The training vault beneath House Phenex was ancient walled in fire tempered stone and carved with countless sigils meant to restrain the volatile bloodline that called it home. Here, countless heirs had shaped their flames, honed their spirits, and emerged stronger.
But none had ever burned like him.
Riser Phenex, not yet five years old, stood at the heart of the room, body bathed in blue fire so luminous it cast his shadow in every direction.
He didn't scream. He didn't strain. The flames didn't hurt him.
They belonged to him.
Like The Sunfire Within
It began as a meditation exercise. He'd been doing them for months now, always under his father's watchful eye. But today, he'd come alone. The Phenex attendants had warned him the wards might fail under strain, but he didn't care.
He needed to feel it truly feel it.
He sat in silence, legs folded beneath him, back straight, hands resting on his knees. At first, he summoned the basic golden flame, the one every Phenex child learned to call.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he reached deeper.
He imagined the sun not as a ball of light in the sky, but as something roaring, alive, and endless. A furnace that could never be quenched.
The flame inside him responded.
It turned pale, then blue. Then white blue, so intense it shimmered with a radiant corona. His body lit like a lantern, and heat surged from his skin in gentle, concentric pulses.
But it was controlled.
He opened his eyes, stepped back, and grinned.
"Ignite."
With a snap of his fingers, his entire body burst into blue fire, dancing from head to toe like he was the core of a dying star. It reminded him of a comic book character he once admired Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.
That confidence, that flair that was something he admired. So he mirrored it.
"I want to shine like that," he whispered. "Not just strong. Unforgettable."
He didn't realize his father had entered the chamber until a slow clap echoed behind him.
A Father's Observation
Lord Phenex stood at the edge of the training chamber, arms folded, expression unreadable. Despite the intense heat, he showed no discomfort a sign of his own mastery over flame.
"You're learning faster than your brother," Lord Phenex said, voice calm but firm. "Faster than I did."
Riser extinguished his flames with a thought. Steam hissed from the ground where his feet had scorched the stone.
"I want to go beyond just healing," Riser said, brushing soot from his arms. "Our bloodline isn't just about survival it's about power. I want mine to burn brighter than any who came before."
There was no arrogance in his voice. Just certainty.
Lord Phenex studied him for a long moment. Then, with a nod, turned toward the door. "Very well. If this is your path, you'll have it. But understand devils respect strength, yes. But true strength is measured in control."
As he left, he added without turning, "Your brother will be pleased."
Later that evening, the estate's balcony gardens glowed under a soft purple sky. Riser sat cross legged on a stone bench, watching the floating lanterns that drifted above the Phenex manor each one a small globe of fire magic released in celebration of the week's training milestones.
He was proud of himself. But more than that, he was eager. Something within him something deep and ancient was stirring.
"You've been making quite a name for yourself, little brother."
Riser turned to see Ruval Phenex, his older brother, descending the stairs in a white robe lined with golden flame designs. His aura was calm but immense, the kind of presence that made noble devils bow without being asked.
Riser stood quickly. "Ruval."
His brother smiled warmly and motioned for him to sit again.
"I saw your training. You're not just calling flames you're shaping them. Controlling temperature, intensity, even the color." Ruval's voice was full of admiration. "Blue flames this pure is rare even among our kind."
Riser looked away. "I want to be strong. Not just for me. For the house. For you. For Mother and Father."
Ruval raised a brow. "At your age, I was still conjuring fireballs and trying not to burn my own hair. You, on the other hand, walk through flame like you were born from it."
"I was born from it," Riser said with a soft grin.
Ruval laughed, then placed a hand on his little brother's head, ruffling his blond hair.
"I'm proud of you. One day, the Underworld will see you not as my little brother, but as a flame no one can extinguish."
Those words stayed with Riser as the stars turned above them.
Two weeks later, the entire manor fell into a hush.
The sky over the Phenex estate shifted to a bright flame touched gold as the magical atmosphere signaled a great event the birth of a new sibling.
Riser stood with Ruval outside their mother's chambers, his small hands clenched behind his back. He didn't pace. He didn't speak. But the fire in his heart danced in strange, anxious rhythms.
Then he felt it.
A new flame. A tiny flame. Warm, soft, vulnerable.
And beautiful.
The door opened, and Vulcan emerged. His stoic expression cracked as he looked at his sons.
"She's healthy," he said.
Riser didn't wait for permission. He stepped through the door, his footsteps light, reverent.
Inside, Lady Phenex rested on a bed of phoenix feather silks, eyes tired but joyful. In her arms, nestled like a jewel, was a newborn girl wrapped in red linen, her tiny hair already the color of flame.
Lady Phenex turned her eyes toward him. "Come here, my little spark."
Riser approached slowly. He looked down at the baby's face and saw it clearly: a faint glow beneath her skin, the beginnings of the Phenex gift.
Ravel.
So small. So peaceful.
So fragile.
He reached out, one finger brushing her tiny hand. She twitched, then gripped his finger her strength surprisingly firm.
"I'll protect her," he whispered.
Lady Phenex smiled. "You're her big brother now."
"I'll be more than that," Riser murmured. "I'll be her shield. Her firelight. The one who never lets her fall."
From the hallway, Ruval listened quietly, pride warming his chest.
A Phenex Flame
That night, Riser returned to the balcony garden.
But this time, his fire didn't burn for himself.
He ignited it slowly letting the blue flame coat his arms, his chest, his shoulders until he was a glowing silhouette in the night.
The flame did not rage. It pulsed gently, steadily. Like a heartbeat.
"This… is who I am."
He looked up toward the darkened sky. Somewhere beyond them were realms of angels, of dragons, of gods.
But none of that mattered.
He was Riser Phenex.
Born from fire.
Destined to burn brighter than the sun.
And this was just the beginning.