Far from the shining realm of Kai Dragon's kingdom, beyond the peaceful Elven lands and the reborn Demon Wastes, there lay a forgotten continent—
Varn'thul.
A broken land sealed in eternal eclipse, surrounded by storms and devoured by silence. Once home to proud warrior races, it had fallen into myth, lost even to the divine maps of the Dragon Palace.
Yet deep within its black mountains, a heartbeat pulsed.
And the Firstborn Flame awakened.
---
In the Depths of Varn'thul
In a ruined temple swallowed by ash and time, a child stood alone, surrounded by flickering candles that never burned out. The boy's name was Kaien. He had no parents, no people, only the voice.
A voice he'd heard since birth.
> "You are alone because they fear you."
"You are powerful because I chose you."
Kaien's eyes glowed amber whenever he grew angry. His magic was wild, formless—sometimes turning shadow into fire, sometimes warping light into silence. He didn't know the names of his spells. They simply… happened.
One day, he burned a tree by touching it.
Another day, he spoke a word, and a dead bird flew again.
The villagers nearby called him cursed.
The voice called him "Next."
---
In the Dragon Palace
Kai Dragon stood before the Mirror of Realms, his Divine Magic scanning every dimension tied to the Origin Core. His golden eyes narrowed.
"I sense something moving again," he said aloud.
Marsha, his wife, stood beside him. "The Core is sealed."
"Yes," Kai replied, "but the Flame… it's searching. It wants a new bearer."
Zerith entered the chamber, still wearing the symbol Lilith gave him: Guardian of the Origin. His shadow was calmer now, no longer twisted by the mark.
"We sealed it off," Zerith said. "But it will always find cracks. We need to act before it fully awakens again."
Iris joined them moments later, holding a crystal map glowing with mana.
"I've found something strange," she said. "A place… hidden in eclipse. Varn'thul."
Kai's eyes widened. "That place was erased. No portal has reached it in over a thousand years."
"Exactly," Iris said. "But someone there just used something very similar to Creation Magic—and it wasn't mine."
---
The Voice and the Bond
Back in Varn'thul, Kaien stood in front of a shrine he'd never dared to approach before. It was carved with symbols he couldn't read. At its center was a stone eye, glowing with inner fire.
The voice spoke again:
> "You were born with my essence. But now, it is time to become more than just a vessel."
Kaien touched the eye.
The entire temple shook. Fire without heat erupted, wrapping around him. His body floated. The flame whispered promises of purpose, of identity, of being wanted.
> "They will fear you. But I will love you. You are the Flame's Herald."
When Kaien awoke, he bore a mark upon his chest—a burning circle with three chained stars inside it.
---
The Meeting of Guardians
Kai, Iris, and Zerith gathered the other Guardians of the Origin—those chosen to protect the seal of the Flame: Mira, Kael, Tyros, and Aurin.
Kai explained what they now faced.
"A new bearer is being shaped. We've identified magical activity in Varn'thul. That region was sealed before even the Doomsday War. Something is feeding that place power again."
Iris stood. "We must go there. Now."
Zerith nodded. "We'll need a team strong enough to enter and survive. If the Flame is marking a new soul, it's still weak. But it won't stay that way for long."
Kai raised a hand. "Only Iris, Zerith, and I can go. No portals function in or out of Varn'thul unless the Flame allows it. This must be done carefully. We're not going to destroy a boy… We're going to save him."
---
A Moment of Doubt
Before they departed, Kai spent the night in the royal observatory, looking at a portrait of his children and grandchildren.
Marsha entered quietly. "You've carried the burden of gods, wars, and prophecy… and yet here you are, worrying about a single child."
Kai smiled faintly. "Because I once was that child."
Marsha placed her hand over his. "Then give him what you were given: A choice."
He nodded. "That's all I want."
---
A Journey Into Eclipse
With the Goddess Lilith's blessing, Kai, Iris, and Zerith used the ancient Dimensional Prism—a relic that could align rifts with forgotten lands.
The world turned black and silver.
They stepped into Varn'thul.
The air was thick with silence. The sky above was cracked like old glass, and fires burned inside the mountains like breathing lungs.
They followed the threads of divine residue, eventually arriving at the ruined temple.
Inside, they saw him.
Kaien—no older than sixteen—stood calmly, his eyes glowing gold and flame dancing around him without burning.
He turned to face them.
"I know who you are," he said. "You're the ones who sealed it. The ones who were afraid."
Zerith stepped forward. "I once was like you."
Kaien's eyes narrowed. "Then why did you betray the Flame?"
Iris said gently, "Because it was never a gift. It was a curse."
Kaien raised his hand, and the flame around him hissed.
"Then why does it feel like love?"
---
To Be Continued…
As the temple rumbled and the Flame's voice began to rise once more from the shadows, Kai reached out—not with power, but with understanding.
"Let us show you what real choice feels like," he said.
Kaien hesitated.
And in that moment… the Flame screamed.