The wind carried the scent of scorched earth and distant pine as Elira stood at the edge of the palace grounds. Behind her, the towering spires of Caer Thalin stood like silent witnesses to a kingdom asleep. Before her stretched the road to the Vale of Ash — a path spoken of only in whispers and legends.
The book remained silent now. Its glow had faded, but Elira could still feel its weight pressing not just against her side, but against her spirit. It was no longer just an object. It was a presence. A responsibility.
> "You're not ready," Master Faelen had said once, when she begged him to let her study the forbidden texts.
"Knowledge kept from you is sometimes kept for your own good."
She had thought him a coward then. Now she wasn't so sure.
As she passed beneath the old gate arch, vines brushed against her shoulders like fingers trying to pull her back. The skies were overcast, and the wind moaned through the trees with voices she could almost understand.
---
By midday, she reached the foothills.
A hunched figure awaited her at a ruined marker stone carved with forgotten runes. Wrapped in gray robes, the figure leaned heavily on a gnarled staff.
> "You carry what should have remained buried," the old woman rasped without turning.
Elira froze. "Do you know what this is?"
The woman turned. One eye was milky white; the other burned with a flicker of flame. She smiled — not with joy, but recognition.
> "I know who you are, Emberborn."
> "Emberborn?" Elira echoed, startled.
The woman tapped her staff on the ground, and the runes on the marker stone lit up briefly.
> "Long ago, a line of wardens kept the balance between flame and shadow. That line was thought to be broken. But here you are."
Elira stepped closer. "And what is in the Vale of Ash?"
The woman's expression grew grave.
> "A memory that burns. A trial that scars. And a truth that changes everything."
> "Then I have to go."
The woman nodded once, then turned to the path leading into the deeper woods.
> "Then remember this: not all that speaks truth speaks it for your good."
With that, the woman vanished into the trees, leaving only the smell of ash and the echo of a name that had not been spoken in centuries — Emberborn.
Elira gripped the book tighter and stepped into the forest. The shadows welcomed her like old friends. And somewhere far ahead, the Vale waited.
---