Scene 1
(Opening sequence: The palace courtyard glows beneath a rising sun. Doves scatter as the camera pans over the golden rooftops of Ignara — the Flame Realm.)
Three days had passed since the fire.
Three days since Ren Arclight's world had rewritten itself.
He still hadn't fully grasped what happened. Every breath carried warmth that wasn't his. Every heartbeat pulsed with fire that didn't burn. The mark of Princess Ignis — a faint sigil of crimson light — shimmered just beneath his collarbone, rising and falling with his pulse.
"Ren Arclight," said a sharp voice behind him.
He turned to see Captain Rael, commander of the Flameguard. The man's armor gleamed like molten brass, his Status Orb spinning with digits that would've made Ren dizzy once upon a time.
"The council wants proof that what happened wasn't some fluke. Her Highness has ordered a combat assessment. You'll report to the Inferna Training Grounds immediately."
Ren frowned. "I'm still recovering—"
Rael smirked. "Then you'd better recover faster. The princess doesn't tolerate weakness — even in her savior."
(Cut: Training Grounds — a vast arena surrounded by crimson banners. The air ripples with heat; molten channels run beneath the floor.)
Dozens of knights watched from the stands. Their murmurs were sharp, skeptical.
"That's the nullborn?"
"He doesn't even look like he belongs here."
"Probably just luck that he survived her flames."
Ren ignored them. His eyes were fixed on the opposite end of the arena, where Princess Ignis stood — not in royal attire this time, but clad in sleek training armor that gleamed like tempered fire. A long crimson spear rested against her shoulder.
(Camera focus: her golden eyes meet his. A faint flare ignites in the background.)
"Ren Arclight," she called, voice carrying across the arena. "Today, you'll prove your flame isn't borrowed. Fight me — as my bonded."
Ren's throat tightened. "Fight… you?"
Ignis smiled, the kind that dared the world to catch her. "Unless you'd rather live your new life as a servant again."
He clenched his fists. "No. I'll fight."
Scene 2
(Drumbeat. Countdown numbers flicker across a holographic display.)
COMBAT SIMULATION INITIATED.
RULE: FIRST TO YIELD.
WARNING: FLAME DAMAGE DETECTED.
The floor glowed with runes. Heat swelled, enveloping them in a shimmering dome of magic.
Ignis twirled her spear once, her aura erupting like a solar flare. "Show me what my flame taught you."
Ren raised his hands instinctively. The sigil on his chest flared, responding to her challenge. A sudden wave of heat surged from his palms, forming a sphere of flickering fire.
It startled even him.
"I… did that?"
Ignis grinned. "Good. Now control it!"
She lunged — spear blazing, each strike leaving trails of light that carved molten arcs into the floor. Ren barely dodged the first, then blocked the second with a reflexive burst of fire that exploded on impact.
(Camera shake. Sparks fly. Audience gasps.)
Ren was breathing hard already, but he felt alive. The fire coursed through him, synchronizing with every movement. It wasn't his power — it was hers, resonating through the link between them.
Ignis spun her weapon, smirking. "Not bad for a zero. But you're holding back."
"I'm trying not to die!" Ren shouted, deflecting another strike. His palms burned from the feedback.
"Then stop trying — and start fighting!"
The next clash sent shockwaves rippling through the arena. Flames spiraled into a vortex around them, rising higher, brighter, until they painted the sky crimson.
Ren stumbled backward, panting. "She's too fast…"
(Flash-cut: Ignis' expression softens for a moment — she's enjoying this. Then she charges again.)
Her spear came down like lightning. Instinct — or something deeper — took over. Ren caught the shaft mid-swing, flames bursting from his grip, melting the weapon halfway.
Ignis blinked in surprise.
Ren stepped forward, fire blazing around his arm. "Guess I'm learning fast."
Then he punched — not to harm, but to release. A wave of controlled heat blasted through the chamber, dispersing her aura into scattering embers. The dome quivered, light trembling as the flames vanished in a single, echoing shock.
When the air cleared, Ignis was kneeling, her spear extinguished.
For the first time, the Flame Sovereign was at someone else's mercy.
Scene 3
(Silence. Then applause breaks out from the stands — uncertain, hesitant.)
Ignis looked up at him, face flushed with both exhaustion and pride. "You… contained my flame."
Ren dropped to one knee, gasping. "More like… the flame contained me."
