The air of the ruined city pressed heavy on Nicolette's chest. The broken crowns scattered across the cracked streets glimmered faintly, as though holding onto the last memory of glory. Each crown seemed to whisper—a chorus of fallen rulers warning her of choices that lead only to ruin.
Her boots scraped against stone as she pushed forward. "The flames brought me here," she murmured. "Then they'll guide me through."
But the silence broke. Out from the shadows crawled a figure draped in silver ash, a crown split in two perched awkwardly on its head. Its eyes gleamed red, hollow yet commanding.
"You seek the fifth flame," the creature rasped. "But every flame you claim burns away a part of you. Will you trade your soul for power?"
Nicolette gripped her dagger tighter, though her hand trembled. The voices of her past failures whispered at the edge of her mind—failures she thought the flames had burned away.
"I won't be ruled by fear," she said, though her voice shook.
The crowned wraith lunged. Its blade clashed against her dagger, sparks flying in the dim light. Each strike was heavier than the last, forcing her back until her heel met the edge of a broken crown. The jagged metal sliced her ankle, sending a sting of pain up her leg.
The wraith hissed. "Even now, you bleed weakness."
Nicolette's chest heaved. Then her hand brushed against the crown at her feet. For a heartbeat, it pulsed with light, as if recognizing her defiance. She gritted her teeth and seized it, the jagged edge biting into her palm.
The broken crown flared alive. Fire erupted from its fracture, blazing like a torch in her hand. With a scream, she swung it, not as a symbol of rulership but as a weapon of rebellion. The wraith staggered, its form unraveling in the blaze.
"You… are not the first to resist…" it whispered as it dissolved into ash.
The city fell silent once more. Nicolette stood gasping, blood dripping from her palm, the broken crown glowing faintly in her grip. The fifth flame flickered to life within her chest, warmer than the others yet heavier, carrying the weight of every ruler who had failed before her.
She lifted her gaze to the crumbling towers ahead. The journey wasn't done. Each flame was only leading her deeper into the heart of ruin.
Still, her lips curved into a defiant smile. "If the flames test me, then I'll test them back."
And with the crown aflame in her hand, Nicolette stepped forward into the shattered city.