The bells of Valdorium rang out at midnight. Not the sweet chime of festival, but the harsh cry of alarm.
Rihan bolted upright from his bed, his blade already in his hand. The Eclipse Flame sparked faintly at its edge, though he hadn't summoned it. Something was wrong.
Outside his window, the golden streets of the capital burned red. Screams echoed, and the distant clash of steel thundered.
The city was under attack.
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⚔️ The First Strike
Rihan dashed into the corridor. Soldiers ran past, armor clattering, while panicked servants pressed against the walls. Elira met him halfway, already clad in silver plate, her sword glowing faintly with elven runes.
"Cultists!" she spat. "They've breached the gates — from inside! Someone betrayed us!"
Before Rihan could speak, a shriek tore through the hall. A shadowed figure hurled a spear of black fire toward them. Rihan instinctively raised his blade — the Eclipse Flame flared and devoured the attack midair, scattering sparks across the walls.
The cultist hissed, pulling back his hood. His eyes were pits of darkness, his veins glowing red.
"The Vessel lives… Good. Draemir will be pleased."
Rihan's stomach tightened. They came for me.
---
🌑 Fire Against Shadows
The hall erupted into chaos. Cultists poured in from every doorway, blades dripping with black ichor. Elira fought like a storm, cutting down enemies with terrifying precision, but their numbers were endless.
"Rihan!" she shouted. "Focus! Don't let the Flame control you — but don't hold back either!"
He nodded, raising his sword. For a heartbeat, he tried to steady his breath. But the sight of the cult's symbols burning across the walls — the same runes Lyra had warned of — snapped something inside him.
The Eclipse Flame roared to life. His blade burned brighter than ever before, a torrent of black-blue fire lashing out, consuming cultists in waves.
The soldiers nearby froze in terror, staring not at the cult but at him.
"He… he's burning them alive…" one whispered.
Rihan clenched his teeth. He could feel it again — the Flame wasn't his weapon. It was a predator, hungry, feeding on his rage.
---
🌓 Betrayal in the Court
Meanwhile, in the throne hall, King Aldros stood with his guard, directing the defense. Chancellor Varus rushed in, cloak torn, panic on his face.
"Your Majesty!" Varus cried. "We must surrender the boy! The cult won't stop until they claim him. He is the source of this!"
The king's jaw tightened. "Silence, Varus. Rihan is under my protection. To surrender him is to surrender the realm!"
But Varus's eyes glinted with triumph, not fear. His words were spreading like poison among the nobles gathered there. Some whispered in agreement, doubt worming into their hearts.
And in the shadows of the chamber… unseen figures slipped closer.
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🌒 Lyra's Hunt
On the other side of the city, Lyra moved like a phantom. Her daggers flashed, cutting cultists from alleyways, her cloak soaked in black blood. She had tracked their symbols for days, but she hadn't expected a strike this bold.
She knelt beside a dying cultist, her blade at his throat.
"Why tonight? Why now?" she demanded.
The cultist's lips twisted into a bloody smile.
"Because the vessel is almost ready… and when the eclipse falls, Draemir will rise again."
Before she could press further, his body dissolved into ash.
Lyra cursed. "Damn it… they're not here to kill him. They're here to steal him."
---
🔥 The Breaking Point
Back in the palace halls, Rihan fought desperately. The Eclipse Flame spiraled around him, too wild, too furious. Each time he tried to rein it in, the whisper returned.
"Yes… burn them all. Friend or foe, it doesn't matter. Only fire is eternal."
He almost lost control, his flames nearly licking toward Elira. But she struck his blade with hers, snapping him back.
"Rihan! Look at me!" she shouted. Her emerald eyes locked onto his, grounding him. "You're not a weapon. You're not Draemir's puppet. You are you. Fight as Rihan, not as the Flame!"
For a moment, the fire steadied. Rihan gritted his teeth, forcing his breathing calm. And for the first time, the Flame bent — not fully, but enough. His blade burned sharp, not wild.
Together, he and Elira cut through the cultists, forcing them back toward the courtyard.
---
🌑 A Dark Entrance
But as the last cultist fell, the ground trembled. A rune carved into the courtyard stone flared, and from it rose a towering figure cloaked in shadow, armored in black flame. Its voice echoed like a thousand whispers.
"Child of Eclipse…" it hissed. "Your fire belongs to us."
The soldiers scattered, panic breaking their lines. Even Elira's face hardened in fear.
Rihan's hands trembled as he raised his sword. This wasn't just a cultist. This was a Shade Champion — one of Draemir's direct servants.
The creature raised its claw, shadows spiraling.
"You will come to the Master… willingly, or in chains."
The Eclipse Flame inside Rihan surged in response — not with fear, but with a terrifying hunger.
For the first time, he wasn't sure if he was fighting the cult… or himself.