The Last Stand at Emberwood
Valtherion was already gone.
The tunnel beneath Emberwood had sealed behind him with a final, muffled groan of stone. The last echo of his frantic footsteps faded into the depths of the earth, swallowed by distance, fire, and fate.
Only then did Ardan Corvane allow himself to breathe.
Just once.
The moment passed.
The pressure returned—heavier than before.
The Twelve High Elementals stood amid the shattered remains of Moonlit Harbor, their presence warping the night into something dense and suffocating. Buildings burned without sound, flames bending inward as if afraid to rise too high. The harbor's waves lay unnaturally still, frozen not by ice, but by sheer terror. Mana recoiled violently from the space they occupied, bending away like grass flattened beneath an approaching storm.
Ardan and Lira stood back to back where their home had once been.
Not to defend it.
Not to save it.
Only to buy time.
Golden fire wrapped around Lira's arms, radiant and fierce—no longer restrained, no longer shaped for control. It burned with raw conviction, flaring brighter with every heartbeat. Crimson flames surged from Ardan's core in violent pulses, molten heat cracking the stone beneath his boots, fractures spiderwebbing through the ruins.
"He's gone," Lira said softly.
Ardan nodded once. "Then we finish this."
The Twelve moved.
Not all at once.
Not hurried.
They advanced with absolute certainty—executioners who did not need to rush, because the outcome had already been decided.
Time distorted first.
The Time Elemental stepped forward, aura expanding outward in slow, merciless waves. Seconds stretched thin, syrupy and heavy, pressing down on muscle and thought alike. The world resisted motion itself.
Lira answered immediately.
Golden flames erupted outward—not to burn, but to anchor. Her fire clung to reality, stitching fractured seconds together, forcing time to obey her will through sheer defiance.
Neutrality followed.
A silent ripple swept through the battlefield.
Ardan felt it instantly.
His flames dulled. Compressed. Stripped of excess power as if reality itself had deemed him unworthy of his full strength. His strongest output was denied outright.
"Tch," he spat, veins glowing as he forced his mana to move. "Figures."
Lightning and Wind struck together.
Ardan launched forward, fists igniting into blazing arcs of crimson. He punched into the storm, fire screaming as it collided with condensed air and crackling energy. The impact obliterated what remained of the street, molten debris screaming into the night as shockwaves tore outward.
Water and Ice answered in perfect synchronization.
Lira spun, fire ribbons lashing outward in radiant arcs, evaporating incoming spears midair. Steam exploded around her—but the pressure did not relent. Ice reformed faster than it melted. Water rebuilt itself endlessly, grinding against her defenses like an ocean wearing down stone.
Then—
Copy activated.
A mirrored flame bloomed in the Copy Elemental's palm.
Not perfect.
But close enough.
The strike hit Lira head-on.
Golden fire detonated violently as she was thrown backward, blood bursting from her lips as her body struck the ground hard enough to crack stone beneath her.
"Lira!" Ardan roared.
The world burned.
Crimson fire erupted outward in a violent detonation, forcing the Twelve to reposition for the first time. Earth split open. Trees ignited instantly. The last standing remnants of Emberwood collapsed under the sheer force.
Still—
It wasn't enough.
Resonance pulsed.
The air shattered.
Ardan felt his mana twist violently inside his core, vibrating against itself, tearing through him like blades scraping bone. His scream never fully left his throat before his legs gave out.
He fell to one knee.
Lira forced herself upright in front of him.
Golden fire surged brighter than ever before—burning not with heat alone, but with will strong enough to defy inevitability.
"You don't touch him," she said.
Nature answered.
Vines erupted from the earth, reinforced with mana and bone-hard thorns. Lira incinerated them—but Connection bent their paths, forcing her to split her focus. Darkness crept in at the edges of her vision.
Not an element.
A consequence.
They were losing.
Ardan dragged himself upright, blood pouring freely down his arm. He looked at Lira—burning, broken, and still standing between him and death.
No regret.
Only love.
"I'm glad," he whispered.
Lira smiled.
The convergence struck.
There was no explosion.
No spectacle.
