The molten creature towered above them, its body a roiling mass of lava and obsidian. Cracks in its surface glowed with a searing orange light, and its every movement sent waves of heat rippling through the air. The ground beneath it bubbled and cracked, molten rock spreading outward like a living thing.
Seris felt the Flame within her surge, resonating with the creature's presence. It was unlike anything she had faced before—ancient, powerful, and filled with rage.
The dragon stepped forward, its golden scales shimmering with reflected firelight. "This is an Ember Titan, a relic of the First Flame's wrath. It will test more than your strength, Seris. It will test your spirit. You must defeat it."
The Titan roared, raising one massive arm and slamming it down toward them. The ground erupted in a spray of molten rock, forcing the group to scatter. Seris barely managed to roll aside, the heat scorching her skin.
Dain shouted, raising his sword. "We can't just let her face this thing alone!"
"You cannot interfere!" the dragon roared, its voice echoing with authority. "This is her battle. If she falters, the Flame will consume her."
Seris clenched her teeth, gripping her staff tightly. The Flame inside her burned hotter than ever, demanding to be unleashed. She raised her hand, a column of fire erupting from the ground and striking the Titan's arm. It bellowed in pain, molten chunks of its form splattering across the ground.
The victory was short-lived. Where the fire had struck, the Titan's form began to shift and regenerate, the lava flowing back into place.
"It heals," Seris muttered, her heart sinking.
"It is bound to the Citadel's core," the dragon explained. "Destroying it will require more than brute force. You must sever its connection to the Flame that sustains it."
"How?" Seris shouted, dodging another massive swing from the Titan.
"By finding its heart," the dragon replied, its tone grave. "The Titan is more than it seems. Within it lies a shard of the First Flame, a fragment of pure power. You must draw it out."
The Titan slammed both fists into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Seris off her feet. She hit the ground hard, her staff rolling out of her grasp. As she scrambled to recover, the Titan loomed over her, its molten eyes blazing with fury.
"Seris!" Kael shouted, his bow drawn, but he hesitated, remembering the dragon's warning.
Seris reached deep within herself, summoning the Flame with everything she had. Heat surged through her body, and she raised her hands just as the Titan's molten fist came crashing down. A barrier of fire erupted around her, absorbing the blow and forcing the creature back.
Sweat poured down her face as she rose to her feet, the Flame pulsing wildly within her. "I need to get closer," she muttered, her gaze locked on the Titan's chest, where a faint, brighter glow seemed to pulse beneath the molten surface.
As she advanced, the ground trembled again. This time, jagged spires of obsidian erupted from the earth, forming a deadly labyrinth around the battlefield. The Titan roared, its molten form blending into the shifting landscape, making it harder to track.
Seris sprinted through the maze, dodging falling debris and streams of molten lava that flowed from cracks in the ground. The heat was suffocating, and every step felt heavier than the last. The obsidian walls seemed to close in on her, and the Titan's roars echoed from every direction.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her gave way, and she fell into a cavernous chamber filled with glowing pools of lava. The Titan's massive form descended after her, landing with a thunderous crash. The walls of the chamber shimmered with ancient runes, their light pulsating in rhythm with the Flame inside her.
"This is it," she realized. "This is where I make my stand."
The Titan charged, molten fists raised. Seris raised her hands, the Flame within her surging to meet the attack. Fire and lava collided in an explosion of heat and light, the force of it sending shockwaves through the chamber.
As they clashed, Seris began to notice something—a pattern in the Titan's movements. It wasn't just attacking blindly; it was defending something. Its chest, where the shard of the First Flame lay, was heavily guarded.
"I need to draw it out," she thought.
With a deep breath, Seris closed her eyes and let the Flame guide her. She felt its rhythm, its pulse, and she began to move with it. Flames erupted from her hands, weaving into intricate patterns that encircled the Titan. The creature hesitated, its movements faltering as it tried to decipher her attacks.
Taking advantage of the opening, Seris unleashed a powerful blast of fire aimed directly at the Titan's chest. The impact struck true, and for a moment, the creature staggered. The glow in its chest intensified, and a crack began to form.
The Titan roared, its molten body writhing as it struggled to protect its core. Seris pressed on, summoning every ounce of strength she had. The Flame within her burned brighter than ever, its heat nearly overwhelming her.
Finally, with one last surge of power, she unleashed a concentrated beam of fire, piercing through the Titan's chest. The creature let out a final, earth-shaking roar as its form began to collapse, the molten rock cooling and hardening into stone.
At the center of the fallen Titan's remains, a glowing shard hovered in the air—a fragment of the First Flame. Seris approached it cautiously, her body trembling from exhaustion. As she reached out, the shard flared brightly, and she felt its power merge with her own.
The cavern began to quake, the walls crumbling as the Citadel reacted to the Titan's defeat.
"Seris!" Dain's voice echoed from above. "We need to go, now!"
The dragon swooped down, landing beside her. "You have done well, but the Citadel will not forgive this intrusion. We must leave before it seals itself forever."
Seris nodded, clutching the shard tightly as the dragon lifted her into the air. They ascended through the collapsing maze, the ground below disappearing into molten chaos.
As they emerged into the daylight, the Citadel's ruins crumbled behind them, sinking into the earth as though swallowed by the Flame itself.
Landing on the grasslands, Seris collapsed to her knees, the shard still glowing faintly in her hand.
"You have taken your first true step," the dragon said, its voice filled with pride. "But this is only the beginning. The shard has awakened a greater power within you, and with it, greater challenges."
Seris looked at the shard, its warmth resonating with her own. She didn't know what lay ahead, but for the first time, she felt ready to face it.
The Flame had chosen her, and she would not let it falter.
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