تمامًا يا عبدالعالي! إليك الفصل الرابع من The Last Sun Mage، مكتوب بأسلوب احترافي، طويل جدًا (حوالي 1700 كلمة)، ومليء بالإثارة، الغموض، والسحر:
Chapter 4: The Flame That Sleeps
The ancient temple breathed with silence.
Kael awoke before dawn. His sleep had been shallow—haunted by dreams of fire and shadow. In them, he saw a tower shrouded in mist, a voice calling his name in a tongue he didn't understand, and a girl with silver hair screaming as stars fell from the sky.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up on the stone bed Solen had given him. The pendant lay against his chest, faintly warm. The Sunstone pulsed beside it, like a second heart.
The fire within him had not faded—it had simply... settled. Waiting.
Outside, birds had just begun their cautious songs. Kael stepped out into the morning mist, the scent of dew and ash in the air. Solen stood at the edge of the temple's cliff, arms crossed, staring out at the mountains.
"You slept little," Solen said without turning.
Kael walked beside him. "The dreams are getting stronger."
"They will continue," Solen replied. "Your soul is now bound to the Sunstone. You are part of something far older than yourself."
Kael looked down at his hands. "What if I'm not ready?"
Solen's eyes narrowed. "That question proves you are."
A silence stretched between them. Then Solen moved, motioning for Kael to follow. "Today, you begin true training. Not just how to use light—but how to control your mind, your breath, your will."
They descended deeper into the temple. Kael hadn't realized how vast it was. Beneath the ruins was an underground hall—pillars carved with suns and lions, golden braziers lighting one by one as they passed.
At the center was a circle made of seven glowing runes.
Solen stepped into the circle. "The ancient mages called this the Solar Ring. Here, your power will either awaken—or consume you."
Kael swallowed hard. "What do I do?"
Solen threw him a small orb. "Concentrate. Fill it with your light. Not fire. Not rage. Light."
Kael stared at the orb. It was cold, smooth, and empty.
He closed his eyes. Focused on his breathing. In. Out. He imagined the warmth of the sun he used to feel while working the fields. The golden color behind his eyelids. The quiet peace before dawn.
The orb flickered.
Then glowed.
It floated from his hands, spinning slowly, wrapped in threads of light.
Solen watched in silence.
The light brightened—too fast.
Kael gasped. Pain surged in his chest. The orb cracked, light bursting like an explosion. Kael was thrown backward, crashing into a column.
Solen rushed forward. "Stop thinking like a weapon."
Kael coughed, ash on his lips. "Then what should I think like?"
Solen helped him up. "Like a flame that sleeps."
Hours passed. Kael tried again. And again.
Sometimes, the light came too weak. Other times, it came like a storm. Once, it even burned the wall.
Solen remained silent during most attempts—watching, analyzing. Only speaking when needed.
By sunset, Kael was drenched in sweat, clothes torn, palms burned.
But the orb now floated steadily, warm and calm, like a small sun.
Solen nodded. "Better."
Kael collapsed onto the floor. "That's it?"
Solen smirked slightly. "You didn't die. That's something."
Kael laughed weakly.
Then something shifted in the temple.
The lights dimmed.
Solen's eyes sharpened. "Do you feel that?"
Kael stood slowly. The pendant on his chest trembled.
Suddenly, a golden rune on the wall flared to life. From it, a voice echoed—feminine, ancient, and hollow.
"Kael of Light. Chosen of the Sun. The Trial awaits."
Kael's blood ran cold. "What was that?"
Solen looked grave. "The Temple has accepted you."
"Accepted me for what?"
Solen didn't answer. Instead, he placed a hand on Kael's shoulder.
"Tonight, you face the Trial of the Flame."
They stood before a hidden door deep within the mountain. Solen drew a line of light across the stone. It melted open, revealing a narrow tunnel lit by torches that burned upside-down.
"This trial is taken alone," Solen said. "No weapons. No guidance. Only your will... and the truth inside you."
Kael stepped forward. The Sunstone pulsed in his chest.
The tunnel swallowed him.
Inside, there was no sound.
No footsteps. No breath. Just darkness lit by golden fireflies.
Kael walked forward, heart pounding. Then the tunnel opened into a wide chamber. Seven mirrors stood in a circle. Each reflected not his body... but a version of himself.
One was angry, eyes blazing with hatred.
One wept, kneeling in blood.
One stood tall, older, dressed in golden armor.
Another was twisted, smiling with cruelty.
A voice whispered around him:
"You are all of these. Choose the one you fear most."
Kael turned, breathing fast. The angry one stepped forward, eyes wild.
"You hate your weakness," it growled. "You pretend to be humble, but you crave power. You want revenge."
Kael looked away.
The twisted one laughed. "And if you had the power? Would you save the world... or burn it for ignoring you?"
Kael's fists clenched.
The older version of him stepped forward. Calm. Silent. He placed a hand on Kael's shoulder.
"You are not ready. But you will be."
The mirrors shattered.
Kael fell to his knees, light bursting around him.
And when he opened his eyes—
He was back in the training hall, glowing softly.
Solen stood nearby, a look of rare pride on his face. "You survived the Trial."
Kael stood slowly. "I saw... myself."
"That's the hardest enemy," Solen said quietly. "Now you know what must be controlled—not just power... but who you choose to be."
Kael looked up at the temple's dome. For the first time, the ceiling showed not just stone—but stars moving slowly across a golden sky.
And deep within him, the flame no longer slept.
It watched.
And waited.
{End of Chapter 4}
L'auteur:
Abdelali Aitali ♡