Just overwhelming force.
Golden fire was extinguished mid-flare.
Crimson flames collapsed inward, devouring their own core.
Lira fell first—body lifeless before it hit the ground.
Ardan reached for her.
His hand never made it.
He collapsed beside her, eyes fixed on her face as the last of his mana burned out from within.
Silence followed.
True silence.
The Twelve stood motionless amid the ruin.
Then—
A voice echoed inside them.
Not the system.
Not a command.
Something older.
Something absolute.
"Return—Now."
---
The Time Elemental stiffened.
Neutrality disengaged.
Connection severed.
Without ceremony, without acknowledgment of the bodies at their feet, the Twelve turned as one and vanished, space tearing apart as they withdrew.
They did not look back.
Crimson and gold embers drifted upward, carried by the night wind.
Emberwood burned no more.
Moonlit Harbor was gone.
And somewhere deep within the Forest of Phorashia—
A child ran.
Unaware that the last thing standing between him and annihilation had already died.
The Forest That Devours Children
The Forest of Phorashia didn't greet Valtherion with silence, but with a chilling breath.
A cold, whispering breath that crawled across his skin like the touch of unseen fingers, raising goosebumps on his arms. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled his nostrils, a primeval aroma of life and death intertwined.
Mist rolled around his ankles as he stepped deeper into the ancient woods, obscuring the path ahead. The ground beneath him felt damp and sponge-like. A carpet of decaying leaves lay crushed beneath newer ones, the forest digesting centuries of life and death. Tall trees rose on all sides like pillars of a forgotten temple. Their obsidian-dark trunks were etched with faint, glowing runes. Blue mana threaded through the bark, pulsing like veins beneath the surface and illuminating the darkness with an eerie light.
This place was alive, a living entity breathing around him.
And it was watching him, its unseen eyes piercing through the fog.
Valtherion hugged his arms around his chest, seeking a meager warmth against the encroaching cold. His clothes were torn and dirtied, offering little protection. His face was streaked with tears, dirt, and smoke, a mask of grief and exhaustion. Every few steps, his legs threatened to buckle, not just from the lingering pain, but from the crushing weight of the events of the past hour.
Home... gone. The thought echoed in his mind, a hollow ache.
His home, a sanctuary now reduced to ashes. His parents, their laughter and warmth extinguished by the flames. The fire, a consuming inferno that had stolen everything. The explosion, a cataclysmic force that had shattered his world. The Twelve cloaked figures, silent harbingers of death who had taken his parents from him.
"M-Mama... Papa..."
His voice trembled, barely a whisper, swallowed instantly by the forest's breath. The sound was pathetic, a fragile plea lost in the immensity of the woods.
Nothing answered him, no comforting reply.
Not even an echo, only the rustling of leaves and the creaking of branches.
Only the distant, hollow growls of something unseen, a predatory sound that sent shivers down his spine.
Valtherion swallowed hard, forcing down the rising panic, and kept walking. Every step was slow and careful, as though the forest floor might open its jaws and swallow him whole. Thick fog slithered around his ankles like a living beast. It followed him, prodding, testing.
His stomach growled loudly, a painful reminder of his hunger. He hadn't eaten since dinner, a meal now lost to the flames. That dinner was still sitting half-uneaten on the table when the attack began, a snapshot of a life that no longer existed.
No. Don't think about it. He forced the thought away, a conscious effort to suppress the memories. Thinking about home made the ache worse, a gaping wound in his heart. Thinking about his parents made his entire chest hurt, a physical manifestation of his grief.
He wiped his eyes with shaky hands, smearing the dirt across his face.
"Don't look back."
His mother's voice echoed in his mind, a beacon of strength in the darkness.
His father's last smile, a memory he clung to desperately.
If he stopped, even for a moment, he knew he would break down, the tears would flow again, and he wouldn't be able to stop. So he kept walking, even as fear strangled him with cold fingers, even as the shadows grew harsher and the forest grew darker, even as the growls grew closer.
Snap.
A twig broke behind him, the sound amplified in the silence.
