The tunnel settled into an uneasy stillness, dust drifting in the air like pale ghosts.Lina sat trembling, staring at her hands — hands that moments ago had almost exploded with starlight.
Her pulse was still racing.Her skin still buzzed with lingering warmth.Her entire world felt like it had tilted off its axis.
Kai stayed kneeling in front of her, closer than ever, his palms cupping her shoulders gently — grounding her.
"Lina," he said softly, "breathe."
She tried.But the memory of that burst — that power — flashed through her like lightning.
"I didn't mean to do it," she whispered. "I didn't even know I could do it."
Kai met her gaze, steady and unshaken."You protected us. That's all that matters."
Reyon leaned against a cracked pillar, giving a half-grin. "I'd give that shield a solid ten out of ten. Flashy, dramatic, nearly melted my eyebrows — perfect performance."
Lina threw him a look so flat even he blinked.
Seren, quieter now, knelt beside her and carefully opened her satchel. "Lina… I found something. Something they hid."
She pulled out a small parchment — old, yellowed, the edges burned as if someone tried to destroy it.
Lina frowned. "What is this?"
"A warning," Seren whispered. "From the last person connected to the prophecy."
Kai's expression snapped sharp. "There was another?"
Reyon shifted. His grin faded. "Ah… so it's true, then."
"You knew something," Kai said.
"I suspected. The vault guardians used to mention a flameborn student years ago who vanished. No one believed them."
Lina's heart thudded. "Vanished how?"
Reyon shrugged. "Officially? 'Transferred.' Which is academy code for 'we buried the truth.'"
Seren pointed to the parchment. "The message was hidden inside the restricted archives. I found it a week ago."
Lina's stomach tightened as she unrolled it.
A single sentence scorched across the faded paper:
"The council does not protect the Flame. They hunt it."
Lina felt the words like a punch.
Kai's jaw clenched. "This confirms it."
Reyon muttered, "Someone on the council wants the Seventh Flame — wants you — under their control."
Seren nodded fiercely. "That's why I hid. After I saw them tamper with your rune, I knew they'd come after me too. I wasn't supposed to witness it."
Lina stared down at the parchment, heart pounding like thunder.She wasn't just a target.
She was a threat to someone.
And they wanted her silenced.
"We can't stay here," Kai said. "The tunnel's unstable. We need to keep moving."
The group rose. Lina's legs wobbled — Kai steadied her without hesitation.
Reyon squinted deeper into the tunnel. "There's light up ahead. Natural light."
Seren shook her head. "No… that's not natural. It's magic. Old magic."
They walked carefully, their footsteps echoing like distant drumbeats. The air grew warmer with every step. A low hum began to vibrate through the stone walls.
Then they reached it.
A massive stone archway etched with ancient runes, buried deep beneath the academy.The runes glowed faint gold — the same color as Lina's awakened flame.
Kai stepped forward, scanning the inscriptions. "This… is one of the original vaults. Older than the academy itself."
Reyon whistled low. "So this is where they hid all the good secrets."
Seren shivered. "This vault… responds only to flameborn."
Lina took a step back."No. No. I'm not opening anything. I just blew up a tunnel by accident!"
Kai shook his head. "You didn't blow anything up. The tunnel trapped us. You countered it."
Reyon smirked. "If anything, you saved our pretty faces."
Lina groaned. "You two are impossible."
But the runes reacted again — glowing brighter now, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Kai turned to her gently."Lina. It's reacting to you."
She swallowed.Fear, awe, anger, and confusion swirled inside her like a storm.
"Why me? Why always me?"
Kai didn't look away.
"Because someone decided you should never know your own power."
Something in his voice — quiet, fierce — steadied her.
Lina hesitantly lifted her hand.
The moment her fingertips brushed the runes, the vault shuddered.
Dust fell from the ceiling.Heat surged through the air.The stone barrier vibrated like something behind it was… waking.
Seren backed away. "Something's inside!"
Reyon drew a small blade. "Oh, great. Maybe it's friendly."
Kai moved in front of Lina, defensive, eyes sharp.
The runes flared blinding gold.
A deep, echoing boom shook the ground.
Then a voice — ancient, resonant, inhuman — thundered through the chamber:
"THE SEVENTH FLAME HAS RETURNED."
Lina stepped back in shock. "W–What was that?!"
Kai's hand closed around hers. "Get behind me."
Reyon whispered, "Uh… guys? The vault is opening."
The massive stone door began to split down the center, releasing a wave of hot air — and a silhouette formed in the glowing crack.
Not human.Not entirely.
Something — or someone — waited inside.
And it knew Lina's name.
To be Continued© Kishtika., 2025All rights reserved.