Kael drifted through darkness.
Not the kind that came with sleep, but the kind that breathed — thick, heavy, alive. Every heartbeat echoed like thunder in his ears. Every breath burned like smoke.
He opened his eyes, but there was no sky above him, no earth below — only a vast ocean of black fire stretching endlessly in every direction. The flames did not burn; they whispered.
"You are home."
Kael turned. The voice came from the fire itself — familiar, ancient, and unsettlingly kind.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Inside yourself," the voice replied. "In the place you've hidden since the beginning."
He tried to remember how he got here, but his memories blurred — the Eye, the battle, the beam of shadow piercing his chest. Then everything fading.
Now there was only this.
Kael walked across the black fire, each step leaving faint ripples of light. In the distance, he saw shapes forming — reflections of his past selves, rising one by one from the darkness.
He saw the warrior he once was — the one who burned kingdoms to end a war.He saw the wanderer, alone beneath a red sky, carrying guilt like a chain.He saw the child, sitting by the pond of stars, wishing to become strong.
Each version stared at him silently.
The warrior spoke first. "You were right to burn the world," he said, voice cold. "They would have destroyed each other anyway."
The wanderer shook his head. "And yet you destroyed more than they ever could."
The child looked up at him, eyes full of wonder and fear. "Is this what strength feels like?"
Kael's throat tightened. "No," he whispered. "This is what losing yourself feels like."
The flames around them brightened.
A figure began to form within the fire — tall, cloaked in smoke and light. Its face was Kael's, but its eyes glowed like the Eye of Chaos.
It smiled. "You cannot run from me anymore."
Kael stepped back. "You're not real."
The figure laughed softly. "I am every thought you tried to bury. Every moment you wished for destruction. I am your fire without mercy."
Kael clenched his fists. "Then I'll face you."
The figure's smile widened. "Face me? You already are me."
It raised its hand — and the flames erupted, forming a battlefield of light and shadow. Kael found himself standing among ruins, the same ones he saw in his dreams — the cities he had burned. The air smelled of ash and regret.
The shadow Kael stood across from him, holding a blade of molten light. "Fight," it said. "Or vanish."
Kael summoned his own fire, though it trembled with doubt. The two clashed — flame against flame, each strike echoing like a heartbeat through the void. Sparks danced around them like stars being born and dying in the same breath.
Every hit sent memories flashing before Kael's eyes: faces of people he'd lost, promises broken, the times he'd chosen power over peace.
The shadow's voice thundered. "You destroy to protect! You burn to feel alive!"
Kael shouted back, "I burn because I can't forget!"
Their flames collided, exploding in light. The world went white for a moment.
When the brightness faded, Kael was on his knees. The shadow stood over him, calm and steady.
"You can't destroy me," it said softly. "Because I am you."
Kael looked up, eyes filled with tears. "Then I'll learn to live with you."
The shadow paused.
For the first time, it seemed unsure. "Live… with chaos?"
Kael nodded slowly. "You're not my enemy. You're my fire — my anger, my fear, my will. If I keep fighting you, I'll burn forever. But if I understand you… maybe I can finally rest."
The flames around them quieted. The shadow's form flickered, its brightness softening.
It reached out a hand. "Then take it."
Kael hesitated — then grasped it. Their hands merged into light, and the battlefield dissolved.
The dark fire turned golden, warm and steady. The whispers faded into gentle hums.
For the first time, the flame did not feel heavy. It felt alive — patient, listening, almost human.
Kael stood once more at the center of the sea of light. The figures of his past selves watched silently. One by one, they faded, leaving only the boy by the pond — small, hopeful, unbroken.
The boy smiled. "Do you still wish to be strong?"
Kael knelt beside him. "No," he said softly. "I wish to be whole."
The boy touched his chest, where the fire burned softly beneath the skin. "Then you already are."
The ocean began to ripple again. A familiar voice called from far away — Lira's.
"Kael! Wake up!"
He turned toward the sound, the light pulling him upward. The black sea faded into stars, the stars into air, the air into breath.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying under the night sky. Lira sat beside him, her hands glowing faintly as she healed him.
"You're back," she whispered, relief shining in her eyes.
Kael took a shaky breath. "I saw… everything. The fire. The chaos. Myself."
"And?" she asked.
He smiled faintly. "It's not my enemy anymore."
Lira exhaled softly, tears in her eyes. "Then maybe now, the world can start healing too."
Kael looked up at the stars — calm, countless, alive.
"Every flame begins as darkness learning how to shine."
He closed his eyes, not in fear this time, but in peace.