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Chapter One: Emberfall's Shadow Flame
The scent of ember and rain clung to the air as Sai Fujimoto stepped off the teleported Circle, his boots landing on the dark, ash-covered stone of Emberfall City. The sky above was a blend of scarlet and gray, like burning smoke trapped beneath the clouds. It was said that Emberfall never slept — its streets glowed faintly with molten veins that pulsed like a living heart. This was the city of demons and humans, and the cradle of the Illusion Element.
Sai exhaled slowly, adjusting the black strap of his cloak. "So this is Emberfall… the city where reality bends and minds shatter," he murmured. His reflection flickered faintly in a nearby pool of molten light — for a brief second, it smiled back at him even though he hadn't. He blinked. The image vanished.
"An illusion," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "They start early here."
He walked deeper into the city. The citizens were unlike any he had seen. Some bore horns and tails, others skin marked with glowing runes. Yet all bowed slightly as he passed. It wasn't out of respect — it was out of recognition. His aura carried the faint pulse of Creation Energy, a power that even demons whispered about.
He found the temple just before dusk — a towering structure of obsidian spires and crimson mist. The sigil of Arkon burned at its peak like a floating eye. At the entrance stood a man — or something close to one.
Tall, lean, with silver hair that shimmered faintly under the emberlight, Max Vista leaned against a column. His eyes were completely black, yet somehow calm — deep, infinite, unreadable.
"You're late," Max said softly. His voice carried the smoothness of silk and the edge of a blade.
"I wasn't aware there was a set time," Sai replied, keeping his tone steady.
"There always is," Max said, his gaze drifting over Sai like smoke. "Time is an illusion. So is order. So is fear. And if you're here to master illusion, you'll have to learn to walk through all three."
Sai folded his arms. "I came here to conquer my weaknesses, not drown in riddles."
Max smirked faintly. "That's what they all say."
He turned and began walking into the temple. "Follow me, human."
Sai hesitated for only a moment before stepping after him. Inside, the air was dense with energy — whispers filled the corridors, voices that weren't there. The walls breathed like lungs, the floor pulsing faintly under his boots. The deeper they went, the darker it grew, until even Sai's enhanced vision could barely make out Max's silhouette.
Finally, they reached a vast chamber lit by hovering crystals. The air shimmered like heated glass. At the center stood a circular sigil carved into the ground — ancient, swirling patterns of red and violet.
"This," Max said, raising a hand, "is the Mirror of Emberfall. Your first trial begins here. The illusion element isn't about tricking others. It's about surviving the trick your own mind plays on you. Every illusion is born from fear, and every fear… is born from truth."
Sai stepped toward the sigil. "So I face my fears?"
"No," Max corrected, eyes gleaming. "You become them."
Before Sai could respond, Max snapped his fingers. The runes ignited. The world twisted.
In a blink, the temple was gone. Sai stood in an open field under a darkened sky. The grass was gray. The air was cold.
He turned — and froze.
There stood a boy, maybe twelve years old, holding a wooden sword. His face — Sai's own, from years ago.
The boy looked up at him, eyes full of defiance. "You failed us," the younger Sai said quietly. "You ran away when they needed you most."
Sai's pulse quickened. He tried to step forward, but his legs felt heavy. "This isn't real."
The boy smiled, but it wasn't kind. "That's what you told yourself when your Joshua screamed your name, isn't it?"
A shock of pain ripped through Sai's chest. He staggered back. The air warped — the field dissolved into flames, echoing screams surrounding him.
Max's voice echoed faintly through the distortion. "Remember, Sai Fujimoto — the illusion is not false. It is your heart turned inside out. You cannot destroy it… only accept it."
Sai clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. "If it's my heart, then it's mine to master."
The younger version of himself lunged, blade swinging. Sai caught it with his forearm, the wood burning against his skin like molten iron. He didn't move. He looked the boy dead in the eyes.
"I was afraid," he said quietly. "I ran because I didn't understand what I was."
The illusion flickered — the boy's form shuddered, half-transparent.
Sai continued, voice firm. "But that doesn't define me anymore. I will not let my past chain me."
The boy screamed, his voice splitting into a thousand echoes. The world shattered like glass.
Sai gasped — and found himself back in the temple chamber, kneeling on the cold floor. Sweat dripped from his face. His heart thundered in his chest, but the fear had lifted.
Max watched silently from the shadows. "Impressive," he said finally. "You faced the first reflection without breaking."
Sai rose slowly, his breathing steadying. "That… was just the beginning, wasn't it?"
Max smiled faintly, showing a hint of fang. "Of course. You've merely peeled the first layer. Illusion is a mirror of the soul — and your soul has many cracks yet to show."
Sai met his gaze, eyes unwavering. "Then I'll break every mirror until none of them scare me."
The emberlight flickered across his face, casting both shadow and flame. Max turned, cloak sweeping through the air like smoke.
"Rest for tonight," he said softly. "Tomorrow, the real training begins — where even the strongest minds beg for madness."
Sai glanced at his trembling hands, then clenched them into fists. "I'll be ready."
Outside the temple, Emberfall's night sky glowed faintly red, and the city whispered like a living dream. The illusion had begun — and Sai Fujimoto had taken his first step into the abyss of his own heart.
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