Title: The Starborn ProphecyGenre: Fantasy / AdventurePart 1: The Sky That Spoke
582 Words
The second shard lay deep within the Realm of Fire, a burning land where molten rivers carved through obsidian plains and the sky was stained crimson with ash. Few dared to enter, and fewer still ever returned.
Liora soared toward it on the back of a wind drake—a gift from the Air Shard. The creature glowed faintly, wings trailing shimmering clouds as it glided through the upper skies.
From above, the Realm of Fire looked like a battlefield between gods. Volcanic mountains cracked the sky, and flames danced like serpents through the valleys.
She landed near the edge of Mount Vehrakar, where ancient fire spirits were said to guard the second shard. A stone archway greeted her—twisted and blackened, etched with glowing red runes.
As Liora passed through it, a voice echoed in her mind:
> “To take the Flame, you must face the burning truths you hide.”
She stepped into the mountain temple, where lava flowed through glass channels and heat shimmered around her. A trial awaited. She knew it in her bones.
In the central chamber, a colossal brazier blazed in gold and scarlet. Floating above it was a jagged red shard—the Emberheart. The second piece of the Starborn Flame.
But guarding it was a creature unlike any she had seen: a Flameborn Titan, shaped from lava and bone, with burning eyes and a sword made of solid fire.
“You must bleed to be worthy,” it rumbled.
Liora stepped forward, sweat pouring down her face, her grip tight on Elaris. “I’m not afraid.”
“You are,” it said. “Afraid of what you’ll lose. Afraid of who you are.”
The floor cracked, and fire burst around them.
The battle was brutal. The Titan struck with the fury of a thousand suns, each blow sending shockwaves through the stone. Liora dodged and rolled, her dagger barely deflecting its massive blade.
But then, the Titan’s words rang in her ears: Who you are.
In the middle of the chaos, a memory rose.
Her mother’s face—hidden behind smoke, reaching out. “Run, Liora!”
A firestorm. A scream. Darkness.
Her village. Gone.
Tears welled in her eyes. “It was me, wasn’t it?” she whispered.
The Titan paused.
“I caused the fire… the day I lost control…”
“Yes,” it said. “But now… will you let it define you, or fuel you?”
Liora stood tall, the heat no longer burning her—it bowed to her.
“I accept what I’ve done,” she said. “And I will not run from it again.”
Her dagger flared. A wave of cool starlight burst from her heart, colliding with the Titan’s fire in a swirl of light and flame. The Titan roared—and vanished into sparks.
The Emberheart floated down, pulsing gently. Liora reached out and claimed it.
The shard merged with the first. For a heartbeat, her eyes glowed like suns.
> “Two shards united. One remains,” the stars whispered.
“But beware—the last lies where even light dares not tread…”
Liora fell to her knees, exhausted. Her drake circled above, ready to carry her to the third and final trial.
Far away, beyond the Shadowline, in the dead lands beyond dreams, a figure cloaked in black stood atop a ruined spire.
“Come, Starborn,” he hissed. “The Shadow waits…”
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- Writer
