Jade

  I sprint out of the mana shield and into the settling dust, heart pounding. My mind races with fears of what I might find.

  "It's okay, Jade," a calm yet commanding voice reassures me.

  The dust clears, revealing Drexel standing between Thornton and Cole. He holds Thornton's sword blade gently between his pointer and middle fingers, and Cole's stone-encased fist rests harmlessly against Drexel's shoulder, as though it had hit an impenetrable wall. His presence radiates a quiet, intimidating authority.

  "I'm disappointed in you both," Drexel says, his tone even but weighted.

  He releases Thornton's sword with a flick of his fingers and lowers Cole's hand. I glance at Drexel's shoulder, amazed to see no mark, not even a scratch.

  "Cole... that attack could have severely injured Thornton. Why did you put so much strength into it?" Drexel asks, his voice edged with steel.

  "Because Jade tried to kill me, and he defended her!" Cole yells, his voice cracking with indignation.

  Drexel turns to me, his piercing eyes demanding the truth. "Is this true, Jade?"

  "No... I mean, I don't think so," I stammer, my voice faltering under his intense gaze.

  Cole points angrily at the white flame still burning nearby. "Then explain that!"

  "You did this, Jade?" Drexel asks, his voice softening with curiosity.

  "I think so," I reply, my voice barely a whisper.

  Drexel studies the flame, his expression unreadable. Finally, he says, "All of you return to the village. I'll keep this incident between us, but don't think you're off the hook. Another slip-up like this, and none of you from Canu will participate in the PURE. Understood?"

  "Yes, sir," we reply in unison.

  Drexel turns to Thornton and me. "You two, head to the village archive. There's something I need to show you."

  Thornton mutters under his breath as he collects his gear, but I'm too distracted to catch his words. Lane and Cole have already disappeared into the distance. Drexel approaches the flame, studying its intense glow.

  "How long has this flame been burning with this intensity?" he asks.

  "About eight minutes," I reply.

  Drexel's expression darkens. "Jade, you need to extinguish it. Place your hand over the flame."

  "Why can't you do it?" I ask hesitantly.

  Drexel steps back, shaking his head. "I can't. If you or Thornton don't extinguish this fire, it will burn forever—even after your death. Nothing I do will affect it. Only you can control it, and while it may look harmless, it's nearly impervious to ordinary magic or force."

  Swallowing my fear, I approach the flame and hover my hand above it. Expecting searing heat, I'm startled to feel a gentle, almost cool sensation. The flames react instantly, twisting and swirling through the air before wrapping themselves around my body and vanishing inside me.

  "Let's move," Drexel says, his voice firm but distant. "You both need to see something."

  The Archive

  After a few minutes of walking, we arrive at a weathered, cylindrical cobblestone tower stretching high into the sky. Its massive wooden doors are cracked and aged, their surface marred by time.

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  Thornton wrinkles his nose. "Looks more like a prison than an archive."

  Drexel ignores the comment, pushing open the creaking doors. The sound echoes ominously, but the stale, musty air that greets us is unexpectedly cool.

  Drexel places his palm against the wall, and a faint blue outline begins to spread, illuminating the room. To my surprise, the interior is breathtaking—rows upon rows of scrolls and books line towering shelves, their edges gilded with faintly glowing inscriptions.

  "Prison, you said?" Drexel teases, casting a knowing look at Thornton.

  I'm too awestruck to respond. "I never knew anything like this existed in the village," I breathe.

  "This archive exists because of your clan, Jade," Drexel explains. "Before the massacre, your family filled these shelves with knowledge gathered from missions. Every piece of information here is a legacy of the Liche."

  Drexel strides toward a spiraling staircase. "The truth is, no one uses this archive anymore except the Elders. Scholars sometimes request access to study the Liche's accomplishments, but we always deny them."

  "So why are we allowed here?" Thornton asks suspiciously.

  Drexel stops at the base of the staircase, his expression grave. "Because this archive was made for the Liche and their chosen guests. You've always had access—you just didn't know it. But now, you have a reason to be here."

  As we descend, the air thickens with mana, its presence almost suffocating. Each step feels heavier than the last.

  "This next part," Drexel says, his voice tense, "will show if you're truly ready for what lies ahead."

  At the bottom of the staircase, a wall of white flames with a faint purple outline blocks the path forward. My heart stops—it's the same fire I conjured earlier.

  "These flames," Drexel murmurs, "have kept this path sealed since the massacre. Now I understand why—they were waiting for you two."

  His face is solemn as he addresses us. "Once you pass this barrier, your lives will never be the same. No one has been beyond this point in years. Only you have the power to remove the flames. Focus your mana and place your hands on them."

  Thornton and I step forward, hands trembling. As we press against the searing light, the flames coil around us, their energy pouring into my body. It's overwhelming—exhilarating and unbearable all at once.

  The ground trembles, and the air crackles with raw power. Stones from the ceiling crumble, shaken loose by the force of the flames dissipating. My legs buckle, and I collapse, barely aware of Drexel's steadying hand on my shoulder.

  "Not much longer," Drexel urges, his voice strained.

  With one final surge, the flames vanish, leaving the path clear.

  Drexel helps me to my feet, brushing dust from my shoulders. His gaze lingers on my face. "The glow of a Liche's eyes... It's been so long since I've seen it."

  I glance at Thornton, whose eyes shimmer faintly with the same purple hue.

  "Not every Liche could create or extinguish these flames," Drexel says softly. "Even fewer possessed the glow of the eyes. Both together... That's a rarity even among your clan."

  "How do we control it?" Thornton demands. "The glow seems to happen at random."

  Drexel shakes his head. "You're still young. That's all I can offer. The answers you seek lie ahead."

  Thornton and I exchange an uncertain glance, the faint purple glow of our eyes already fading back to normal. Drexel steps aside, his expression heavy with unspoken thoughts.

  "This path belongs to you now," he says, his voice solemn. "Lead the way."

  We step forward, the silence around us stretching thin, every footfall echoing ominously against the walls. As we move deeper into the passage, the air grows colder, the mana in the atmosphere so dense it prickles my skin.

  The corridor twists ahead, shrouded in shadows that the flickering remnants of our glow can barely pierce. Finally, we reach an arched doorway. Carved into the ancient stone above it is a symbol I recognize—a phoenix wreathed in white and purple flames, the crest of my clan.

  Thornton hesitates, his hand hovering over the door. "You ready for this?" he asks, his voice tight.

  "Not really," I admit, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

  Before either of us can act, the door creaks open on its own, revealing a room bathed in eerie, pulsating light. At its center stands a massive pedestal, its surface etched with runes that glow faintly as if alive. On top of it rests an orb, swirling with white and purple energy that feels disturbingly familiar.

  And then I hear it—a whisper. Faint, almost imperceptible, but unmistakably real.

  "Jade... Thornton... do you remember us?"

  I freeze, every hair on my body standing on end. Thornton stiffens beside me, his face pale.

  The whispers grow louder, overlapping and echoing, filling the room with an unnatural hum. My breath catches as shadows flicker across the walls, taking on shapes—human forms with eyes like ours, glowing purple in the dim light.

  "Jade, what is this?" Thornton whispers, his voice trembling.

  "I don't know," I manage to say, my voice barely audible.

  The shadows stop moving, their glowing eyes fixed on us. The largest one steps forward, and in a voice that sends a chill straight through me, it speaks:

  "You carry the burden of our legacy. Are you ready to face the truth?"

  The figure then dissipates into the air revealing a new door that was not previously there on the back wall.