Valtherion froze instantly, every muscle tense, breath caught in his throat. He slowly turned his head, his heart pounding against his ribs.
At first, he saw nothing but darkness, a wall of impenetrable shadows.
Then, two faint blue sparks appeared between the trees, glowing like malevolent stars.
Eyes, watching him with predatory intent.
A creature stepped out of the fog, materializing from the shadows. Lean, silent, covered in fur as black as the forest night. Its body was thin and muscular, its ribs faintly glowing with mana-blue light, illuminating its skeletal frame. Its claws carved lines into the moss with every step, tearing at the earth.
A Phorashia Stalker Wolf, a creature of nightmare born from the depths of the forest.
And it was staring straight at him, its gaze unwavering, its intent clear.
Valtherion stumbled backwards, his feet slipping on the damp leaves, and fell onto his palms. His heart hammered violently inside his chest, threatening to burst.
"N-No— S-Stay back!"
His voice was a pathetic plea, a desperate attempt to ward off the inevitable.
The wolf lowered its body, its muscles coiling, preparing to strike.
Its eyes narrowed, focusing on him with deadly precision.
It crouched to pounce, its muscles bunching, ready to unleash its deadly speed.
Valtherion could barely breathe, his lungs constricting with fear. His vision shook, the world blurring around him. His fingers dug desperately into the dirt, seeking purchase, but finding only cold, damp earth.
Then—
A faint whisper brushed his ear, a voice inside his head.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Warning: Elite-Level Hostile Detected]
[Enemy: Stalker Wolf]
[Level: 18]
[Class: Beast]
[Threat Level: Medium–High]
[Reward: Exp +2,000]
The boy froze, his mind reeling.
It wasn't a voice he recognized, not his father's, not his mother's.
It wasn't his thoughts, not his own internal monologue.
It was something else, something alien, something inside him.
But he had no time to question it, no time to analyze the strange voice.
The Stalker Wolf leapt, a blur of black fur and sharp teeth.
Valtherion screamed, a primal cry of terror.
And his instincts exploded awake, a surge of raw power coursing through his veins.
A burst of raw heat surged from his chest, racing through his arm like molten blood, burning beneath his skin.
FWOOOM!
A weak but real flame erupted from his palm, a flickering spark of defiance shooting directly into the wolf's face. The creature twisted mid-air, snarling in surprise, thrown off course as the small explosion blasted smoke and embers around them.
Valtherion's hand sizzled, the heat intense, but he barely noticed it.
He stared at it, his eyes wide with terror and astonishment, disbelief warring with the primal instinct to survive.
"Did I... d-did I do that...?"
The words were barely audible, a whispered question lost in the chaos.
The wolf shook its head violently, its fur singed, its eyes burning with fury.
It wasn't hurt badly, just angered, its predatory instincts ignited.
The blue light in its veins glowed brighter, illuminating its body with an eerie, menacing light.
It lunged again, its movements faster, more ferocious.
Valtherion screamed again. This time, he raised both hands, squeezed his eyes shut, and shouted, his voice filled with desperation:
"GO AWAY!!"
BOOM!
A more powerful blast of fire burst from both palms, a surge of raw energy unleashed. The explosion sent the wolf sliding across the forest floor, leaving a deep groove in the moss. Burning fur filled the air with an acrid smell, choking him.
But the wolf wasn't dead, not even close.
It rose again, slowly, menacingly, its body shaking, but its intent unwavering.
Its jaw dripped glowing saliva, a sign of its rage and hunger. Its claws dug in deeper, tearing at the earth, preparing to strike again. Mana surged through its veins, illuminating its body like a skeleton made of blue fire, a terrifying spectacle.
It growled once, a low, murderous rumble that vibrated through the forest floor.
Then it sprinted straight for him, its speed terrifying.
Valtherion turned and ran, his legs pumping, driven by pure instinct.
Branches whipped across his face, stinging his skin. Thorns scraped his arms, tearing at his flesh. He stumbled over roots, nearly crashing several times, his body screaming in protest.
"HELP!! SOMEONE— ANYONE—!!"
His voice vanished into the fog, swallowed by the immensity of the forest.