She laughed softly. "No one's ever forced me to yield. Not even my father's generals."
He shook his head. "I wasn't trying to win."
"Then what were you fighting for?"
Ren hesitated. His answer came quiet but firm.
"To prove that what happened between us wasn't an accident."
(Camera zoom — her expression falters. Something unspoken passes between them.)
Ignis straightened, extending her hand. "Then from this day forward, Ren Arclight, you are no servant. You are my bonded knight."
The knights in the stands murmured. Some bowed, others whispered in disbelief. But no one dared object.
Ren took her hand. Heat flared at the touch — not searing, but warm, grounding. The bond pulsed again, stronger than before.
(Cut to black. Then reappear: palace balcony, nightfall.)
Scene 4
The city lights of Ignara stretched below like rivers of molten gold. Ren stood beside the balcony rail, the cool night wind tempering the last of the day's fire.
Footsteps approached.
Ignis leaned against the railing beside him, now dressed in lighter robes. Her hair glowed faintly in the starlight.
"You fought well," she said.
Ren smirked. "I almost died."
"That's how we measure effort here."
They both laughed quietly. For the first time, it wasn't awkward. It was… human.
Ignis turned her gaze upward. "You probably think I'm cruel."
He frowned. "Why would I?"
"Because I made you fight me when you were still recovering." She paused, voice softening. "But I had to see it for myself — the fire that answered mine. My people only follow strength. And strength must be proven."
Ren looked at her, understanding dawning. "You're not just a princess… you're their symbol."
She nodded slowly. "And symbols don't get to be weak."
Then she looked at him, her expression gentler than flame should allow. "But you changed something in me that day, Ren. When our lips met — it wasn't just a mistake."
He froze. His pulse stuttered.
Ignis smiled faintly. "I felt your fear, your resolve, your will to protect. The Protocol responded because your heart did. That's what the Heartbearer once stood for — resonance born from truth."
She leaned slightly closer, eyes glowing ember-red.
"So, tell me… if it happened again — would you still kiss me?"
Ren's mind blanked. The night air thickened.
"I—" He swallowed. "If it would save you again… yes."
Ignis laughed quietly, shaking her head. "You really are reckless."
(Camera close-up: she steps closer. The glow from their orbs overlaps — fiery orange and faint white intertwining.)
"Then let me show you what that recklessness awakened."
Her hand rose to his cheek — warm, steady. The moment hung suspended, breathless. Then, as the night wind swirled, she kissed him — not out of chaos this time, but choice.
Scene 5
(The world shifts — everything slows. Music builds. Sparks swirl around them in slow motion.)
STATUS UPDATE: HEART SYNC — IGNIS COMPLETE.
NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: FLAME RESONANCE.
ATTRIBUTE BONUS: COURAGE +∞
Ren's body trembled. The energy didn't feel foreign anymore; it moved with him, through him. Their bond had become whole — mutual. The Heart Protocol acknowledged him fully.
Ignis broke the kiss, eyes soft, voice barely above a whisper.
"This isn't about power anymore. It's about trust. Remember that."
Ren nodded slowly, still dazed. "Then… what happens now?"
She smiled, turning toward the horizon, where faint lightning flickered in the distance.
"Now, the world starts asking questions we don't have answers for."
(Thunder rumbles faintly. Camera pans upward — clouds swirl, the symbol of the Heartbearer flickering faintly across the sky.)
Scene 6
(Cut: Far above, in a tower of mirrors and golden machinery.)
A figure in white robes observed the entire scene through holographic screens. The reflection of the kiss replayed in slow loops, data streams cascading around it.
"So, the anomaly awakens…" the voice murmured — calm, resonant, and cold. "The first sync in a thousand years. The Heartbearer's echo returns."
A gloved hand touched the screen.
"Soon, the other princesses will feel the ripple. The cycle begins again."
(A faint smile. The machinery hums. The screen fades to black.)
Scene 7
(Soft piano outro. Montage of the week ahead — Ren training, sparks igniting from his hands, Ignis watching silently from the balcony.)
A voiceover from Ren plays softly over the visuals:
"They said I was a mistake. A glitch.
But if every mistake carries a heartbeat… maybe that's all it takes to change the world."
(Camera tilt — his Status Orb glows anew, now burning with fire sigils that pulse like a living heart.)
[Next on I Can Upgrade My Status by Kissing the Seven Princesses of the World — Chapter 3: Trial by Fire]