*********************

Emmet 'Bonfire' Knox

"Watch out, Frozen! The rock is loose!"

I scream out toward my friend as I see his foot slip in slow motion, and I don't pause even a moment, sliding off the rock toward him. My Ether flows on its own, igniting a blaze under my feet as I gain some momentum, allowing me to fall just enough to catch his flailing hand.

Air leaves my lungs in raspy breaths, each more tiring than the last, as I haul him up to me, leveraged onto the rope that connects me to Abraham and Clumsy.

As I do so, however, I realize that we aren't that high up anymore. The dust has given way to what appears to be ground.

"Finally! We're almost at the bottom! Another twenty feet!"

Abraham scuttles down the rock to land beside me, a Nightmare of his doing most of the work while holding onto the pale man tightly. As we meet in height, his eyes scan our surroundings warily, almost igniting my heart into a blaze. He's our lookout.

"I sense minds nearby again. Not as powerful as the last one, but these are in the dozens. What do you want to do? I say we drop from here and run along the rocks for cover. Easier to fight when one direction is safe."

I nod to him. He's always been clever in a tactical sense—more so than me, at least.

"Sounds good."

With my reply, I leap back, leaving the cliff wall behind as I force Ether from my feet with Blaze. The burst of fire catches me the moment I land, reducing the impact, but the instant my Blaze touches a grain of sand, all hell lets loose.

A wave of searing heat shoots out from me, scorching the swirling crimson sand that surrounds me. But my flames have an unexpected effect on the sandstorm, causing it to react in a frenzied frenzy immediately. The dust and grit evolve into a relentless maelstrom, assaulting me with the force of a thousand tiny blades.

Agonizing pain courses through my body as the sand slices through my clothes and bites into my flesh. The shouts of my companions are quickly drowned out in the deafening roar of the storm, reduced to meaningless echoes, deafened by the buzzing as I fall to my knees. I struggle to regain my footing, to reach them, but the relentless weight of the sand drags me down.

Gritting my teeth with my anger tipping forward, the rage within building, I push Blaze even further. Fire surrounds me entirely as my burgeoning Power, Ignition, lights up with a fierce determination. I eye the flames with flavor as they beam brighter and hotter, their hue shifting from red to orange and finally to the intense blue of a scorching inferno. With each surge in heat, I rise slightly, the pain lessening alongside the pressure. Around me, the sand oddly turns to ash, disintegrating before it can reach me.

But the sandstorm is unrelenting, and it seems as if there is no end to the crimson particles that seek to engulf me. I stretch my Power even further, delving into the depths of my rage. Hints of Abraham, Frozen, and Clumsy break through the buzzing roar. As I feel a severe bite to the back of my neck, I Ignite my very blood, realizing that my Power won't save me from injuries.

And so, the heat rises farther and further until the flames bow into a vibrant shade of purple. With this newfound intensity, the sand is vanquished before it can even make contact with my flesh. Still, it surrounds me like a flood of raving locusts, but at least I can see through it.

"Abraham!"

I shout for the pale man, who is hardly visible beyond the wave of dust. I thrust my hand toward him, seeking answers.

"What's happening!? What do we do!?"

Abraham's eyes shift back and forth before focusing on me. He speaks directly into my mind with Allude, but the sound is far quieter than usual, as if something is disrupting it. It's probably because something is. The sand down here must be what is stopping him from reaching Wyatt.

"We just have to continue! The sand is only attacking you! I suspect it's because they are attracted to Ether! They have no minds, only instincts! How long can you keep up that fire!?"

I gaze downward at my Ignited hands, the flames washing over them as if they are fire as well. I'm not that good at understanding my limits. They seem to come and go depending on how fired up I am.

Johnny says it's partly because my resonance is so high and partly because I'm a dumbass.

Can't argue that with him.

"Dunno. An hour? Maybe two? You know I'm not good at estimations."

Abraham scoffs before stepping alongside the edge of the cliff, motioning for me to lead.

"Well, then, we better get moving. Whenever you run out of saturation, we'll have to immediately find somewhere to rest. And... it's not your fault. I think those... things assault anything foreign with a Sigil."

A bit of stress leaves my shoulders as I nod, rushing past them to be in the lead so that my fires don't touch them at all. Then, once in the front, I pick up my pace, sprinting along the rocks with them in tow.

My fiery trail blazes a path along the cliff's wall, leaving behind scorched footprints that I can only hope are leading us in the right direction. The relentless crimson dust continues to swirl around me, its malevolent hunger undeterred, but I refuse to yield. Burning my Ether at nearly my highest ferocity, I fight to keep my flames burning, continuously incinerating the flesh-eating particles as they close in.

