Dawn had not yet broken, and the world hung in its quietest, most fragile state.
It was in this fragile gap that Ash's body began to change.
1. Heat Rising from Within
He dropped to his knees in the woods outside the camp, fingers digging into the dirt.
A scorching thread tightened inside his chest, fire surging backward through his veins.
"Not now… don't do this…"
Ash rasped.
Ever since reigniting his inner fire, he had sensed something shifting within him—but this was far worse than before.
He felt every vein in his body burning, filled as if with molten rock.
Tree bark cracked under his grip.
His breaths came like flames trying to break free from his ribcage.
2. Ember Appears
Suddenly, a soft, steady warmth approached from behind.
Ember.
She knelt beside him without touching, letting her own energy radiate outward in gentle pulses.
"Ash. Look at me."
His eyes shimmered with molten red—barely human.
Ember continued:
"What you're feeling is the Ashen Veins. A power that only awakens in those chosen by fire."
Ash forced the words out through clenched teeth:
"Why are you telling me this only now?"
Ember lowered her gaze.
"Because your inner flame was too weak before. You wouldn't have survived the truth."
She raised her hand, a soft glow forming in her palm—warm, steady, like dawn's first breath.
"Breathe with me."
The light stretched from her fingertips to his chest, calming the violent surge inside him.
3. The Secret of the Ashen Veins
When the pain eased slightly, Ash sat back against a tree, breath trembling.
Ember stared into the distance and spoke a name he had never heard:
"The First Spark."
She explained that the Ashen Veins were not a curse but a lineage.
In ancient times, there existed a group of Firekeepers who could:
Shape and control flame at will
Purify corrupting energies
Ignite the spirit of humankind
Sense the pulse of the world's energy
Those chosen developed the Ashen Veins—
a network of power woven through their bodies, representing the source of flame itself.
Ash listened in heavy silence.
Ember continued:
"The fire inside you… it wasn't originally yours. It belonged to one of the First Firekeepers."
Ash frowned.
"Then why do I have it?"
Ember's voice softened.
"Because it chose you."
4. The Price of Power
But the Ashen Veins were not a gift without cost.
Ember's expression turned serious.
"If you can't fully awaken it… it will consume you."
Ash stiffened.
"Consume me?"
"It's too powerful, Ash.
The Ashen Veins require a pure, unwavering will.
If you hesitate—if you fear it—it will spiral out of control… and burn you from the inside out."
Ash swallowed hard.
"Then why hasn't it consumed you?"
Ember looked at him, the glow in her eyes dimming.
"Because I embraced the flame."