Morning dawned on Ember City in waves of gold.
From the balcony of the academy's eastern tower, Yuj could see ribbons of flame dancing between rooftops, banners painted with the sigil of Rehn — god of fire, bringer of the first spark.
For once, the city did not smell of coal and smoke but of roasted fruit, sweet wine, and the faint tang of magic.
"Guess the rumors were right," Yuj said, squinting at the crowd gathering below.
"They really do celebrate by trying to set the city on fire."
Kaen stood beside him, cloak fluttering in the morning wind. "A festival about fire in a city made of stone. Efficient."
"That's one way to say 'completely insane.'"
"Depends on the result." Kaen's pale eyes glimmered faintly blue. "If it burns well, it's faith."
Yuj grinned. "I forgot you worship logic instead of fun."
Before Kaen could reply, a cane struck the stone behind them.
"Logic and fun," said Alaric, their mentor, "are both optional today. Survival, however, is mandatory."
The students turned as the red-haired instructor strode forward, his cloak a streak of scarlet amid the morning haze. He twirled his iron cane — the one he always called "my second temper" — and gestured toward the main courtyard.
"Listen up, children of Ember!" Alaric's voice boomed across the plaza.
"Today begins the Fire Hunt — a festival as old as the city itself. You'll join the crowds, hunt for flame shards hidden throughout Ember, and try not to die in the process."
A few students laughed. Yuj wasn't one of them.
He still remembered what the mountain did when it really burned.
"Teams of two," Alaric continued. "Track your shard by following the direction of your flame mark. The first ten pairs to collect four shards will represent the academy in tonight's closing trial."
He smirked. "I'll be supervising from somewhere comfortable, so do try to make me proud."
As always, the headmaster appeared last.
Varrin walked onto the central platform, robes traced with fine silver lines that pulsed faintly like veins of magma. His face was calm, smile unreadable.
"Faith is tested not in temples," he said, "but in heat. Let the Hunt begin."
He raised his hand. The air shimmered. Sparks descended from the sky — tiny motes of living fire that sought each student's mark.
When one touched Yuj's wrist, it sank into his skin like a heartbeat.
A faint arrow of light flared across his palm, pointing south.
Kaen looked at his own. "Mine points the same way."
"Guess fate ships us," Yuj said.
"Guess fate has no taste," Kaen replied.
They ran with the others through Ember's gates, laughter and shouts echoing off the white stone.
Below, the city was alive — bridges of iron arched across canals where steam shimmered; towers belched harmless smoke in the shape of dragons. Everywhere, citizens cheered as students leapt from rooftop to rooftop, chasing glowing compasses on their wrists.
"Never thought I'd see this many people happy about being on fire," Yuj muttered.
Kaen's pace didn't falter. "Fire reminds them they're alive."
"And freezing people reminds you, huh?"
"Exactly."
Yuj groaned. "You need a hobby."
They landed near an abandoned aqueduct, where the light on their marks pulsed faster.
Old pipes hissed under the stone; the air smelled of rust and forgotten heat.
Their compasses brightened — both arrows converged on a crack in the wall.
"There," Kaen said. Inside, a shard glowed like a captured star.
He reached in first, frost creeping over his fingertips to cool the stone. The shard slid free, humming faintly.
"One down," he said.
"Nice teamwork," Yuj said, brushing dust from his hands. "You freeze, I admire."
"Try helping next time."
"I provide emotional support. It's important."
Kaen gave him a look. "You talk too much."
By noon, they had found three shards.
Yuj's pouch jingled softly as he climbed over a low arch, sweat glistening on his neck. The sunlight above the city burned through crimson banners, dyeing everything gold-red.
"Last one's near the lower district," Yuj said, checking his mark. "Then we can—"
A scream cut through the crowd.
Not excitement — pain.
They bolted toward the sound. In a narrow side street, a student knelt on the ground, clutching his wrist. His mark blazed black.
The flame wasn't red or orange — it was the color of iron pulled from a forge, dull and alive all the same.
"Hey!" Yuj dropped beside him. "You're overheating. Let go of the mark!"
The boy gasped, eyes rolling. "It—hurts—won't stop—"
Kaen grabbed the boy's arm, ice forming instantly around his wrist.
The corrupted flame hissed, steam rising as blue frost tangled with black heat.
"Too deep," Kaen said. "It's feeding on him."
Yuj grit his teeth. "Then it's time for a diet."
He pressed his palm near the mark, summoning his own fire.
"Breathe with me," he said softly, matching the boy's ragged gasps. "You control it, not the other way around. Fire isn't a cage—it's a breath."
The boy's shaking slowed.
The black flame flickered, then pulsed once and dimmed to a dull red.
Kaen released him, steam curling between their hands.
"It worked," Yuj whispered.
Kaen nodded, though his face was pale. "For now."
The boy sagged against the wall, breathing hard.
"What was that?" Yuj asked quietly.
Kaen shook his head. "Contamination. But from where—"
A ripple passed through the street.
Every lantern along the walls flickered—once, twice—and for an instant, their light turned the same iron color.
Yuj felt the hair on his arms rise. "Kaen?"
Kaen looked up. The faint blue glow of his eyes sharpened to crystal. "We're not alone."
Up above, from the rooftops, masked figures watched the chaos unfold — their robes dark, their movements smooth, silent as falling ash.
One of them lowered a white porcelain mask, revealing eyes that reflected both frost and flame.
"The seed stirs," the figure whispered.
"And the god begins to dream again."