The first sign came with the wind.
At dawn, the air itself began to hum — a low, throbbing resonance that vibrated through the stones of their hidden refuge. Eric woke first, his instincts sharp as ever. The cave around them shivered as dust fell from the ceiling, glittering faintly in the morning light that filtered through the cracks.
Seraphina stirred beside him, her breath uneven. Her golden eyes flickered open, and for a heartbeat, Eric thought he saw them glow — not the soft ember hue they usually held, but a fierce, molten gold that radiated from within.
> "Seraphina?" he whispered.
"It's starting," she murmured, voice hoarse.
Before he could ask, a low rumble echoed through the valley outside — a sound that wasn't thunder but something deeper, alive. The mountains themselves seemed to breathe. A column of light rose from the horizon, red and furious, cutting through the gray dawn sky.
Eric ran to the mouth of the cave. The sight stole his breath.
Volcanoes that had slept for centuries were waking. Rivers of molten fire spilled down black slopes, turning the world crimson. And in the sky — vast shapes began to move, breaking through clouds like shadows reborn.
Dragons.
Not flesh and blood, but spectral, ancient forms — outlines of wings and claws woven from flame and memory. They circled the sky in silence, a warning and a call.
Seraphina joined him, her cloak whipping in the hot wind. Eric turned to her — and froze.
Her back shimmered with faint light. The runes of her lineage — those dormant sigils that marked her as nobility — were burning through her skin like firebrands. She clenched her fists, wincing in pain, her aura flaring like a storm barely held in check.
> "Seraphina, what's happening to you?"
"The seal," she gasped. "It's breaking."
The ground beneath them cracked. From the fissures came a pulse of heat, rhythmic and alive — a heartbeat. The same heartbeat that echoed from the vision they'd seen in the ruins.
> "The Flame of Origin," Eric muttered. "It's waking up."
She nodded grimly. "And it's calling me back."
---
That night, the signs multiplied.
The moon bled red again, painting the valley in its eerie glow. Every creature — bird, beast, and serpent — had fallen silent. The air itself shimmered, thick with energy. Even Eric, who was human, felt his veins hum with something ancient and dangerous.
Seraphina sat apart, her wings half-unfurled, trembling as though caught between two worlds. Her hair whipped wildly, her body glowing faintly with internal fire.
Eric approached cautiously, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to fight it alone."
Her voice was low, strained. "It's not a matter of choice anymore. My blood remembers. Every heartbeat pulls me closer to it — to him."
"Drakonis," Eric said.
She didn't deny it. Instead, she closed her eyes. "When I was a child, I could hear him in dreams — faintly. But now… it's no longer a whisper. It's a command."
A gust of wind roared through the cave, knocking over their lanterns. Flames scattered, dancing like ghosts across the stone walls — and in those flickering lights, Eric saw visions.
Cities burning.
Skies split open by wings of flame.
Seraphina, standing at the heart of it all, her eyes no longer hers.
He stepped closer, gripping her shoulders. "You can resist this. You're not bound by destiny."
She looked up at him, tears glinting in the golden glow of her eyes. "You don't understand. This fire isn't just in me — it is me. If I fight it too long, I could burn from the inside out."
Eric's voice trembled but firmed with resolve. "Then I'll find a way to stop it — or control it. I swear it."
Before either could say more, the sound came — a piercing roar that split the night. It wasn't just sound; it was power made audible. The mountains echoed in response, and the spectral dragons in the sky flared brighter, their forms solidifying.
Seraphina staggered, clutching her chest. "He's awake…"
Eric caught her before she fell, his hands burning from the heat radiating off her body. Her skin glowed with molten light, veins of fire crawling up her neck. The power of the Flame was no longer slumbering — it was claiming her.
> "Seraphina! Stay with me!"
She gritted her teeth, forcing the power back down. For a moment, the glow dimmed. "Eric… if this continues, I might become what they feared most. A dragon reborn through the Flame — bound to Drakonis's will."
He met her gaze with fierce determination. "Then I'll break that will."
---
By dawn, the world was changed.
The sky was still red. The rivers of lava had cooled into glowing veins that pulsed across the land like blood through a living body. And in the distance, atop the blackened peaks of Mount Vehl, a new light burned — cold and radiant, unnatural.
Seraphina stood beside Eric, silent, her expression unreadable.
> "It's begun," she whispered. "The Age of Flame… has returned."
Eric turned to her, his eyes hard. "Then we end it — before it consumes everything."
Their journey, once personal, had become something greater — a struggle not only against gods and dragons, but against fate itself. And though the fire of awakening now burned within Seraphina's heart, Eric's determination burned brighter still.
As the first sunbeam pierced the blood-red clouds, the two stood together — mortal and dragon, lovers and warriors — facing a dawn that promised both hope and ruin.