The Ashen Ridge was as desolate as its name implied. The gray hills stretched on endlessly, their cracked, lifeless surfaces littered with the remnants of what might have once been trees or stone statues—Aelin couldn't tell. Each jagged outcrop seemed like a broken tooth, silhouetted against the ever-darkening sky.
She kept close to Kael as they climbed the steep incline. The air grew colder with every step, carrying with it the scent of ash and something faintly metallic—blood, perhaps, though there was no sign of life here.
Kael moved with grim determination, his hand still pressed to his side where the Void creature had wounded him. Aelin watched him out of the corner of her eye, her jaw tight. Blood still soaked through the torn fabric of his coat, dark and ominous.
"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
Kael didn't slow his pace. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing, Kael," Aelin snapped. "You can barely stand upright, and we don't even know if that—thing—left something behind in you."
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. His golden eyes blazed with something dangerous, though his voice was calm. "If I stop now, Aelin, I won't start again. So save your breath. We don't have time for this."
Aelin bit back her reply, frustration bubbling in her chest, but she knew he was right. The Temple lay ahead, and they couldn't afford to falter—not now. Not when the shadows behind them were growing stronger.
Kael turned back to the path, and Aelin followed, forcing her feet to move. The Heart of the Flame pulsed faintly against her chest, its warmth the only comfort in the barren emptiness of the Ridge.
Hours passed, though time felt meaningless here. The sun never rose higher; it remained trapped behind the clouds, casting the land in an unrelenting twilight. Aelin's limbs ached, her boots scraping against loose gravel and shards of broken rock.
Then, as they crested another steep incline, Kael stopped. Aelin stumbled to a halt beside him, her breath hitching as her gaze followed his.
There it was.
The Temple of Embers.
It was no grand structure, no towering monument of beauty or power. Instead, it seemed to grow out of the earth itself—black stone shaped like jagged spires clawing toward the sky. The entrance was little more than a gaping maw, its edges inscribed with glowing runes that pulsed with faint, ember-like light. Smoke rose from cracks in the stone, as though the very ground beneath the Temple burned eternally.
Aelin swallowed hard. "This is it?"
Kael nodded, his expression unreadable. "This is it."
For a long moment, they stood in silence, staring at the Temple. The closer they got, the heavier the air felt, as though the land itself weighed down on them.
"The Flame is stronger here," Aelin murmured, pressing a hand to her chest. The relic burned hot against her skin, pulsing in time with the runes on the Temple's surface. "It's like it's… calling to me."
Kael glanced at her, his eyes sharp. "It is. This place was built to house the Flame, to protect it. But that protection comes with trials."
"Trials?" Aelin echoed, dread curling in her stomach.
Kael didn't respond. He only started toward the entrance, his steps slow and deliberate. Aelin hesitated, staring into the dark mouth of the Temple. It felt alive somehow—like it was waiting for her.
You are chosen.
The whispers clawed at her mind again, louder now, though they carried a weight they hadn't before.
You will burn.
With a deep breath, Aelin forced herself to follow Kael. The darkness of the Temple swallowed them whole.
---
Inside, the Temple was warmer—unbearably so. The air was thick, heavy with the smell of smoke and old stone. The light from the runes on the walls guided their path, casting flickering red and orange shadows that danced like fire.
The deeper they went, the more Aelin's body ached. Her pulse thrummed in time with the Heart of the Flame, the relic growing hotter with every step.
Kael led the way, his gaze scanning their surroundings. "Stay alert. The Temple doesn't just test your strength—it tests your will."
"Great," Aelin muttered, wiping sweat from her brow. "What happens if I fail?"
Kael's silence was answer enough.
The path soon opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost to the shadows above. At its center was a circular platform, ringed with more glowing runes. In the center of the platform stood a pedestal made of blackened stone, and resting atop it was a brazier, its flames burning a deep crimson.
Kael stopped at the edge of the chamber, his face grim. "This is the first trial."
Aelin stared at the brazier, the flames reflecting in her eyes. "What do I have to do?"
Kael turned to her. "Step into the circle. The Flame will test you. It will burn away your weakness—if you survive it."
Her throat went dry. "And if I don't?"
"The Flame will take what it wants."
Aelin wanted to scream at him, to demand why he hadn't told her this sooner, but there was no point. She'd come this far, and she knew there was no turning back. The whispers had led her here. The Flame wanted her here.
