Night fell on the mountain village, a chill stinging the air as the hanging lamps swayed in the gentle wind. Eren stood before a stone circle in the village square, his hand clenched, his eyes fixed on the quiet flame burning in the center.
Next to the flame stood Leylin, hugging herself, staring at the small flame. It seemed peaceful, but it held something strange in its red glow.
"This is the Wind Flame..."
The elder said in a low voice, as people stood silently around the circle.
"This flame is a test for all who wish to cross the temple. If your heart is not pure, or if your flames harbor hatred or fear, it will consume you."
Eren felt sweat pool on his brow despite the chill of the night, and he stared at the flame, which seemed to be staring back at him.
"Are you ready?"
Leylin whispered beside him.
He looked at her and smiled, despite his fear.
"I must be."
Eren slowly entered the circle, feeling the heat approaching him. This time, however, the wind caressing his flame didn't extinguish it; instead, it seemed to push him forward.
He stood in front of the torch and slowly reached out. The moment his fingers touched the flame, everything around him disappeared.
He opened his eyes to find himself standing in a world of wind and fire. The sky was black, the clouds were red, and the wind blew around him with heat and flame.
"Where... am I?"
A quiet voice came from behind him:
"At last... the heir of the winds who carries my sister's fire."
Eren turned quickly to see a tall woman with red hair blowing in the wind and shining golden eyes. She looked like Leylin, but older, and her gaze was sad.
"You... are Liara?"
The woman nodded slowly.
"I am the spirit of the flame... and the spirit of Leylin's sister."
She took a step closer and looked deeply into his eyes:
"I wanted freedom... I tried to break the bond that bound me to the Heir of the Wind... but I failed, and I was burned by my own fire. I became part of this flame, until a new Heir comes."
"Why... why didn't you succeed?"
She smiled sadly:
"Because my heart was filled with fear, I didn't believe the Wind would embrace the Fire without extinguishing it."
She extended her hand to him, and he felt the heat rushing toward his chest:
"If you want to break the bond of Fire and Wind, you must make the Wind a friend to your Fire, not an enemy."
At that moment, his hand ignited with a red flame, gently enveloping his body as the Wind swirled around him. He felt the fire begin to extinguish along with the Wind.
"No... no!"
Eren cried out, grabbing his flaming hand, but the fire was completely extinguished, and darkness engulfed the place.
"This is your fear, Eren..."
Liara's voice came from the darkness:
"Your fear that the wind will extinguish your fire... and that fear will kill you if you don't face it."
Eren closed his eyes, remembering Leylin's face, her voice when she said to him, "Fire and wind are not enemies."
He breathed slowly, opening his hands, letting the wind touch his body.
"I... I am not afraid."
At that moment, the flames ignited again, but this time it wasn't just red fire, but a blue flame mingling with the red, swirling around him, dancing with the wind rather than being extinguished by it.
He opened his eyes and saw Liara smiling, her body turning to light ash, flying in the wind:
"At last... he has found the heir of the wind who is not afraid of fire."
Everything disappeared, and Eren came back to see himself standing in the circle of fire, his hand raised, blue and red flames wrapped around his arm, and the wind gently swirling around him.
Lylin stood staring at him, her eyes filling with tears of shock and joy.
"I... did it!"
Eren smiled as he watched the fire and wind become one. He said in a calm voice, "I'm ready... let's go to the temple."
That night, Eren learned that the wind was never the enemy of fire... but rather its very wings.
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