As they entered the rocky gateway overlooking the crater of the Flame Mountain, Eren and Leylin felt a heat pierce their bones. This heat wasn't just flames, but carried with it hidden sounds resembling ancient whispers.
The passageway was narrow at the beginning, carved into the black rock. Its walls glowed with fiery cracks, drawing mysterious symbols that flickered and disappeared, as if pulsing with the pulse of the mountain itself.
The two reached a wide hall, in the center of which lay a lake of still lava, from which steaming hot steam rose, forming shifting shapes in the air. Some of these shapes resembled faces, their eyes opening and closing, silently watching them.
Leylin said in a low voice, "This place... is alive."
Eren replied, watching the winds slowly move over the lava, "This fire holds an ancient memory."
Suddenly, a flash appeared in the middle of the lake, and the volcanic fire formed a translucent figure of a tall man. His eyes were like two glowing embers, and his body was composed of fire and smoke, but his features held a strange dignity.
He spoke in a deep voice, echoing like thunder mingling with the hiss of the fire:
The Heir of Fire and the Bearer of Winds has been long awaited.
Leylin took a step forward and said:
Who are you?
The entity replied:
I am the last guardian of the memory of the First Fire, a remnant of the one once called the Ash Lord before he fell into the shadows.
Leylin and Eren exchanged a shocked look. Eren said:
The Ash Lord was made of fire?
The entity nodded.
Thousands of years ago, the Ash Lord was the Great Guardian of Fire, the bearer of the pure flame that gave life to the Earth. But when he attempted to control all the flames of the worlds, he burned within, his flames turning into black ash that swallowed everything.
The entity's words echoed in the hall, overlapping with the sounds of the lava, while the fire around Leylin shuddered, as if reacting to the story being told.
Leylin said in a low voice, "Can it be stopped?"
The entity replied, "The fire you bear is an extension of the First Flame, a part of that fire that the Ash Lord could not completely destroy. Only pure fire can confront the ash it left behind."
It paused for a moment before raising its fiery hand, revealing a circular seal of glowing symbols in the air:
But to wield the power of the First Flame, you must pass the Greatest Test of Fire.
The hall suddenly swelled with flame, and smoke rose to fill the air. A circle of volcanic fire slowly swirled before Leylin, with flames pulsating within, carrying flashes of the past.
Leylin took a step back before feeling Eren's hand on her shoulder. His voice firm, "You can do this."
Lilin raised her hand and directed her golden fire toward the circle, but the volcanic fire quickly swallowed her flames, releasing even higher flames that drew closer, scorching her skin with a heat she'd never experienced before.
Lilin closed her eyes and summoned everything she'd learned. She remembered the volcanic fire that had controlled her, the faces that had promised to protect her, and every scream she'd made as she fought against the ash.
When she opened her eyes, the flame in her hand was different, a mixture of gold and deep red, pulsing with power. It wasn't just fire, it was a living entity, sensing her heartbeat.
She raised her hand again and directed the new flame toward the circle. This time, the circle didn't swallow her, but rather merged with it. The entire flame blazed a deep golden color before suddenly extinguishing, leaving behind an unfamiliar calm.
The fiery entity opened its eyes and said, "You have succeeded, Heir of the Fire."
Leylin took a deep breath, the fire in her body still calm but strong, as if it were part of her blood now.
Eren looked at her with a small smile, saying, "Fire no longer frightens you."
The entity turned to Eren and said, "And you, Windbearer, your turn is coming. The winds, too, will need to be tested before facing the Ash Lord."
Then he looked toward the volcanic lake and said, "The Ash Lord is awakening deep within the Ashes, and unless you unite the fire and the wind before his awakening is complete, nothing will stop him."
The entity disappeared in a flash of fire, and the hall fell silent again, while Eren and Leylin stood in the middle of the room, realizing that this was not the end of the road, but rather the true beginning of his confrontation with the Greater Ash Lord.
Leylin looked at the fire in her hand, no longer just a fighting tool, but a promise of survival and light amidst the coming ashes.