"You can do this," Kael said softly, as though sensing her hesitation.
Aelin clenched her fists, feeling the heat of the Heart of the Flame pulse against her chest. She stepped forward, onto the platform. The moment her boots touched the runes, the air shifted, the temperature rising until it felt like she stood in the heart of a forge.
The whispers surged through her mind, louder than ever.
You are chosen.
You are the Flame.
The crimson fire in the brazier flared, and the world erupted into light.
---
At first, there was nothing but pain. The fire lashed at her body, burning her skin, her bones, her very soul. She screamed, dropping to her knees as the Flame consumed her.
Let it flow.
The voice was no longer a whisper—it was a roar.
Images flashed through her mind: faces she knew, places she'd seen. Her family. Her home. All of them swallowed by fire. Aelin gritted her teeth, forcing herself to her feet even as the flames tried to pull her back down.
"It's not real," she gasped, clenching her fists. "You're not real!"
The flames swirled, taking shape. A figure emerged from the fire—a reflection of herself, but her double's eyes burned with crimson light, her face twisted into something cruel.
"You are weak," the reflection sneered. "You will fall, like all the others before you."
"I won't," Aelin spat, though her voice shook.
The reflection lunged at her, the flames roaring. Aelin raised her hand, the Heart of the Flame blazing against her chest.
Let it flow.
The fire exploded outward, her body alive with heat and light. The reflection screamed as the flames consumed it, its form unraveling like smoke in the wind.
The chamber fell silent.
Aelin collapsed to her knees, the air rushing back into her lungs. The fire in the brazier dimmed, its light flickering as though satisfied.
Kael's voice broke the silence. "You did it."
She looked up to see him standing at the edge of the platform, his expression unreadable.
Aelin pushed herself to her feet, her body trembling. "That was only the first trial, wasn't it?"
Kael nodded. "And it won't be the last."
Aelin's gaze turned back to the brazier. She could still feel the fire in her veins, the whispers in her mind. The Flame had tested her—and for now, she had survived.
But she knew this was only the beginning.
Aelin's legs trembled as she stepped off the platform, the lingering heat from the trial coiling through her veins like molten metal. Every movement hurt; every breath was a raw pull against her scorched lungs. She felt as though the fire hadn't just tested her but burned away something she couldn't name.
Kael was there, his face taut with something she might have mistaken for concern. He offered his arm, but Aelin shook her head, willing herself to stand on her own.
"I'm fine," she muttered, though her voice betrayed the truth—it was strained, little more than a rasp.
Kael didn't argue. He simply watched her with those piercing golden eyes, as though weighing the balance between her strength and her breaking point. "You survived," he said finally, his voice low, almost reverent. "The first trial always tries to strip you of yourself. If you're still standing, it means the Flame hasn't rejected you."
Aelin looked at him, her brows furrowing. "It tries to strip me of myself? What about the others who've tried? What happens to them?"
Kael's expression darkened, his gaze drifting to the flickering brazier behind her. "They become part of the Temple. Their essence feeds the Flame."
The blood drained from her face. "You're saying it… eats them?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "Not in the way you think. The Flame devours weakness. Those who fail are left here—ashes on the wind, echoes in the stone. That is the cost of its power, Aelin. It does not choose lightly."
The weight of his words settled in her chest like a stone. Weakness. That was what the Flame hunted—what it burned away. But even now, as her limbs trembled and the whispers lingered in the back of her mind, Aelin felt something else rising within her. A kindling spark of defiance.
"I won't end up like them," she said quietly, meeting Kael's gaze. "I'll see this through."
Kael's lips twitched faintly, almost as if he wanted to smile but didn't quite know how. "Good. You'll need that resolve for what comes next."
Aelin grimaced. "You're really good at motivational speeches. Ever thought about writing a book?"
Kael snorted softly, though the sound was quickly swallowed by the oppressive stillness of the Temple. "Come on. We need to keep moving."
They pressed deeper into the Temple, following a narrow corridor that stretched endlessly into darkness. The air was heavy, each step echoing off walls that seemed too close. The glowing runes flickered along the edges, the faint light doing little to dispel the shadows that writhed just out of reach.
Aelin's fingers twitched against the hilt of her sword. "Is it just me, or does it feel like this place is alive?"
