in the earth. Kael was beside her, breathing heavily but alive.
"You almost burned up," she said.
"You almost didn't come," he replied.
Their eyes met again.
This time, the silence between them was tender. Vulnerable.
"I had to," she whispered. "Because when the moon burns… it chooses where to shine."
Kael chuckled softly. "Then maybe I'll keep burning. Just enough for you to follow."
She reached out and touched his face gently.
"I'm not following anymore," she said.
"I'm walking with you."
Far above, unseen by both, the heavens shifted.
A new star was born.
But in the deepest part of Kael's soul, the Forsaken Flame whispered:
One Warden falls.
Nine remain.