The journey took three days.
Through forests too silent to be natural. Across rivers that steamed in the moonlight. Beneath skies that shifted colors in Kael's dreams.
And the Watcher—whose name Kael learned was Thorne—rarely spoke. When he did, his words were precise, calculated, and always laced with weight.
> "You'll know the Sanctum when you see it," he had said.
Kael hadn't believed him—until they reached it.
---
It stood at the heart of a forgotten valley.
Not carved into the mountains, but grown from them—towers of blackstone entwined with living roots, glowing softly with golden veins of power. Waterfalls flowed upward instead of down. Massive doorways loomed without hinges, opening with a whisper of the wind.
The air itself hummed with ancient magic.
Kael froze at the edge of the valley, stunned.
> "This is… the Sanctum?"
Thorne nodded. "One of the last true havens for Flamebound."
> "Flamebound?" Kael echoed.
> "Those chosen by the Ember. Like you."
---
As they passed through the gates, the temperature shifted—not warmer, but more alive. Kael's skin tingled. His mark pulsed beneath his sleeve as though recognizing the place. He saw others now—men and women in robes or armor, some with glowing sigils visible on necks, forearms, even faces.
Every pair of eyes turned to him.
Some curious.
Some wary.
Some… afraid.
> They know, he thought.
Kael felt exposed. Not for the first time. But this time, he didn't flinch.
---
Inside, the Sanctum was a living labyrinth.
Hallways of crystal. Chambers where flames floated in midair. Statues that whispered in forgotten tongues when passed.
Thorne led him through it all without pause.
> "This place is older than the Empire," he said. "Built during the Ember Wars. It was meant to shelter your kind. Train them. Keep the fire from consuming them."
> "You mean people like me?" Kael asked.
Thorne stopped before a massive sealed door carved with ancient glyphs.
> "No," he said. "Not like you. We haven't seen one of your kind in over a century."
Kael blinked. "My kind?"
Thorne turned to him. "Your sigil... it's not just Ember-born. It's Orvane's Flame. The original spark. The root of everything we know."
Before Kael could respond, the door groaned open.
---
Inside, a circular chamber glowed with orange-blue light. Dozens of Flamebound sat in a ring around a central flame—suspended midair like a floating heart. Their sigils illuminated the dark, casting patterns across the stone walls.
At the center stood a woman.
Tall. Composed. Eyes of burning amber. Her voice rang with authority.
> "So," she said, staring at Kael, "the boy they left behind has arrived."
Kael's heart skipped.
> "Who are you?"
> "I am High Flamewarden Seris. Keeper of the Ember. Protector of balance. And the one who will decide… whether you live long enough to control what's inside you."
---
Kael's fists clenched, jaw tight.
> "If you're here to judge me before I even understand what I am—don't bother."
Whispers erupted across the chamber. Some in shock. Others in amusement.
Seris raised a hand, silencing them.
> "Bold," she said. "Or foolish."
> "I didn't come here to kneel," Kael said. "I came here to survive."
Seris stared at him for a long moment… then smiled.
> "Good. The Ember doesn't choose the weak."
She turned toward the central flame.
> "Then let the Trial begin."
---
Suddenly, fire erupted in a ring around Kael. Glyphs rose in the air, spinning faster. Heat licked his skin, but didn't burn. The sigil on his arm flared to life—brighter than ever.
Kael staggered as a voice returned, louder now.
> "Heir of the First Flame... awaken fully… or be consumed."
Then the flame surged into him.
Kael cried out—light exploding from his chest as memories not his own flooded in:
—A battlefield bathed in blue fire
—A blade that sang in flame
—A man with Kael's face but golden eyes, shouting words he didn't understand
—And a throne of ash crumbling beneath a burning sun
---
He fell to his knees.
The room spun.
His heart pounded like a war drum.
And then—stillness.
Seris stepped forward.
> "The Ember accepts you. For now. But your power is unstable. Your mind untrained."
> "Then train me," Kael said hoarsely, panting. "I won't be left behind again."
Seris nodded once.
> "Then welcome, Kael Ardent… Flamebound of the First Sigil."
And with that, Kael's path truly began.