Time passes in a blur under the flames and crimson sands, with footsteps ringing behind me always. Abraham is constantly checking in, making sure I'm fine, but I'm not. My energy wanes with each moment. My fires, once a raging inferno, begin to flicker and weaken as the headache surmounts within my mind. My saturation is nearing a point of no return, and I'm running on fumes. The thought of finding Wyatt just a ways away is all that sustains me. But then, as if guided by Earl, his luck possibly reaching be from here, I stumble upon a small cave in the cliffside. Without hesitation, I rush inside, the cave's protective embrace shielding me from the maelstrom.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Instantly, less of the biting sands can reach me due to the opening, and I scan the insides, searching for Wyatt. I don't find him, but I do see signs of him as a sigh of relief leaves me.

"He was here. They both were."

Scraps of dark fabric and blood on the walls tell me all I need to know. However, there is a suspicious amount of dried blood at the entrance. Far too much for a single body or a single person. Not too much for Wyatt, but if he bled this much...

Something must have gone wrong.

"Great news! Let us follow you in for a while! Frozen will block the entrance with his Frost!"

I step further in, taking note of all the sand in the cave. That's still a risk. The dust is rising to reach me, but I'm burning it away before it can due to the fewer grains. Breathing deeply, I unleash my Blaze with a final surge of strength, incinerating any remaining dust that had followed me inside. The air grows clear as my companions rush in behind me, gasping for breath. Abraham lowers his cloth mask, shouting to Clumsy and Frozen.

"Clumsy! Get the front wet! Frozen! Seal it all!"

Exhausted and spent, I sink to the cave floor, the flames that had once enveloped me now reduced to a mere flicker. Meanwhile, the three focus on closing the entrance entirely. It only takes them a few seconds, but within that time, flakes of the sand flood in. I can only watch as Frozen incases himself with ice, trapping all the grains with him.

I worry for him until I hear his voice from Abraham's Allude.

"I'm fine! Just cold! Give me a few minutes, and I'll crawl my way out without letting these things follow me."

I nod to him before a wave of drowsiness befalls me. I can feel my head sink precipitously, and Abraham crouches beside me worryingly.

"Are you alright? Did you go too far? I have a Serum if you need it."

Shaking my head, I hardly get a few words through my lips before passing out.

"I'm good, just tired..."

********************

A painful spike in my side wakes me up, and I raise my hands with Blaze in retort, only to discover Frozen sliding to sit beside me. He holds an eyebrow askew with a scoff.

"Relax, Bonfire. I think I just bumped your bandage."

Confused, I glance down to find my shirt, coat, and overcoat removed to reveal my entire torso covered in bandages. Lifting my arm, I feel the stretching pain from it.

"Who?"

Frozen laughs, pointing ahead to Abraham, who is crouched before the wall of ice embedded into the entrance, staring outward. He doesn't look like he's moved at all.

"Him. You know Clumsy and I are bad with stuff like that."

Sighing, I stand and shuffle to the ice, gazing out of it as well. The translucent wall throws me off for a moment, but as I focus, I don't see anything outside other than the crimson sand.

"Let's go. I feel better. We can't waste too much time."

Abraham lifts his head to stare at me curiously. Then, he pushes my shoulder lightly.

"Not yet. You barely slept an hour."

What? Only an hour? I feel... I feel fine. It feels like I slept a whole night. That's... odd.

Stepping back, I bring my hand to my face and pull forth Blaze, fire exiting my hand. Paying closer attention to the flows, it feels... more effortless than before.

"Abraham."

"Yeah?"

The man immediately replies, simply looking concerned for me.

"Which God did you think would die first?"

Abraham's confusion only rises as I see his face shift constantly. He doesn't seem to find this of importance.

"What does that matter?"

I tsk my tongue before asking him again. He's starting to frustrate me.

"Just tell me. Which one was it?"

Abraham steps away from the frigid blockade before squinting his eyes in thought.

"Vincent Harvey said he'd scale the Bridge of the Gods, right? Starting his massacre? If that's the case, according to legends, Haashch, the Unending Hearth, the Seething Sun, was the guardian to the Bridge and all the other Gods."

Haashch... the God that governs fires, eclipses, and homes.

"And you think he... or she is the first to die?"

Abraham nods deeply, even if he doesn't seem so sure.

"Yeah... I think so. Unless one leaves for some reason from their slumber, that should be the first one to die..."

I finish his words, continuing from what happened last night during our descent.

"That means they are probably already dead. The lightning and thunder. I felt something odd with my flames as well. Now... it feels even easier to use my Sigil. My Ether feels... so smooth."

Abraham's eyes widen as he understands what I mean almost instantly. The man stands tall as he grips the sides of my arms with excitement.

"The death of a God that governed part your general Sigils... It increases your resonance!? This is... this is huge! Maybe... maybe it's not just the Mother Below that is holding us back! Maybe... it's both her and all the Gods! As Vincent digs his trench of blood through the homeland of the Gods as Killian did in Tornridge... more people will grow in power."

I can't help but smile as I place my hand against the ice. I don't say my thoughts, however, as there is always a chance something more sinister is happening. A flame burns brightest before it sets, after all.

"Let's go boys. We have someone to find."

