Kael had barely caught his breath after sparring with Siris when the first roar pierced the air. The sound was unnatural, a deep, guttural echo that reverberated through the warped forest.

Siris tensed, hand on her sword. “They’ve found us.”

Kael turned toward the noise, his pulse quickening. “The temporal beasts?”

Siris nodded grimly, her eyes scanning the treeline. “They’re drawn to instability. And you’ve been using your firepower too much.”

Before Kael could respond, the first beast burst through the undergrowth—a grotesque amalgamation of limbs and claws, its body shifting unnaturally as though it existed in multiple moments at once.

Siris unsheathed her blade and charged. Kael followed, his dual blade raised, but before he could strike, another beast crashed through the trees, snarling as it lunged toward him.

The fight was brutal. Siris’s movements were precise, cutting down one beast after another with practiced efficiency. Kael, however, struggled to keep up. His strikes were clumsy, and the creatures’ erratic movements made them difficult to predict.

“Kael, behind you!” Siris shouted.

He spun just in time to see a third beast leap toward him. Without thinking, he reached for the Spark of Renewal. Fire erupted from his hands, engulfing the creature in a torrent of flames. It screeched, its form disintegrating into ash.

The fire did not stop.

Kael’s panic surged as the flames spiraled outward, scorching the ground and setting nearby trees ablaze. The beasts recoiled, but more emerged, their grotesque forms undeterred by the growing inferno.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Kael!” Siris called, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Focus!”

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe. Slowly, the fire coiled back, wrapping itself around him like a protective shroud.

The beasts charged again.

This time, Kael didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, the fire surging with his movements. His blade became an extension of the flames, cutting through the creatures with deadly precision. Each swing left a trail of burning light, each strike obliterating another foe.

The beasts seemed endless, but Kael was relentless. The Spark coursed through him, filling him with a sense of invincibility. He moved with a ferocity he hadn’t known he possessed, the fire bending to his will as he decimated the creatures.

Siris fought beside him, but even she paused to watch as Kael unleashed his power. The clearing became a battlefield of fire and ash, the beasts falling one by one under his relentless assault.

Finally, the last creature dissolved into sparks, leaving the forest eerily quiet.

Kael stood in the center of the destruction, his chest heaving. The ground around him was scorched, the air thick with smoke. Siris approached cautiously, her sword still drawn.

“That was... impressive,” she said, though her tone was laced with unease.

Kael turned to her, his eyes burning with a faint golden glow. “I had to.”

“You didn’t just defeat them,” Siris replied, gesturing to the charred remains. “You annihilated them.”

The words hung heavy in the air. Kael looked down at his hands, still tingling with the remnants of the firepower. He could feel the Spark stirring, restless and hungry.

Siris stepped closer, lowering her sword. “This power—it’s dangerous, Kael. If you lose control—”

“I won’t,” he interrupted, his voice firm. “I can’t.”

She studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Let’s hope you’re right. Because the Weaver is sending these things after us, and next time, we might not be so lucky.”

Kael clenched his fists, the fire within him still smoldering. “Next time, I’ll be ready.”

As they moved to leave the clearing, Kael glanced back at the scorched earth and the lingering embers. For the first time, he felt the weight of his power—and the fear that came with it.

Because deep down, he knew Siris was right.

The fire wasn’t just a weapon. It was a force, and it was changing him.