.The fire's path revealed – Nero follows the flames, but where are they leading him?
.Angel and Nagel's breaking point – Can they still trust Nero, or has he changed too much?
.A hidden power awakens – The fire inside Nero begins to shift… and darken.
. The truth about the stranger – Who were they, and why does the fire know them?
. A fateful decision – Nero must choose between his friends… or the fire.
---
The air felt heavier as they descended the mountain.
Each step forward felt like a step toward something unknown.
Something waiting for them
And inside Nero—
The fire burned brighter and stronger
Not wild.
Not untamed.
But… eager.
Like it had found its path.
And it was just waiting for Nero to walk it.
---
(The Fire's Pull)
Nero's chest tightened.
The whispers of the fire had grown louder since the stranger appeared to him
They called to him.
Urging. Guiding.
"Follow the path."
"Find the truth."
But where was it leading him?
And more importantly—
Why did it feel like he wasn't the one in control anymore?
---
(Angel and Nagel's Breaking Point)
"You're acting strange Nero."
Angel's voice broke the silence.
She and Nagel had been watching him closely since the trial.
Too closely.
Nero frowned. "What do you mean am acting strange?"
Nagel scoffed. "Don't play dumb. Ever since we left that mountain, you've been acting so different."
Angel nodded. "And now, this fire 'path' you're talking about? What if it's just leading you into a trap?"
Nero exhaled, forcing himself to stay calm.
They didn't understand.
They couldn't hear the fire.
They didn't feel it the way he did.
"This is the only way forward," Nero said. "I can feel it."
Nagel's jaw clenched.
"You don't feel like yourself anymore."
---
(The Darkness in the Flames)
Then—
The fire shifted.
Not outside of him.
Inside.
A pulse.
A change.
For the first time since the trial—
The golden flames flickered with red.
Just for a moment.
Just enough for Nero to see it.
And his heart stopped.
The stranger's warning echoed in his mind.
"Your flames are golden now… but what happens when they darken?"
Was it already happening?
Was he losing control?
---
(The Fire's True Nature)
Nero inhaled sharply, forcing the fire back into submission.
Angel noticed. "Nero?"
He turned away. "I'm fine."
But he wasn't.
The fire was changing.
And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could stop it.
---
(The Truth About the Stranger)
As they continued walking, one thought burned in Nero's mind.
The stranger.
Who were they?
And why did the fire recognize them?
Had they once walked this path before?
Had they failed?
Or…
Had they become something else?
Something Nero was destined to become?
He had to know.
And he had to find them again.
---
(A Fateful Decision)
The fire inside him whispered louder now.
Pulling him toward something far beyond this road.
But Angel and Nagel?
They didn't trust him anymore.
And he could feel it.
He could feel them pulling away.
At this rate—
He would have to choose.
His friends.
Or the fire.
---
(The Path Ahead)
The night stretched before them.
The road was very dark.
And so was the fire inside him.
Burning.
Shifting.
Changing.
And as Nero walked ahead, one thought consumed him—
"Am I still in control?"
---
The fire inside him wouldn't stay silent.
It pulsed beneath his skin, a living force, shifting and changing.
He had controlled it once.
But now…
It was controlling him.
And the worst part?
He wasn't sure if he wanted to stop it.
---
(Angel and Nagel's Distance Grows)
Angel and Nagel walked farther behind him now.
Not close.
Not side by side.
Like they were waiting.
Watching.
Afraid.
Angel had always been the one to reach out first to him
To calm him.
To remind him of who he was.
But now?
Now she just stared.
Like she was searching for someone who wasn't there anymore.
---
(Nagel's Breaking Point)
Nagel had never been the careful one.
He always spoke his mind.
And now was no different.
"This is insane," he muttered, his voice low but sharp. "We're following fire whispers now? Listening to voices in your head?"
Nero didn't respond.
Because the fire wasn't just in his head.
It was everywhere.
In his blood.
In the air.
In the earth beneath his feet.
And every step forward made it really stronger.
---
(The Fire's Warning)
Another whisper.
This time—louder.
"You do not have long."
Nero's breath hitched.
"What does that mean?" he whispered.
But the fire didn't answer.
Not with words.
Instead—
It burned hotter.
Darker.
Red flickers danced along his fingertips.
The color of the stranger's flames.
The color of something else entirely.
---
(Something Watches from the Shadows)
Then—
A feeling.
Not from the fire.
Something else.
Something watching.
Something watching their steps.
Angel noticed it too.
She stopped walking, her hand on her sword.
She held it tight.
Nagel cursed. "I feel it too."
The trees ahead swayed without wind.
The shadows stretched too far.
And then—
A whisper.
Not from the fire.
From something else.
Something waiting for them at the end of this path.
---
(A Dangerous Truth)
Nero's hands clenched.
He had accepted the fire.
Tamed it.
Mastered it.
But what if…
What if he wasn't meant to?
What if the fire was never meant to be controlled?
What if this path was leading him to something actually worse?
He turned to Angel and Nagel.
They were waiting.
Waiting for him to say something.
Waiting for him to choose.
The fire whispered again.
And Nero knew—
He was running out of time.
---
End of Chapter 25
.The fire inside Nero changes faster—his flames darken.
.Angel and Nagel keep their distance—do they still trust him?
. A mysterious presence is watching them.
. The fire's whispers grow urgent—Nero must make a choice soon.
. A dangerous truth—what if he was never meant to control this power?
Next up: Chapter 26: A Fire's Choice—Nero reaches a crossroads that will define his future.