The Forgotten Flame Tower pulsed around them like a living thing. Heat shimmered in waves, distorting the stone, the air, even time itself. Jackson stood at the edge of the pyre, the second dragon scale levitating within a crucible of blue fire. It didn't burn—it judged.
Jian squinted into the flames. "That's no ordinary scale," she murmured. "It's sentient."
Jackson's grip tightened around the hilt of his blade. "How do you know?"
"Because it's looking at you."
The fire suddenly reared up like a wave crashing in reverse. A ring of ancient runes ignited beneath their feet. The tower sealed shut with a thunderclap of energy. A voice, neither male nor female, boomed through the chamber.
"Only the Flame Heart may claim this scale. Prove your soul is fire, or be turned to ash."
The world shifted.
[Inner Realm – Trial Begins]
Jackson opened his eyes to find himself in a battlefield of memory and flame. Ash rained down from skies of molten gold. Across from him stood a figure—himself, yet not. This version wore a crown of embers, eyes glowing with pride and pain.
"You still think you're worthy?" the mirrored version growled.
Jackson braced himself. "I don't know."
"You're not. You carry guilt like a curse, and fear like armor. You run from love. You bury your fire."
Jackson flinched. He didn't argue.
"But you still stand," the mirror said more softly, drawing a blade of flame. "Show me what you fight for."
Jackson exhaled and drew his own sword—Alicia's name ringing unspoken in his mind.
Their blades clashed.
Fire against fire. Memory against truth.
Meanwhile, Jian watched Jackson's body stand still, encased in white fire. The dragon scale floated just inches away from his chest, humming with power. She felt something inside the flames—a presence, watching her.
"You're not just his trial, are you?" she asked the scale quietly. "You're… connected to her."
A flicker of light danced near her shoulder.
It was brief, but undeniable.
Alicia's magic.
Jian's breath caught. Could it be?
Jackson's mirrored self slashed deep—but Jackson didn't strike back. He dropped his sword and stepped forward, letting the flame burn into his chest.
"I'm not afraid of my fire anymore," he said. "Because it's hers. She gave it to me. Alicia believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself."
The mirrored self paused. Fire rippled through Jackson, not destroying—but cleansing. His fear, his shame, his masks—melted into light.
The scale hovered forward… and gently touched his heart.
The flame storm died instantly. The scale had embedded itself into Jackson's chest, glowing through his shirt like a second heartbeat.
Jian stared, wide-eyed. "You… passed."
But Jackson wasn't looking at her.
He looked past the flames, through the tower's broken window, into the sky where the stars flickered like messages.
"I saw her," he whispered. "I think she's still out there."
Jian froze. "Who?"
Jackson turned slowly. "Alicia. I think… she's your mentor."
The words sank in like lightning.
And from the shadows behind the flame altar, unseen by either of them, something watched—a presence bound to darkness, twisted by time.
The Shadow Prince's relic had awakened.