The night sky above the capital was no longer the calm, starry expanse it had once been. Instead, it was a swirling tempest of dark clouds, crackling with energy. The air was thick with the scent of burning stone and scorched earth, the weight of Xian Hei's wrath pressing down on the city. He stood amidst the destruction, his body consumed by the licking tendrils of the fire of the Dark Soulfire, his gaze intent upon Azhira as she continued to struggle on her feet.
The pulsing dark energy of the Heart of Obsidian pulsed, but even as the item was absorbing his flames, Xian Hei could feel the resistance beginning to give. His power was like a flood-gate that had been left open and would not be quelled by any artifact made by anyone.
You really think a little trinket's going to save you?" Xian Hei's voice was a low growl, thick with cold mirth. "You cannot control this fire that births from my soul."
Azhira panted with ragged breaths while the fingers that held Heart of Obsidian in her hand trembled. "I don't have to hold him back. I just have to slow him down. until the Empire can mobilize.
The smile spreading on Xian Hei's face was sharp, cruel. "You are wasting your time; the Empire has already been lost, and I will turn this city into a furnace, the rest bowing before my feet.
He lifted his hand, and the Dark Soulfire surged forward in a wave of destruction, tearing down the streets. In but an instant, the buildings crumbled, the foundation reduced to ashes; at their feet, the earth cracked with shards of stone flying across. The flames engulfed everything that barred their way and left nothing behind.
Yet it would not be the end for Azhira. With a scream of incantation, the Heart of Obsidian finally burst with dark, absorbing light. The flames receded briefly, their power sucked into the gem as a flame could be smothered out in the night. Brief. Xian Hei did not give up.
You cannot outlast me," he hissed, stepping forward. The Dark Soulfire pulsed with an intensity that seemed to shake the very heavens, threatening to devour everything.
---
Within the imperial palace, the emperor led from the head of his war council. Lines upon his face spoke to every one of his years, his eyes still as sharp now as they had ever been. The Ten Immortals ringed the table with serious faces. Outside the fighting had already begun. It was obvious to any man that time was at an end.
We cannot let it go on like this." The voice of the Emperor was cold, full of command. "The flame of Xian Hei will not only burn out the capital; if this goes on without intervention from us, then all of the empire could fall. We must evoke the ancient powers.
A tall, dark-haired man with flowing white robes walked out, one of the Ten Immortals and master of control over the elements. Grim was the expression of the speaker as he said, softly but urgently:.
The ancient powers have long since abandoned us. The only power left that can challenge Xian Hei is the Essence of the Divine Flame, a force so potent that it can rival even his Dark Soulfire. but it requires a willing sacrifice."
The emperor's eyes flickered to the man; his face unreadable. "A sacrifice?
The Immortal nodded. "Yes. To manipulate the Essence of the Divine Flame, it is necessary to sacrifice the soul to the fire, and a willing vessel will have to be found. But the cost is tremendous because, once awakened, this power will burn the chosen for all eternity, their soul being engulfed by the flame.
A heavy silence settled over the room. The emperor's mind raced. The empire was on the brink of annihilation, and time was running out. Could they afford to lose another soul? Or was this the only chance to stop Xian Hei's destruction?
"I will do it," a voice rang out from the shadows of the council room.
All eyes turned to the figure standing at the far end of the room: a woman, her face veiled; her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders, commanding in the presence of one of the Ten Immortals, known only as the Phoenix Warden. Long was the rumor that she had connections with the ancient flames themselves, but no one knew the truth of her capabilities.
"I have been the keeper of the Divine Flame for centuries," the Phoenix Warden said, her voice not faltering. "It is my duty to defend the empire against such a disaster. I will present my soul to the flames and summon the Essence of the Divine Flame."
The emperor's eyes widened. "You… you would sacrifice yourself?"
"The flame is eternal," she said, her eyes not blinking. "And so am I. The fire will consume my soul, but it will also carry with it the power to destroy Xian Hei's darkness. I will be the vessel."
The emperor nodded slowly. He knew there was no other choice. "Then do it."
---
As the Phoenix Warden stepped forward, the room started to glow with a golden light. The air around her crackled with energy, and the ground beneath their feet began to shake. The other Immortals stepped back, sensing something ancient and powerful awakening.
With arms raised, hands before her chest cupped and flared, she conjured the Essence of the Divine Flame. The golden light spun thicker around her, swirling wildly as if a tornado were bursting with fire and light within her. Her very being glowed from within-her soul an inferno.
Outside, the flames of Xian Hei had gone into a frenzy, but inside the palace, the air itself started to change. The power of the Divine Flame began to stir and ripple from the body of the Phoenix Warden, as if trying to answer the call.
I offer myself to the flame," she intoned, her voice a prayer to ancient forces long since faded from memory. "May my soul mingle with the fire, and may it bring an end to the darkness.".
With that final appeal, she was wholly enveloped. The whole room was wrapt in that gleaming golden fire, though it was so brilliant that even the Ten Immortals had to shield their faces, and when the light vanished, the fire ended as suddenly.
Before them stood the transformed Phoenix Warden, her body encased in golden fire, her eyes ablaze with the light of a thousand suns. She had turned into the living vessel of the Essence of the Divine Flame.
"The time has come," she said, and her voice was now a chorus of flames and power. "I will burn away the darkness."
---
Outside, Xian Hei continued to unleash his wrath upon the capital. The Dark Soulfire roared with hunger, its flames reaching high into the sky, threatening to consume everything in its path. The streets were a battlefield of fire and ruin, and the cries of the people echoed through the city.
But then, a pulse of golden energy tore through the air, ripping through smoke and flame. The Dark Soulfire hesitated for a moment, recoiling as if sensing a new force in the world. Xian Hei turned, his gaze narrowing as he saw the Phoenix Warden descending from the palace in a column of divine light.
You think this power can stop me? Xian Hei shouted incredulously. The flames around him flared as he raised his hand, the Dark Soulfire lashing out in an attempt to drown out the incoming light.
But the Phoenix Warden was unafraid. She lifted her hands, and the Essence of the Divine Flame burst from her body in a tide of golden fire. The very earth seemed to shudder beneath its power, and the flames of the two powers clashed with cataclysmic force.
Xian Hei's Dark Soulfire screamed in defiance, but the Essence of the Divine Flame was unstoppable. The golden fire devoured the darkness, erasing it from existence.