Chapter 7 — The Fire That Sets Apart
The air inside the temple felt heavy, like even the air itself was watching.
Solare floated before Aria, his body of fire pulsing slowly like an ancient heart still beating. His fiery eyes stared at Aria — not with hatred, not with pity — but with a silent test.
"Why have you come here?" his voice echoed, deep and heavy.
Aria took a deep breath, her voice trembling but honest."I came... to ask for the Heart of Fire. I need your strength... to save someone who matters to me."
Solare stayed silent for a moment, the fire around him swirling slowly."Many come seeking power," he said slowly. "Few come willing to bear its burden."
Aria clenched her fists."I am ready to carry whatever it takes. I'm not asking for this for my own glory. I just... I can't let hope die."
A flash of orange flickered in Solare's eyes."Do you even understand what it means to accept the Heart of Fire, Aria Silverkin?"
Aria shook her head slightly, but stood firm.
Solare moved closer, the heat from his presence making the air shimmer.
"This is not just a power to fight with," Solare said. "It's a burden to guard what you cannot control. It's a fire that will burn away your pride, strip away your fears, and test the limits of your heart."
Aria held her breath. Cold sweat ran down her back.
"If you accept me," Solare continued, "you will carry more than just fire. You will carry a legacy of sacrifice. You will become part of a covenant older than the kingdoms of men."
He paused, looking deep into Aria's soul.
"Are you ready... to burn yourself... so others can find the light?"
Aria lowered her head for a moment, her heart in turmoil.This was more than saving Lans.It was about becoming a path for many — maybe at a price she had never imagined.
Slowly, she lifted her face.
Tears welled in her eyes, but her resolve did not break.
"I would rather burn... than lose hope," she said hoarsely.
The fire around Solare trembled, responding to her words.For the first time, his fiery gaze softened, like the sun rising through the fog after a battle.
"Then," Solare said, his voice now almost gentle,"you are worthy to be tested."
The temple hall trembled slightly, and from the stone floor, a glowing orange circle formed around Aria.
"Enter the trial. It won't be your strength that saves you... but your heart."
Aria took one last look at the flame, then stepped into the circle.
Fire surrounded her vision.Her true journey — into herself — had just begun.
Flame of Fear
As Aria stepped into the circle of fire:The light inside the temple dimmed — the glowing pillars became long shadows.The air grew thick — not from heat, but from an invisible weight.
The stone floor cracked under her feet, and from those cracks, a thin mist of golden-red rose up, covering the room.
From the mist, tiny sparks flickered, forming flashes of memories:Her childhood home, her mother's laughter, her little sister running across the fields.
But then the memories twisted:The house on fire, screams, shadows of enemies approaching.
Aria now stood in the middle of a strange but familiar path.In the distance, she heard voices.Small laughter.Her mother's voice calling her.
As she stepped forward, the world in front of her erupted.
Fire.
Smoke.
Screams.
Her childhood home was burning.
And in the flames — the shapes of her mother and sister, trapped, reaching out, calling her name.
"Aria...""Save us..."
The voices pierced her heart like a knife.
Suddenly, the world froze.From the mist, a shadow resembling Solare appeared.
"You can only save one," the shadow said."If you pull out your mother, your sister will burn. If you pull out your sister, your mother will vanish."
"Your choice."
Aria closed her eyes tightly.She heard Solare's earlier words:"Do not trust what your eyes see. Trust what lives in your heart."
Standing on the path, Aria shut her eyes and refused to choose.
"I know who you are in my heart," she whispered."And that love won't disappear... even in death."
She chose to stand still.
Silence fell.
A few moments later, the world around her shattered like glass.
The fire faded.The house crumbled into light.The screams vanished.
With a gentle rumble, the illusionary world crumbled into tiny sparks.
And Aria stood again in the ancient stone temple.
The glowing circle around her pulsed softly, as if acknowledging her victory.
In front of her, Solare watched from a distance, his fire brighter, warmer.
Flame of Anger
The fire around Aria trembled again, and the temple floor cracked lightly.
"Face your anger," Solare said.
A new mist rose from the ground, blood-red.
The air grew heavier, filled with whispers of rage and revenge.
In the distance, the sound of battle rumbled.
The mist split.
Frostbourne stood there — wounded, but his eyes still burning with hate.
"This is all your fault," he growled. "All this destruction!"
Without warning, Frostbourne attacked.
Aria fought fiercely, fueled by rising anger.Memories of Lans and Delmar fed her emotions, pushing her close to rage.
With quick moves, Aria knocked Frostbourne down.
He lay there, weak.
Aria stood over him, raising her dagger high.Just one thrust — and she could end all her pain.
Aria's Inner Monologue:
I pushed past all my fears to get here.I burned through my pain.Now I just have to strike...
But... for what?Do I want to become like him?Do I want to replace darkness with more darkness?
No.I want to light the way for life — not for death.
Her hand trembled.
Slowly, she lowered the dagger.
She stopped it five centimeters above Frostbourne's chest.
She chose not to kill.
At that moment, the world around her started to crumble again.
The Flame of Anger had been conquered.
Aria had won.
The world around her was now completely silent.
Solare floated closer.
"I already knew the truth," he said."I knew this world would soon be shaken — and it would need the sacrifice of the Timekeepers."
"But I had to test you first. You have proven that your heart is still alive."
"Now..." Solare continued,"If you are willing, I will give you the Heart of Fire.You and I will become one."
Aria nodded.
Solare lifted both his hands, forming a swirl of sacred fire.
Just as Solare prepared to merge with Aria—
A shadow shot through the air.
The raven — the one who had always been watching — now flew like an arrow.
In an instant, it struck Aria, knocking her down.
Solare roared, the fire around him bursting in fury.
Where the raven landed — it changed.
Black feathers fell away.
Dark armor covered a huge body.
From the shadows, a knight emerged, armored in black, wielding a giant black sword and shield.
An aura of hatred poured out of him.
With a deep, hateful voice:
"You both... will die."