Ashen Wu stepped past the towering stone gate, his breath shallow as he took in the sight before him.
The Ruins of the Ash Lord stretched deep into the mountainside—a labyrinth of crumbling pillars, shattered statues, and scorched stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of old fire and something more sinister… a lingering presence, as if the ashes of the past still remembered their suffering.
A massive brazier sat at the center of the ruins, its blackened surface engraved with runes that pulsed faintly, as though waiting to be rekindled.
This place… Ashen thought, his fingers brushing against one of the broken pillars. Unlike the stone outside, the ruins within were charred but strangely warm, as if the fires that once raged here had never fully died.
The Forgotten Tomb
At the far end of the ruins stood a colossal stone door, half-buried under rubble. Ancient inscriptions ran along its surface, their meanings lost to time.
But one symbol stood out.
The same gray flame that now burned within Ashen's soul.
A chill ran down his spine.
"This is connected to me," he murmured. "The Ashen Codex… was it born here?"
As he reached out to touch the symbol, the ruins trembled. The stone door groaned, shifting slightly. Dust and ash poured from its cracks.
Then, a voice echoed through the ruins—low, distant, and filled with ancient wrath.
"Who dares disturb the resting place of the Ash Lord?"
The temperature dropped. The embers in the air darkened.
From the brazier at the center of the ruins, a shadow of fire began to rise.
The Ashen Wraith
The flames twisted, forming the shape of a warrior clad in charred armor. His face was hidden beneath a cracked helm, his body flickering between solid and ethereal. But the power radiating from him was undeniable—ancient, overwhelming.
Ashen's instincts screamed at him to run.
But he stood his ground.
"Are you the Ash Lord?" he asked.
The fiery specter tilted its head. "The Ash Lord is long dead. I am but his shadow, cursed to guard his legacy."
Its burning eyes locked onto Ashen. "And you… you carry the Codex."
The air grew heavy. The ground beneath Ashen's feet began to smolder.
"Prove you are worthy of the flames you wield… or be reduced to ash!"
The Wraith lunged, a flaming spear manifesting in its hands.
Ashen barely had time to react. He dodged to the side, but the heat from the spear seared his skin. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth.
The gray fire within him roared in response, flickering around his arms.
This is it. My first real battle.
The Wraith attacked again, moving impossibly fast. Ashen blocked with his forearm, and his flames met the Wraith's directly. For a moment, the two fires clashed—one ancient, golden-red; the other new, gray and consuming.
And then—
Ashen's flames began devouring the Wraith's.
The specter let out a furious roar as its body flickered, struggling against the unnatural pull of Ashen's fire.
Ashen's eyes widened. I can absorb its flames—just like the wolf!
Realizing this, he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, gripping the Wraith's burning arm, allowing his flames to consume its very essence.
The Wraith howled, thrashing, but it was too late. The more it fought, the more of its fire was pulled into Ashen's body.
Then—
A final burst of flame—
And the Wraith was gone.
Inheritance of the Ash Lord
The ruins fell silent once more. The brazier's fire had died, and the oppressive aura had faded.
Ashen collapsed to one knee, his chest heaving. The gray fire within him blazed stronger than before, his body trembling from the overwhelming surge of power.
Then, the massive stone door creaked open.
Beyond it lay a chamber of black stone, untouched by time. At its center rested an altar, and upon it…
An ancient scroll, its surface marked with runes of gray fire.
Ashen swallowed hard.
"The next piece of the Ashen Codex…"
His journey had only just begun.