The cavern's silence weighed heavy after the masked stranger vanished, his oath still echoing like a brand in Nicolette's mind. She stood frozen, her hand trembling against the stone wall as though the earth itself could anchor her to reality.
But the fire inside her would not be still. It pulsed, surging in waves that rattled her bones. The warmth no longer felt like an intruder—it was part of her, demanding release. Her heartbeat matched its rhythm, quickening with every breath.
She turned back to the glowing archway, where faint inscriptions shimmered across the stone. The marks were jagged, fractured lines—like veins across broken glass. Instinct whispered that this was no ordinary ruin. It was a seal, one meant to hold something back.
Her palm rose without command, fire licking at her fingertips. The symbols brightened as though recognizing her, and the ground rumbled beneath her feet.
"No," she whispered, clenching her fist, trying to rein in the flames. "I can't… not yet."
But the ruin answered. A sudden crack split through the air, sharp as lightning. Dust cascaded from the ceiling as the arch groaned and the seal pulsed like a beating heart.
The fire within Nicolette roared, and for a terrifying moment, she felt her body wasn't her own. She staggered back, clutching her chest, but the pull of the seal dragged her forward like a tide.
"Why me?" The words tore from her throat, raw and desperate. She remembered the stranger's oath—that he would follow her into ruin or rebirth. Did that mean she was meant to break this seal? Or protect it?
The archway blazed with sudden brilliance, and with a deafening crack, part of the seal shattered. A gust of cold, ancient air surged through the cavern, carrying whispers in a language too old for human tongues. Her knees buckled, but she stayed upright, fire spiraling around her like a shield.
Then came the sound. A low, guttural growl—so deep it rattled her teeth. From beyond the fractured seal, something stirred. Its presence pressed against her mind, vast and terrible, a weight that threatened to crush her spirit.
Her fire flared in answer, burning brighter than it ever had. Fear gnawed at her belly, but strength surged in her chest. She planted her feet firmly and raised her chin.
"If I'm the one chosen," she whispered, voice steady despite her trembling hands, "then I won't run."
The seal glowed again, responding to her defiance. The whispers grew louder, a chorus of warning and promise. The cavern filled with light and shadow, fire and frost, creation and destruction locked in a single breath.
The moment passed, leaving Nicolette gasping, sweat streaking her brow. The seal wasn't fully broken—but it was no longer whole. Whatever it held back was awake, aware… and waiting.
She straightened, determination burning hotter than her flames. The stranger's oath, the fire within her, the crumbling ruins—everything was connected. And whether it led to ruin or rebirth, she had already stepped onto the path.
There would be no turning back.