The moment Adrian collapsed, the world around seemed to freeze.
Elara was the first to react.
"Adrian!" she screamed, dropping to her knees beside him. Her hands trembled as she activated a diagnostic spell, golden light illuminating his body in an intricate circle.
He had no visible wounds, nothing to explain why he fell so suddenly.
Frey frowned. "With his poor mana circulation, maybe—"
"No." Rod cut her off, voice sharp. "He's not the type to drop that easily."
Elara's breathing hitched. "His mana core and nerves… they're repairing themselves."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"This shouldn't be possible."
Adrian had always been mana deficient, his core was Royal ranked, but due to being damaged , it reverted to Noble level. But now, his body was absorbing mana uncontrollably, drawing in energy from the dense dungeon atmosphere at an alarming rate.
If his core overloaded—
His body would explode.
"Elara, we have to—"
BOOM!
A burst of raw mana erupted from Adrian's body, throwing everyone backward. Ears rang as everyone hit the ground.
And when they looked up,
Adrian was levitating.
His body shifted before our eyes, his black hair faded into a brilliant blond, his pale skin flushed with vitality, every old wound and scar vanishing as if he'd been reborn.
Then, the air grew hot.
Smoke coiled around his body.
And suddenly—
Flames erupted.
Bright, orange fire engulfed him, crackling violently like an uncontrolled blaze.
Elara gasped, stepping forward.
"Adrian!" she shouted, trying to get close, but the heat forced us back.
Her face twisted in fear.
She couldn't lose him.
She had fought beside him.
Argued with him.
Trusted him.
She wasn't going to let flames take him away.
Elara reached out, ignoring the searing heat, trying to force her way through.
She began chanting.
A desperation spell.
A reckless one.
One that would throw her into the fire to pull him out.
"Elara, stop!" Frey shouted.
But she didn't listen.
She was about to rush forward when the fire suddenly changed.
The violent orange flames flickered.
Then—
They turned white.
A pure, blindingly white fire enveloped Adrian, its glow calm yet overwhelming.
Something about it felt different.
More than just powerful.
More than just strange.
It felt… significant.
Rod was the first to speak. His voice was shaken. "Wait… white flames?"
Elara froze.
Frey's brows furrowed. "That can't be right. That fire isn't normal."
And then, it hit them.
The white flames.
There was only one place in the world where they existed.
Only one family had ever wielded them.
Rod took a step back, his expression unreadable. "This is…"
Frey swallowed. "No way."
Elara's eyes widened in horror.
Because the truth was undeniable.
The Ignisborne clan.
The legendary rulers of fire.
Their bloodline was known for many things, power, influence, and epitome of flame manipulation.
But more than anything—
They were known for this.
White flames.
The flames of the Ignisborne heir.
A heavy weight settled over us as the realization took root.
Adrian wasn't just awakening.
He was revealing something that should've been impossible.
The flames slowly withdrew, retreating back into his body.
His feet touched the ground, and he opened his eyes.
They were no longer black.
They were a deep, mesmerizing blue .
A tear slid down his cheek.
Elara stepped closer, her heart pounding.
She had always known Adrian was different. But this?
This changed everything.
The silence stretched—
Until Veryn finally spoke.
Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"Theon… Rivenhart… Ignisborne."
Elara froze.
The name hung in the air like a spell, sealing the truth into reality.
Because that name…
That was the name of the rightful heir of the Ignisborne clan.
The lost prince of fire.
And it belonged to the boy standing in front of them.
Adrian… wasn't just Adrian anymore.
He was Theon.
Theon Rivenhart Ignisborne.
The true heir of the legendary white flames.
The room felt too small to contain the weight of what had just happened.
Adrian—no, Theon, let out a shuddering breath.
Then, in the softest, most baffled voice, he muttered—
"Damn it… I forgot to ask who the main character of the novel was."