The room fell into a tense silence as the cloaked figure stepped forward, lowering their hood to reveal a familiar face—Soren, a former ally of Drake's from the earlier war against Gruter. But something was different. His eyes glowed faintly with a fiery hue, and his presence felt... wrong.
Drake's heart sank. "Soren? What are you doing here?"
Soren's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I've been watching you, Drake. Watching the ember change you. You're becoming more powerful, but you don't understand that power. I do."
Tyr stood up, suspicion etched on his face. "You've been working with the Flame, haven't you? That's why you're here now."
Soren glanced at Tyr, his smile widening. "I've come to offer you all a choice. The Eternal Flame is rising, and soon nothing will be able to stop it. But with its power, we can remake the world—together."
Drake's blood boiled, not from anger, but from the ember's heat within him. "You've betrayed us."
"Betrayed?" Soren's voice dripped with mockery. "No, Drake. I'm offering salvation. The Flame's power is limitless. You, of all people, should understand that by now. I've seen what it's doing to you. You're already becoming what you were meant to be—a vessel for the Flame."
Drake took a step forward, his fists clenched. "I won't become a pawn of the Eternal Flame."
Soren's expression darkened, and the flicker of fire in his eyes grew brighter. "You don't have a choice. None of you do. The Flame is inevitable. Either you join it, or you burn."
Mira drew her weapon, her voice cold. "We'd rather burn."
Before Soren could respond, Drake felt another surge of heat within him, more powerful than before. The ember flared, and for a moment, the world seemed to blur around him. Visions of fire and destruction flashed before his eyes—cities engulfed in flames, lands scorched to ash, and at the center of it all... him.
He stumbled, gasping for breath as the fire inside him threatened to overwhelm his senses. "No... I won't let it happen," he muttered, forcing himself to focus.
Soren's laughter echoed in the room. "You're already losing control, Drake. The Flame will take you, whether you want it or not."
Drake's eyes snapped open, and he glared at Soren. "Get out."
Soren shrugged, turning to leave. "You'll come to understand soon enough. When the Flame burns everything you love to the ground, you'll realize you were always meant to embrace it."
As the door closed behind him, the group was left in uneasy silence. Tyr was the first to speak. "We can't trust him. Whatever he's planning, it's going to get worse."
Drake nodded, still feeling the ember's heat coursing through him. "I know. But we're running out of time."
Elyra spoke up, her voice shaky. "What if he's right? What if the Flame is inevitable?"
Drake's jaw tightened. "Then we'll find another way. We have to."
But even as he said the words, doubt crept into his heart. The fire within him was growing stronger, and with every passing moment, the line between him and the Eternal Flame blurred. Could he truly fight what he was becoming?
As the flicker of flames danced in the distance, Drake knew that their battle was only just beginning—and the greatest challenge lay within himself.