Chapter 8: Flames and Moonlight

The forest was alive with whispers of danger. Arion moved silently through the mist, crimson fire coiled deep within his veins. He had come to train in solitude, but the night carried a different fate.A sudden clash of steel rang out nearby. He followed the sound, emerging into a clearing where Selene stood surrounded by rogue cultivators. Her silver blade shimmered under the moonlight, cutting arcs of brilliance through the dark. Yet the rogues pressed harder, their numbers overwhelming.Arion stepped forward, his voice calm. “You fight well… but you’ll need more than moonlight tonight.”Selene’s eyes flicked toward him, sharp and wary. “And you? A cripple who hides in shadows?”Arion’s lips curved faintly. “Perhaps. But shadows burn too.”He raised his hand, crimson sparks igniting the air. Flames erupted, devouring the rogues’ attacks. Selene’s blade danced alongside his fire, their movements weaving together in perfect rhythm — moonlight and flame, harmony and destruction.The battle ended swiftly. The rogues lay defeated, consumed by fire and steel. Silence returned, broken only by the crackle of dying embers.Selene lowered her sword, her breathing steady. She studied Arion, her expression unreadable. “Your flames… they are not ordinary. They devour, they consume. Dangerous.”Arion met her gaze, his eyes glowing faintly crimson. “And yet you did not fall when they burned beside you.”For a moment, the tension between them was sharper than any blade. Then Selene’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “Perhaps you are more than a cripple. Perhaps you are… something else.”She turned to leave, her silver hair trailing like moonlight. Arion watched her go, the ember of intrigue burning brighter.The Emperor’s voice echoed in his mind, amused.“Two flames, mortal. Yours of vengeance, hers of defiance. Together, they may burn the heavens.”Arion closed his eyes, crimson aura swirling. Then let it burn.