Liang Feng's fingers trembled as he clutched the shard of glowing crystal. Its surface was smooth yet pulsing with warmth, an echo of the molten energy that had consumed the forge moments ago. Ziyan perched beside him, her azure feathers faintly aglow in the lingering light of the chamber. For the first time since entering this accursed trial site, Liang felt as though he had touched upon something truly profound—yet he couldn't shake the unease that coiled in his chest.
The vision still burned in his mind. The shadowy figure at the heart of the Phoenix Clan's fall—a figure cloaked in swirling flames that devoured everything in their path. Ziyan had seen it too, judging by the way her gaze hardened, her eyes reflecting the same intensity as the shard itself.
"Who was that?" Liang's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried across the stillness of the chamber.
Ziyan's wings unfurled slightly, scattering embers into the air. "The shadow..." she began, her tone edged with regret and fury. "That figure was no stranger to the Phoenix Clan. It is the one who sowed the seeds of corruption within my kind. The cursed flame you wield… its origins trace back to that betrayal."
Liang's grip tightened on the shard, the crystalline surface digging into his palm. The cursed flame in his hand flickered weakly, as if sensing the gravity of Ziyan's words. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" he demanded, his voice rising despite the exhaustion weighing him down. "You knew what this flame was, didn't you?"
Ziyan's gaze snapped to him, fierce and unyielding. "Do not presume to understand the burden of my knowledge," she said sharply. "I did not speak of it because you were not ready. Even now, I doubt you comprehend what lies ahead." She gestured toward the shard. "But that… that is a piece of the truth. The forge has granted you a fragment of its knowledge. The rest, you must earn."
Before Liang could respond, the chamber trembled violently, cracks splintering through the molten floor. The forge's molten core, now dim and fading, let out a low, ominous rumble as if the trial site itself was awakening to their intrusion.
"We need to move," Ziyan said, her feathers bristling as the temperature in the chamber plummeted. "This place will not hold much longer."
Liang nodded, pocketing the shard carefully before pushing himself to his feet. His body ached, his energy nearly depleted from the battle and the trials, but he forced his legs to move. Ziyan took flight, her azure glow cutting through the darkened corridor ahead as they made their way out of the forge chamber.
The path back was nothing like the one they had entered. The once-stable stone corridors now buckled and twisted, their surfaces glowing faintly with the residual energy of the trial. Columns of flame burst unpredictably from cracks in the walls, forcing Liang to duck and weave as he followed Ziyan's lead.
"Why is it collapsing?" Liang shouted over the cacophony of crumbling stone and roaring flames.
"The forge's purpose has been fulfilled," Ziyan called back. "It has no reason to remain. Do not falter now, Liang Feng—if you fall here, everything you have endured will mean nothing."
Her words spurred him on, though his breaths came in ragged gasps. The cursed flame burned erratically in his palm, offering little comfort as the walls around them groaned and threatened to cave in entirely. Just as the path ahead narrowed into a jagged incline, the air behind them seemed to warp, a deafening crack echoing through the corridor.
Liang turned and froze. The forge's molten energy had erupted into a chaotic rift, a swirling vortex of flames and raw power that tore at the fabric of the trial site. The rift pulsed violently, spewing molten rock and sending waves of heat rippling through the collapsing corridor. Every surge seemed to grow stronger, as though the rift was alive and feeding on the energy around it.
"That… is no mere disturbance," Ziyan said, her voice grim. "The forge's essence has been unbalanced. It is tearing this place apart."
A torrent of flame burst from the rift, narrowly missing Liang as he threw himself to the ground. The heat singed his back, and he scrambled to his feet, coughing against the acrid air.
"What do we do?" he shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Ziyan's eyes narrowed, her azure fire burning brighter. "Stabilize it. The shard you carry—it holds a fragment of the forge's energy. Use it to seal the rift, or this entire site will collapse, taking us with it."
Liang hesitated, his hand instinctively going to the shard in his pocket. The cursed flame in his palm flared erratically, reacting to the chaotic energy of the rift. "I don't even know how to use it!"
"You do," Ziyan said firmly. "The forge has already shown you its power. Trust in what you have learned, or we both die here."
Another wave of molten rock surged toward them, forcing Liang to leap aside. He gritted his teeth, his fingers closing around the shard. As he pulled it out, the crystalline fragment pulsed with a steady warmth, resonating with the cursed flame. A memory of the vision flashed through his mind—the phoenixes, the swirling fire, and the sense of balance they embodied.
"Focus!" Ziyan urged, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Channel your flame into the shard and direct it at the rift. It will draw the energy back into itself, but you must maintain control."
Liang took a shaky breath, holding the shard aloft. The cursed flame surged toward it, merging with the crystal's light. The combined energy burned brighter than anything he had ever seen, a blinding mixture of crimson and azure. The heat was overwhelming, but he held his ground, aiming the shard's energy toward the rift.
The flames collided with the vortex, and the corridor shook violently. The rift resisted, its chaotic energy pushing back against Liang's efforts. He screamed through clenched teeth, pouring every ounce of his will into the shard. The cursed flame burned hotter, threatening to spiral out of control, but Liang forced it to obey, drawing strength from the shard's steady pulse.
Finally, the rift began to shrink, its flames dimming as the shard absorbed its energy. The molten rock hardened, the heat dissipating as the corridor fell silent. Liang collapsed to his knees, the shard slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground. The cursed flame flickered weakly in his palm before extinguishing entirely.
Ziyan landed beside him, her gaze softening. "You… succeeded," she said, a note of surprise in her voice. "The forge's energy has been contained. Perhaps you are more resilient than I thought."
Liang let out a weak laugh, his chest heaving. "I… don't feel resilient," he muttered. "I feel like I'm about to pass out."
Ziyan tilted her head, her feathers shimmering faintly. "Rest for now," she said. "But do not forget what you have seen. The shard is but one piece of the truth—and the shadow you glimpsed is far from defeated."
As Liang's vision blurred, his body succumbing to exhaustion, Ziyan spread her wings protectively over him and placed his head to rest on her lap. The trial site around them was quiet now, the rift sealed, but the weight of what lay ahead pressed heavily on them both.