Kael didn't look back as he replied. "It is alive—after a fashion. The Flame fuels it, and the Flame is eternal. It remembers everyone who has ever set foot here."
Aelin's eyes darted to the shadows on the walls. "That's… comforting."
They walked in silence for what felt like hours, the only sounds the soft scuff of their boots and the faint crackle of distant fire. The path grew steeper, the walls slick with something that glittered like obsidian.
Finally, they emerged into a second chamber. This one was smaller than the last, the ceiling low and oppressive. At the center stood another brazier, this one cold and dark. Surrounding it were five stone statues, each carved into a grotesque figure with twisted limbs and empty eyes. They seemed frozen mid-scream, as if the stone itself had tried to capture their suffering.
Aelin's stomach turned. "What is this place?"
Kael's face was pale in the flickering rune-light. "The second trial."
Aelin turned toward him sharply. "Already?"
Kael nodded, his gaze fixed on the statues. "The Temple doesn't waste time. The longer you linger, the more it feeds on you. You must face what lies here, or it will consume you anyway."
Aelin swallowed hard, stepping cautiously into the chamber. The Heart of the Flame grew hotter again, pressing insistently against her chest. She glanced at the statues, half-expecting them to move. They didn't, but their twisted forms were no less terrifying.
"What do I have to do?" she asked.
Kael hesitated. "The Flame will show you your greatest fear. It will test your courage—your ability to face it without breaking."
"My fear?" Aelin echoed, her voice cracking. "You're kidding me, right? After that first trial, now I get to be haunted by my worst nightmare?"
Kael didn't reply, and that silence was answer enough.
Aelin exhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. She could do this. She had to do this.
As she stepped toward the dark brazier, the runes on the statues flared to life, glowing red as blood. Aelin froze as the shadows coiled from the edges of the chamber, spreading across the floor like ink. The brazier ignited with a low whoosh, and fire spilled outward, swirling like a cyclone.
The heat blinded her. For a moment, all she could see was light and darkness intertwined, flames that whispered words she couldn't understand.
Then the flames parted.
Aelin's breath caught in her throat. She was no longer in the Temple. She was standing in the ruins of her childhood village. The buildings smoldered, their wooden frames blackened and broken. Ash rained from the sky like snow.
This isn't real, she told herself, gripping the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white. It's the trial. It's not real.
But then she saw them.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground, faces she knew—faces she loved. Her mother. Her father. Her friends. They stared at her with hollow, lifeless eyes, their hands outstretched as though begging her to save them.
Aelin stumbled backward, her chest heaving. "No. No, no, no…"
The whispers rose, low and mocking.
"You let them burn."
The flames roared, and the shadows shifted, coalescing into a figure. It stepped toward her, tall and faceless, its body wreathed in fire and smoke.
Aelin stared at it, paralyzed. "Who are you?"
The figure's voice was a hiss of flame. "I am the truth you refuse to see."
The flames lashed out, searing her skin. Aelin dropped to her knees, gasping in pain. The faces of her family haunted her, their lifeless eyes accusing.
"You let us die."
"No!" Aelin screamed. Tears burned her cheeks as the fire closed in, suffocating her.
"You are weak."
"You are nothing without us."
"Let go."
The Heart of the Flame pulsed desperately against her chest, but Aelin couldn't feel its warmth anymore. The fire was too strong. The fear was too strong.
Get up, a small voice inside her whispered.
The flames screamed louder.
Get up!
With a ragged breath, Aelin forced herself to her feet, her legs shaking. The figure loomed closer, its flames burning hotter.
"I am not weak," she said hoarsely.
The fire crackled, mocking her.
"I didn't let them burn!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the ruins. "It wasn't my fault!"
The figure paused, the flames around it flickering.
Aelin's hand pressed to the Heart of the Flame, its warmth surging through her like a tidal wave. "You don't control me," she whispered, her voice steady now. "Not anymore."
The fire surged one last time, roaring so loudly it seemed to split the world apart—
And then it was gone.
Aelin staggered forward, gasping for air. The ruins faded, replaced by the cold stone chamber of the Temple. The brazier's flames died down, leaving only embers in their wake.
Kael was there, watching her carefully.
"You did it," he said quietly.
Aelin sank to her knees, her body trembling. Her face was wet with tears, but she didn't care. She'd faced the fire—and won.
For now.