The dust from the older Lina construct still floated through the air — soft, gold, fading like dying embers.
Lina stared at it, breath trembling, unable to move.
Kai held her tight, one arm around her back, the other shielding her from the oppressive darkness of the Archive corridor.
Reyon cleared his throat softly."Well… that was traumatizing. Anyone else want to leave before the room tries to time-travel our souls?"
Seren hugged herself. "It wasn't time travel. That… wasn't a normal memory."
Kai nodded grimly. "It wasn't her."
Lina whispered, "But it looked like me. And it sounded like—"
"It wasn't you." Kai cupped her face gently. "It wasn't real."
But Lina wasn't convinced.
Her flame pulsed in her wrist with an irregular rhythm —echoing.
Seren stiffened suddenly, eyes wide.
"Lina… there are echoes again."
Lina's stomach clenched. "Whose?"
Seren swallowed hard. "Yours."
All three turned to her.
Reyon frowned. "What do you mean hers?"
Seren pressed her hands over her ears.Her voice shook violently.
"They're whispering—too many—too fast—different ages—different… endings…"
Kai stepped forward. "Seren, breathe. Focus. What are they saying?"
Seren's eyes flooded with tears.
"They're all saying… 'don't forget.'"
Lina felt her knees weaken.
Kai caught her instantly. "Stay with me."
But deep inside her chest, her flame trembled.
Not with power.
With fear.
Down the Corridor
They moved slowly, the tunnel stretching unnaturally long. The air felt heavier with each step, pressing in on them like the Archive itself was watching.
Reyon walked ahead, illusions flickering around his fingers.But for once, he wasn't smirking.
Seren stayed between them, flinching at every whisper the walls breathed.
Kai kept his hand wrapped around Lina's, holding her in a steady anchor.
Then they reached another chamber.
A massive circular room filled with walls of runic panels, old machinery, broken lanterns, and fragments of crystal shards embedded like fossils.
Reyon blinked. "What the hell… is all this?"
Kai stepped inside, scanning the walls.
"These runes…"He touched one softly."They're not memory runes."
Seren whispered, "Then what are they?"
Kai's voice dropped.
"Containment runes."
Reyon's face paled. "Containment for what?"
Kai stepped back, eyes widening."This isn't a place to store memories."
He turned slowly to Lina.
"This wing was built to break Resonances."
Lina froze. "What?"
Kai pointed to an inscription carved into the center of the floor.
Lina stepped forward and read it aloud, voice shaking:
"Archives of the Flame:Where power is tested, tied, or terminated."
Her flame flared in panic.
"This place… was built for me?!"
Kai shook his head. "For the Seventh Flame. For anyone like you."
Reyon ran a hand through his hair. "So… what? The academy literally made a basement specifically to erase flameborn?"
Seren whimpered. "The voices… they're getting louder…"
Lina clenched her fists. "This can't be real. The academy is supposed to protect—"
Kai cut in gently. "The academy was built over a threat. We locked that into canon. This proves it."
Reyon pointed to the far wall."Uh… guys? There's something else."
They followed his gesture.
On the wall was a massive device — cracked, rusted, but terrifyingly intact.
Long metal arms extended from its frame.Rune needles lined the inside like teeth.Crystal shards hummed faintly.
Seren gasped. "That's… that's an extraction chair."
Lina stepped backward, shaking. "No—no no—don't tell me—"
Kai grabbed her arm. "Don't look at it."
But she couldn't stop.
Images flashed in her mind:
A flameborn girl strapped to it.Her flame draining out.Her voice breaking.
Lina stumbled, clutching her head. "I—I can see her—she was here—she—"
Kai grabbed her shoulders.
"Lina! Stop! You can't take this—"
But the Archive wasn't done.
The device flickered to life.
Old runes glowed.Crystals hummed.Metal parts twitched like a waking beast.
Reyon cursed loudly. "Why is it turning ON—?!"
Seren gasped. "Someone activated the wing—someone from outside—!"
The room shook violently.
Lina's flame burst in reaction—a blinding gold flare—lighting up the entire chamber.
Shadows retreated.
Whispers screamed.
And the device projected a memory into the air—
A girl strapped to it.
The last flameborn.
Screaming Lina's name.
Not her own.Lina's.
"Why… why is she calling me?" Lina whispered, voice breaking.
Kai grabbed her wrist, holding her steady.
"Because the Archives aren't replaying her memories."
He turned her toward him.
"They're replaying yours.Memories you haven't lived yet."
Lina's breath broke.
"No… no—Kai—tell me that isn't true!"
Reyon swallowed hard. "The Archives predict fate. Not just replay it."
Seren nodded shakily. "They showed me things that haven't happened yet…"
Lina shook her head violently."No—I refuse—I refuse this—"
But the device burned brighter.
And on the panel above it, words carved in ancient script began to glow.
Lina stepped closer, heart pounding.
She read the line:
"Seventh Flame must choose her own ending."
Below it:
"One path burns the world…""…the other burns the one she loves."
Lina froze.
Kai's heart stopped.
Reyon staggered.
Seren burst into tears.
Lina whispered—
"Kai… please tell me it doesn't mean what I think it means."
Kai reached for her—
But the entire Archive roared to life.
The doors slammed shut.Runes blazed.The device surged.
And a voice echoed through the chamber:
"Decision approaches."
To be Continued© Kishtika., 2025All rights reserved.