No reply, no answering call, no sign of salvation.
No footsteps, no approaching savior.
No parents coming to protect him, no comforting embrace to shield him from the danger.
Another growl echoed behind him, closer now, more menacing.
The wolf closed the distance easily, its speed and agility far surpassing his own.
Something slammed into his back, sending a jolt of pain through his body, claws slicing into his shoulder, tearing at his flesh.
"A-AAAHHH!!"
Valtherion crashed onto the ground, sliding across moss and dirt, the rough earth tearing at his skin. The wolf pinned him down with its full weight, its claws sinking deeper, its hot breath on his neck.
Blood streamed down his arm, staining the ground beneath him.
His vision blurred, the world fading to gray.
His breath choked out in panic, his lungs struggling for air.
The wolf's jaws opened wide, revealing mana-lit fangs ready to tear out his throat, to end his life.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM WARNING
[HP: 22%]
[Warning: Fatal threat detected]
Valtherion's chest tightened, his heart pounding in his ears. His mind screamed in terror, a cacophony of fear and desperation. His body trembled uncontrollably, surrendering to the inevitable.
"S-Someone... please... help me..."
His voice was a whimper, a final, desperate plea lost in the silence of the forest.
Silence, broken only by the wolf's guttural growl.
Then—
A memory flashed through his mind, a vivid image of his past.
His father standing tall, a protector against the darkness.
His mother's warm hands guiding him, teaching him, loving him.
A home now gone, a sanctuary lost to the flames.
He wasn't ready to die, he didn't want to die.
Something inside him snapped, a breaking point reached.
And ignited, a spark of defiance in the face of death.
Valtherion's eyes widened, glowing faintly with red firelight, a sign of the power awakening within him.
His veins pulsed like molten liquid, burning beneath his skin.
The heat burst outward, a wave of raw energy unleashed.
KRRAAAH!!
Flames erupted from his arms, engulfing the wolf's muzzle and chest, a torrent of fire born from fear, pain, and sheer desperation. Fire roared uncontrollably, consuming everything in its path.
The wolf howled in agony, a piercing shriek that echoed through the forest.
Valtherion screamed back, not from fear, but from the overwhelming heat coursing through him, from the raw power surging through his veins.
The fire surged higher, hotter, brighter, consuming the wolf in a fiery inferno.
Until the beast collapsed, its body charred and smoking.
Burning, twitching, dead.
Valtherion gasped for air, his body trembling, his muscles aching.
And then—
A soft ding echoed in the air like a ghostly chime, a sound that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
He looked up, his eyes wide with confusion and disbelief.
A glowing screen hovered above him, shimmering in the air.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Enemy Defeated: HP And Mana Restored]
[Class: Beast]
[Exp Gained: +2,000]
DING! DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
[Level Up! Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
[Level Up! Lv. 3 → Lv. 4]
[Level Up! Lv. 4 → Lv. 5]
[Level Up! Lv. 5 → Lv. 6]
[Level Up! Lv. 6 → Lv. 7]
[Level Up! Lv. 7 → Lv. 8]
[Level Up! Lv. 8 → Lv. 9]
[Level Up! Lv. 9 → Lv. 10]
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Element Evolution: Normal Fire → Medium Fire]
[Lifespan Increased: +100 Years]
[New Skill Unlocked: Ember Pulse]
[Mana Increased: +100]
⟢ SYSTEM NOTE
Early levels require exponentially lower EXP.
Growth stabilizes after High Element.
Valtherion stared at the screen, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.
Then he looked at his bloodied hands, still trembling with residual power.
Then he looked at the burning corpse of the wolf—a testament to the power he had unleashed.
"I... evolved...?"
His voice cracked, a mixture of awe and terror.
A ten-year-old, barefoot, bleeding, alone.
And now... an Evolved Fire user, a wielder of immense power.
Valtherion curled into himself, body shaking. Tears dripped silently onto the moss, mingling with blood and dirt.
His parents were gone, his home was gone.
And Phorashia...
Phorashia was only the beginning, a new chapter of his life filled with danger and uncertainty.