Three days into his second life, Kaien sought out the hidden archives.
Buried beneath the Flame Clan's temple, the place reeked of dust and dragonbone. Tomes forgotten, sealed relics, scrolls in languages long dead.
He needed power. Not just brute strength — knowledge. Ancient flamecraft. Forbidden arts. Anything that could give him an edge.
One book glowed faintly when he touched it.
> "Ashen Legacy: The Bloodfire Ritual"
He opened it.
Symbols pulsed. His blood warmed. Something old stirred in his chest.
> "Only those marked by the first dragon may survive the ritual," the script read.
Kaien's hand trembled.
He'd been dreaming of fire every night since his return. Of voices whispering from flame. Of a golden eye watching.
Was he marked?
---
That night, beneath a blood moon, Kaien lit the ritual pyre.
Carved runes. Cut his palm. Let his blood drip into the fire.
Pain erupted.
He screamed, the sound swallowed by the wind. The fire turned black. The runes flared.
And deep inside him — something woke.
A voice.
> "You again..."
He collapsed.
---
When he woke, the fire was gone. But his veins glowed faintly.
And on his back, a mark had formed — a coiling dragon made of ash and flame.
Kaien sat up, breathing hard.
The past had given him a gift.
Now it was time to rewrite fate.