Leo floated in a void. There was no sound, only the smell of ozone and burnt earth. In the distance, a figure stood amidst a sea of black embers. The man had long, snow-white hair that flowed like smoke and eyes the color of a dying star.
"You are a hollow vessel," the man whispered, his voice vibrating in Leo's bones. "But soon, you will overflow."
Leo reached out, but his hand began to crumble into ash. He woke up screaming.
The Infirmary Confrontation
Leo's eyes snapped open. He was in a white-walled room, his arms wrapped in heavy, mana-suppressing bandages. Sitting at the foot of his bed was his grandfather, Soren, looking older than Leo had ever seen him.
Across from him, leaning against the doorframe, was the Magic King, Alaric.
"He's awake," Alaric said quietly. The air in the room was thick, charged with the weight of two immense powers held in check.
"You shouldn't be here, Alaric," Soren growled, not looking up. "He's just a boy."
"A boy who just vaporized a Level 5 Golem with a fragment of Hellfire," Alaric countered. He walked toward Leo, his eyes searching the boy's face. "Leo, do you know what you did out there?"
Leo shook his head, his voice hoarse. "I... I was just angry. I wanted to stop them. It felt like my blood was boiling."
The Secret of the Bloodline
Alaric sighed and looked at Soren. "How much have you told him?"
"Nothing," Soren snapped. "I wanted him to have a life. A real one. Not a life spent as a weapon or a prisoner."
Alaric turned back to Leo. "Fifteen years ago, a shadow fell over this kingdom. It was called the Lucifero Calamity. A mage with power that didn't belong to this world nearly turned everything to ash. We stopped him, but his power—the Hellfire—didn't vanish. It needed a host. It needed a bloodline strong enough to contain the heat without melting."
Leo felt a chill. "My parents... they didn't die in an accident, did they?"
Soren lowered his head. "Your father was my son. He was the previous host. He gave his life to keep that fire from consuming the capital. When you were born, the mark appeared on your chest. I brought you to the edge of the world to hide you from the Council... and from the fire itself."
The King's Ultimatum
A heavy silence filled the room. Leo looked at his hands, terrified of the power sleeping beneath his skin.
"The Council wants you executed or locked in the Deep Dungeon," Alaric said bluntly. "They saw what happened in the arena. They see a monster."
"And what do you see?" Leo asked, his voice trembling.
Alaric leaned in, a small, sad smile on his face. "I see a boy who used a curse to save a commoner's life. That is why I am overstepping my authority. I won't kill you, Leo. But I can't let you go back to the village."
"He's joining a squad," Soren realized, his grip tightening on his cane. "You're putting him on the front lines."
"It's the only way to keep him under my eye," Alaric replied. "If he can learn to master the Hellfire, he might be our only hope. Because, Leo... the man I saw in your records, the one who started the Calamity? He had followers. And they've been waiting for you to wake up."
The First Omen
As Alaric left the room, the window at the far end of the infirmary cracked. Outside, on a distant cathedral spire, a figure in a black coat with gold lines watched the hospital wing.
Beside him, a woman with violet skin and a man whose body seemed made of shifting shadows waited for orders.
"The seal is broken," the leader said, his voice a calm melody. "The prince has his crown of thorns. Prepare the first trial. Let's see if the boy can survive the heat of his own soul."