The tremors had stopped, but the silence that followed was far more unsettling.
Rynze Myal sat on the cold floor of the academy's evacuation shelter, his head buried in his hands. Around him, students whispered in hushed tones, their faces pale with fear.
Seris Avielle knelt beside him, her silver hair disheveled. "Rynze, you need to tell me what's happening. That light—it wasn't normal."
He looked up, his storm-grey eyes clouded with confusion. "I don't know, Seris. It felt like… like something inside me woke up."
Before she could respond, the shelter's doors burst open. A group of instructors entered, their expressions grim.
"Rynze Myal," one of them said, his voice sharp. "You're coming with us."
Seris stood, her frozen-sky eyes blazing. "What are you talking about? He hasn't done anything wrong!"
The instructor ignored her, his gaze fixed on Rynze. "The Ordo has summoned you. They believe you're connected to the gate."
Rynze felt a chill run down his spine. The Ordo—the academy's secretive order of inquisitors—wasn't known for their kindness.
The journey to the Ordo's chamber was a blur. Rynze barely registered the winding corridors and the cold, metallic walls.
When they arrived, he was led into a vast, dimly lit room. At its center stood Srakar Ilmen, his half-mask gleaming in the faint light.
"Rynze Myal," Srakar said, his golden eyes piercing. "Do you know why you're here?"
Rynze shook his head, his heart pounding. "No, sir."
Srakar stepped closer, his voice low and measured. "The gate beneath Elvain has stirred, and the Nameless Flame has chosen a vessel. We believe that vessel is you."
Rynze's breath caught. "Chosen? What does that mean?"
"It means," Srakar said, "that you are both a gift and a threat. The flame's power is immense, but it is also dangerous. If you cannot control it, it will consume you—and everything around you."
Back in the shelter, Seris paced anxiously. She couldn't shake the image of Rynze being taken away.
Suddenly, the ground trembled again, and a faint, fiery glow seeped through the cracks in the walls.
Seris froze, her heart racing. She knew she had to find Rynze. Whatever was happening, they had to face it together.
Deep beneath Elvain, the sealed gate pulsed with fiery light. The shadowed figures surrounding it began to chant, their voices rising in unison.
Srakar Ilmen stood at the edge of the chamber, his golden eyes fixed on the gate.
"The vessel has been awakened," he muttered. "The Nameless Flame will soon reveal its true power."
Behind him, the shadowed figures knelt, their chants growing louder.
And in the depths of the gate, a spark ignited—a spark that would change the fate of Elvain forever.