The night grew darker. The once majestic purple sky had turned ominous, swallowed by creeping shadows that seemed to devour the stars. The cold wind blew across the land, carrying faint whispers that sounded like distant screams from an unseen place.
Arlen followed behind Kiera, his body still aching and his mind clouded with confusion. Kiera had barely spoken since they left the site of the earlier battle. She walked with a light yet vigilant step, her hand never far from the hilt of her sword. Meanwhile, Arlen stumbled along, occasionally glancing at his right hand—the same hand that had summoned the blue fire earlier. The flames were gone, but he could still feel a faint warmth lingering on his skin.
"How much longer do we have to keep walking?" Arlen finally asked, breaking the suffocating silence.
Kiera didn't turn her head. "Until we find a safe place. There's no time to rest. They'll keep hunting us."
Arlen frowned. "They? You mean creatures like the one earlier? Are they everywhere?"
Kiera stopped abruptly and turned to face him. Her gaze was sharp, cutting into Arlen like a blade. "That creature was just the beginning, Keeper. You need to understand something—Varion knows you exist now. And he'll send an even larger force to capture you."
"Why me?!" Arlen shouted, his voice rising in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm here! I don't know what this blue fire is, I don't know what the Eternal Flame is, and I don't know who this Varion everyone keeps talking about is!"
Kiera exhaled deeply, as if she had expected this reaction. "I know this is hard for you. You didn't ask to be part of this. But the flame chose you, and that means you no longer have a choice."
Arlen stared at her, his frustration evident. "Then explain it to me! What is the Eternal Flame? Why did it choose me?"
Kiera held his gaze for a moment, then finally said, "The Eternal Flame is the force that maintains the balance of this world. It's the heart of everything—light, life, even hope. But like all great powers, it has a dark side. If the flame falls into the wrong hands, this world will be destroyed."
Arlen was silent, trying to process her words. It was too much to comprehend. "And Varion… he wants to destroy this world?"
Kiera nodded slowly. "Varion is the heir of darkness. He's a being born of the shadows, and he has only one goal: to extinguish the Eternal Flame so that darkness can consume everything. Right now, you're the only one who can stop him."
Arlen let out a bitter laugh, void of humor. "Me? Some ordinary guy who doesn't even know how to use this power? How am I supposed to stop someone like him?"
"That's why I'm here," Kiera said firmly. "I'm a knight sworn to protect the Keeper. It's my duty to make sure you survive long enough to learn how to wield the flame."
Arlen looked at her with a mix of doubt and hope. He wanted to trust her, but everything that had happened since he arrived in this world felt like an unending nightmare.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed in the distance. Both of them froze. Kiera's hand went to her sword, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon. Arlen held his breath, praying it was just the wind or some harmless natural sound. But it wasn't. The noise grew louder, like the footsteps of a giant shaking the earth.
Kiera's eyes widened. "They're coming."
---
Shadows began to appear on the horizon, moving with terrifying speed. Arlen's heart raced as he watched. From the distance, he could make out massive figures with bodies that looked like swirling black smoke, yet they had form—sharp claws, curved horns, and glowing red eyes radiating pure hatred.
"Those things again?!" Arlen shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Kiera nodded briskly, drawing her sword from its sheath. "But this time, it's different. They're bigger. And there's more of them."
Arlen stumbled back a few steps, fear taking over. He could feel the ground beneath his feet trembling, as if the world itself was afraid of these creatures. "What are we supposed to do?"
Kiera glanced at Arlen sharply. "You have to fight."
"What?!" Arlen nearly choked on his words. "I can't fight! I don't even know how to use this power!"
"There's no time to learn," Kiera said, her voice like steel. "You'll have to rely on instinct. Feel the flame. Let it guide you."
Arlen shook his head, panic surging through him. "I don't know how! I'm going to die here!"
Kiera stepped closer, gripping his shoulders firmly. "Listen to me, Arlen. Fear won't save you. You have power inside you, power you don't even understand yet. Trust yourself. Trust the flame."
Arlen stared at her, searching for confidence within himself. But before he could reply, the first creature lunged at them. Kiera moved swiftly, her sword gleaming as she deflected the creature's claw. The metallic clash echoed through the air, and sparks flew from the impact.
"ARLEN! NOW!" Kiera shouted, pushing the creature back with a powerful swing of her blade.
Arlen closed his eyes, trying to feel the flame as Kiera had told him. He remembered the warmth he had felt earlier, how it had flowed through his body like a rushing river. Slowly, he began to feel it again—a small spark within his chest, like a flickering candle flame.
His right hand began to glow. A soft blue light emerged, pulsing like a heartbeat. Arlen opened his eyes, watching the flame grow in his hand. This time, he didn't feel scared. He felt… alive.
The second creature charged at him, but Arlen instinctively raised his hand. A burst of blue fire shot out from his palm, striking the creature square in the chest. It let out a deafening roar before its body disintegrated into black smoke.
Arlen was stunned, but there was no time to think. Another creature was already closing in. He raised his hand again, and this time the flame grew larger. He swung it like a whip, striking down two creatures at once. Both vanished in an instant.
Kiera glanced at him while slashing another creature with her sword. "Good! Keep going! Don't stop!"
Arlen nodded, focusing entirely on the battle. He had never felt like this before. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and the flame responded to his every move. He dodged an attack, then launched a blue fireball that obliterated the creature in front of him.
But the creatures didn't stop coming. For every one he destroyed, two more seemed to take its place. Arlen's energy began to wane, and the flame in his hand started to dim.
"Kiera!" he shouted, panic filling his voice. "I can't keep this up!"
Kiera slashed another creature and leapt to his side, her own breathing heavy. "We have to hold on. They won't stop until we're dead."
Despair crept into Arlen's heart. He could feel his strength draining, and the creatures kept closing in. But just as he was about to give up, a voice spoke inside him. It wasn't Kiera's voice, nor anyone he recognized. It was deep and calm, like a whisper from within the flame itself.
"Trust me," the voice said.