The steps wound downward in a perfect spiral, carved from obsidian stone and etched with glowing symbols that pulsed faintly beneath Leora's feet. Each step hummed beneath her weight, responding to her presence like it knew her.
Kael followed close behind, blade drawn, every muscle tense. "This place doesn't feel right."
"It's old," Leora murmured. "Older than Eldoria. Older than the Flamebearers."
As they descended, the air grew colder, but not the natural kind. It was the kind of cold that sank into your bones and whispered doubts into your ears. Leora's sigils glowed steadily, keeping the darkness at bay.
After what felt like an hour of descending in silence, they reached a landing.
The chamber opened up into a vast underground vault. Massive pillars rose like tree trunks, disappearing into the shadows above. At the center of the vault floated the crystal shard—larger than the others, spinning slowly, suspended by invisible force.
But it wasn't alone.
A massive circular dais surrounded it, and along the walls were dozens of stone sarcophagi, sealed with runes. Each bore the same symbol—the Flamebearer sigil—but… inverted.
Kael let out a low whistle. "Tell me this doesn't look like a tomb."
"It is," Leora said, stepping forward. "But not just any tomb."
She reached the edge of the dais. "These were Flamebearers. Like me."
Kael frowned. "Then why are they sealed? Were they buried with honor, or trapped?"
Before Leora could respond, the shard pulsed. A shockwave of golden light rippled outward.
Kael shielded his eyes. "Leora—!"
She stood still, unmoving. Her eyes glowed with the same light, her body tense.
Visions flooded her.
She stood in a great hall of flame and shadow. At its center, a throne of molten stone. Upon it sat a man cloaked in darkness, a crown of embers on his head. His eyes were fire.
"You are the last," he said. "The others failed. Burned from within or turned to ash."
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I was the first," the voice answered. "And the final."
Leora stepped back. "The final what?"
"Flamebearer," he said, rising. "I was the one who sealed the Vault. I was the one who killed the others."
His form warped into shadow. Chains of light bound him.
"But they are waking now. Because you woke me."
---
Leora gasped, falling to her knees. Kael caught her just before she hit the stone.
"Leora!"
She blinked. "I saw him… the first Flamebearer. He's not dead. He's sealed here."
Kael looked around. "Please don't tell me that shard is keeping him locked up."
Leora's gaze turned to the shard. "No. It's calling him back."
And then, the sarcophagi began to tremble.
One by one, the stone lids cracked, glowing lines spreading like spiderwebs.
Kael drew his sword. "That's our cue to leave!"
But it was too late.
The first sarcophagus burst open. A figure stepped out, tall and thin, dressed in scorched armor, his eyes hollow but glowing with flame.
"Who… woke us…?" the figure rasped.
Leora raised her hand. "Wait—I don't mean harm—"
Another tomb cracked. Then another. Figures began to emerge—some weeping, others silent, all with the mark of the Flamebearer—but each one twisted, corrupted by time and rage.
The one closest to Leora stepped forward.
"We were chosen," he said. "But she left us. Burned us."
Leora's eyes widened. "She… who?"
A deep, feminine voice echoed from the darkness behind the shard.
"The one who gave you your power."
Leora turned, heart racing.
A woman hovered just above the crystal—cloaked in shadow, eyes like stars gone cold. Her presence was oppressive, like a weight on the soul.
Kael gritted his teeth. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled. "I am what remains of the flame. What she left behind."
She gestured to the corrupted Flamebearers now circling the dais.
"They were her soldiers. Her believers. When she fell, they begged for purpose. I gave them that."
Leora stepped forward. "You turned them into monsters."
"No," the woman said gently. "You turned them into monsters… when you survived."
A pulse of dark fire exploded outward, and Leora raised her barrier just in time. The ground split beneath their feet, and from the abyss rose a creature of smoke and ash—serpentine, massive, with dozens of flaming eyes.
The corrupted Flamebearers began to chant.
"Starborn… Starborn… Ash to ash… flame to flame…"
Kael grabbed Leora's arm. "We need to get out of here."
Leora's sigils blazed. "No. We end this."
She stepped into the center of the dais. The shard above responded, spinning faster.
The woman raised a hand. "Then come, Starborn. Show me what you've inherited."
A storm of flame burst through the chamber, and the battle began.
---
End of Chapter 10 Cliffhanger:
Leora discovers a forgotten vault holding the remains of corrupted Flamebearers and has a vision of the first Flamebearer, a sealed figure who hints at betrayal. As ancient warriors begin to awaken and a mysterious woman tied to the origin of the Flamebearers reveals herself, Leora prepares for battle against overwhelming odds.