******************

Another two hours pass at our extreme speed across the cliff's edge, and even after coming across several snake-like creatures that we killed, I'm still able to keep moving. It would appear the connection to my Sigil, and even Ether itself, is gradually improving.

Abraham must be correct in his thoughts instead of my depressive rambling. Without a God that has my same overall abilities, fire, heat, and light, my resonance grows. I don't know how many Gods still remain.

Some say half a dozen. Some say dozens. Some even say hundreds.

Based on how restricted most people are... I think the lattermost might be right. Most of them must just be disabled or forced into a slumber by the Mother Below to aid her in keeping us down.

The sand bites into my flesh, waking me from my thoughts. Yet, I refuse to simply yield.

As I push forward, my rage intensifies, a fiery tempest within my core. The relentless sandstorm is no match for my burning fury—nothing ever is. My flames quickly grow hotter, a vibrant shade of violet that seems to defy the natural order. I've reached this color before. It's wonderful. It's one of my favorites.

But deep down, something calls for more. Something... demands more.

That connection.. that resonance, gives me a hint of something more. Beyond violet, my flames hunger for something else. My anger knows no bounds as I reach forward with my hand and crush a mound of sand, and I push my power to new limits. I have all the world to burn in my wake.

In a single howl that breaks beyond the sand, my outrage becomes a torrent, a culmination of every injustice I've endured throughout my life. It's not just the unforgiving winds of this desolate wasteland that fuel my rage; it's the memories of my father's cruel beatings, the pain I suffered, the people who betrayed me, the ones I've lost, and the world that has been nothing but harsh and merciless.

I channel this anger, allowing it to consume me, to sear through the very core of my being. No longer can the fire be called by any of the names I've given it. My anger has the entire world to burn with, and it does so with a fierce, unrelenting intensity. Nothing has ever stomped by Blaze, and they never will.

Then, a sudden pop resounds in my mind, and my world spirals into darkness for a second before I recover on my knees, almost a thousand feet from where the pop occurred. My eyes widen as I gaze around me, the sands unable to even get within an arm's reach.

The fires that had once blazed with violet intensity have become colorless, invisible to the naked eye. Only my eye can discern them other than the waves of heat they left lingering in the air.

A smile pulls itself onto my lips as I remember something Earl once said.

"Fire comes in many colors. You can manipulate the color by burning different materials like copper burns green, but the hue is also determined by heat. As far as I know, violet is the hottest flame possible. But... heat has no limit, though without Ether, the colors should cease at blue. But again, things change with Ether, so I don't believe that it has a limit. Neither does chill. If you go beyond violet, Bonfire... I don't know what will lie there."

Gradually, I lift myself to my feet, rearing back as I feel my back crack. I stare toward where the sun might be beyond this dust, peering closely at what could be. Something feels... different. I feel...

Alive. Truly, truly alive.

My blood beats with a fervor I've never felt. My hands tighten into closed fists as I stare upward with an arch back, enjoying the glow.

I don't know how I know. I just do.

That was my Proof.

That was my Proof to the world.

That I would burn it all down. I should probably make some caveats to that. It wouldn't be good to burn it all down. Shuffling footsteps, however, pull me from my thoughts as Abraham and the rest catch up to me. They are unable to get close, though, lifting their arms to cover their eyes from the heat as they stare at me.

"What happened, Bonfire!? Where is your flame!? I can't see it!"

I laugh slowly as I lower the heat slightly, my rage falling with their arrival.

"It's there. You just can't see it. Beyond violet is nothing—only heat. I thought they all said Proofs were hard... I guess not."

Abraham stares at me in total confusion before he, too, breaks out into laughter. Then, he points behind me, making my attention shift to my rear as well.

"You absolute dumbass! You've passed me now! How can I live with that! Wait! Look behind you!"

For a second, I figure he's merely fucking with me, but then I see it. A bloody handprint is upon the cliff's wall at the very edge of our vision. Lowering my heat to the point that the dust can't hurt me, I approach the mark, staring at it.

The hand seems to be of Wyatt's size.

Abraham nods softly a few feet away, still covering his face from my warmth.

"Seems as though he made it this far. But... why is the rock broken?"

I shrug as I venture out with a series of thoughts. Perhaps he got into another fight. Maybe... no, the blood is still slightly wet. He isn't that far.

"I think we're catching up to him. Use your Allude. Even if you can't call him, surely you can feel if his mind was here."

My friend nods as I move away, giving him room to inspect the handprint. Abraham crouches as he puts his hand to the blood before flinching and falling onto his ass with a shudder.

I reach for him but stop, motioning Clumsy to, and he does, grabbing the pale man before he hits his head.

"You alright?"

Abraham holds his head as he shakes free of whatever sand he got on it. At least the dust on the ground isn't the deadly kind.

"I felt him. But I also felt something else powerful. At least an Angel. Maybe... maybe more."

Fuck. I scratch my head as I sigh, preparing to walk along the rocks, but Abraham calls out to me before I can make any real distance.

"He didn't continue ahead, Bonfire. He went into storm."

Double-fuck.