The echo of approaching footsteps reverberated through the stone passageways of the ancient archive. Kalen’s heart raced, though not from fear—he was already plotting his next move. He had the Frostfire Ascendant technique in his hands, and there was no way he was leaving without it. The very air seemed to pulse with energy as his connection to the Frozen Flame intensified.

**“How far to the exit?”** Sorin whispered, his eyes darting toward the sound of the approaching guards.

Kalen frowned, his mind racing through the layout of the stronghold. **“Not far. But we’ll have to fight our way out.”**

Sorin smirked, unsheathing his sword. **“I was hoping you’d say that.”**

The footsteps grew louder, and moments later, a group of Stormviel guards rounded the corner, their blue and white armor gleaming in the dim light. Their leader, a tall man with icy eyes and a long spear crackling with elemental energy, stepped forward.

**“Kalen of the Voidflame,”** the leader called out, his voice cold as the mountain air. **“You have trespassed in sacred halls and stolen forbidden knowledge. Surrender now, and your punishment will be less severe.”**

Kalen’s grip on the ancient scroll tightened. **“I’m not here to fight your clan. But I’m not leaving without this knowledge. Stand aside, and no one has to get hurt.”**

The leader’s eyes narrowed. **“You dare threaten the Stormviel Clan? You’ve made a grave mistake, outsider.”** He raised his spear, and the air around him crackled with the force of the Frozen Flame, though it lacked the duality that Kalen now possessed. **“We’ll see how well your stolen power fares against the true masters of the Frozen Flame.”**

Kalen’s gaze hardened. **“I didn’t steal anything. I earned this power.”** He raised his hand, and a shimmering aura of blue flame and dark void energy flickered around him. The fusion of voidflame and Frozen Flame swirled like a storm, radiating a dangerous intensity.

The guards hesitated, clearly unnerved by the sight of Kalen’s unique power. But their leader stepped forward, undeterred.

**“Seize him!”** the leader commanded, and the guards charged forward.

Kalen reacted instantly, his body moving with the precision of a seasoned warrior. He unleashed a wave of voidflame, the dark tendrils weaving through the air like serpents, coiling around the nearest guard and sending him crashing into the wall. The guard’s armor sizzled and cracked under the intense heat, but Kalen held back from delivering a lethal blow. He didn’t want unnecessary bloodshed, but he wouldn’t let anyone stop him from leaving.

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Sorin darted forward, his blade flashing as he engaged two guards at once. He moved like a shadow, dodging their elemental attacks with ease. The clash of steel against steel echoed through the chamber as Sorin danced between his opponents, landing precise strikes that disabled them without killing.

But the leader of the guards was far more formidable than the others. He thrust his spear forward, sending a blast of icy wind toward Kalen, the force of the attack causing the ground to freeze beneath it. Kalen responded by conjuring a wall of flame, the fire and ice colliding in an explosion of steam and mist.

**“Impressive,”** the leader sneered, twirling his spear as he advanced. **“But you’re still a novice. You can’t hope to master the true power of the Frozen Flame.”**

Kalen’s eyes blazed with determination. **“I’ve mastered more than you can imagine.”**

He summoned the full force of his dual power, the frozen flame and voidflame swirling together in a perfect storm of elemental energy. With a sharp motion, Kalen sent a blast of voidflame toward the leader, the dark fire crashing against his spear. The leader gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his stance as the raw power of Kalen’s attack overwhelmed him.

But the leader was skilled, and with a flick of his wrist, he deflected the voidflame, redirecting the energy into the ground where it exploded in a shower of sparks.

Kalen pressed forward, not giving him a moment to recover. He darted in close, his hand crackling with both ice and flame as he struck out. The leader raised his spear to block, but Kalen’s speed was too much. His attack connected, sending the leader stumbling backward, his armor scorched and cracked from the impact.

**“You’re strong,”** the leader admitted, wiping blood from his lip. **“But strength alone isn’t enough to master the Frozen Flame. It requires control, discipline—things you lack.”**

Kalen smirked. **“You think I haven’t learned control? Watch closely, because this is what true mastery looks like.”**

With a deep breath, Kalen focused all of his energy into a single point. The Frozen Flame and voidflame merged, coalescing into a radiant sphere of power in his hand. The temperature around him dropped sharply as the flame turned an ethereal blue, flickering with void energy at its core.

The leader’s eyes widened in shock. **“Impossible…”**

Before the leader could react, Kalen hurled the sphere of flame toward him. The explosion that followed was deafening, shaking the walls of the chamber and sending a shockwave of ice and fire through the room. The leader was thrown backward, his spear shattered, and his armor burned away by the sheer force of the attack.

When the dust settled, the leader lay unconscious on the ground, his body surrounded by frost and flame.

The remaining guards, seeing their leader defeated, hesitated for a moment before retreating, clearly unwilling to face Kalen’s overwhelming power.

Kalen let out a breath, the intense energy of the battle fading as he lowered his hand. **“We need to go,”** he said to Sorin, who had just finished dispatching the last of the guards.

Sorin nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. **“No argument here. That was… intense.”**

Kalen glanced at the unconscious leader, a part of him feeling conflicted. He hadn’t wanted to fight the Stormviel Clan, but they had left him no choice. He only hoped that this confrontation wouldn’t lead to even greater conflicts down the road.

With the ancient scroll securely tucked into his robe, Kalen and Sorin made their way back to the hidden passage. As they disappeared into the darkness, Kalen couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. The knowledge he had gained today was powerful—perhaps too powerful. And now, with the Stormviel Clan aware of his abilities, he knew that the real challenges were only just beginning.

**“I’ll master this power,”** Kalen vowed quietly to himself as they made their escape. **“No matter what it takes.”**