chapter 18: The Guardian’s Final Gift

As they crept through the shadowy corridors, Ember’s flames flickered faintly to light their way. Samantha’s breathing was labored, her strength fading with each step, but she forced herself to continue. As they approached the stairs leading out, Samantha turned to Ember, her gaze intense.

“Listen to me,” she said quietly. “You’re not just any girl, Ember. You’re special. You were born with a gift—one that’s as dangerous as it is powerful. You’re the fireborn twin, and your sister… she’s the frostborn.”

Ember’s eyes widened, the weight of Samantha’s words pressing down on her. “My sister?” she whispered. “But I… I don’t have a sister. I’ve never—”

“You do,” Samantha interrupted firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt. “Her name is Eira, and she’s just as lost as you are. The two of you are bound by something far greater than you can imagine. Your powers… they balance each other. But without that balance, without each other, you’ll both lose control.”

Ember’s mind raced as she tried to process the revelation. The visions of the girl with blue hair and icy eyes suddenly made sense—they weren’t just figments of her imagination. “Eira,” she murmured, the name feeling both foreign and familiar on her tongue.

Samantha placed a hand on Ember’s shoulder, her gaze steady despite her exhaustion. “There’s a place—a village,” she said. “It was created for you and Eira, to help you understand your powers and learn to control them. It’s hidden, far from the reach of the king and his soldiers. If you can find it, you’ll find the answers you’re looking for.”

Ember looked at Samantha, the weight of her words sinking in. “How do you know this?” she asked cautiously.

Samantha hesitated before taking a slow breath. “Because I was sent to protect you,” she revealed, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “I am one of the guardians. My duty has always been to watch over you and Eira from afar, to ensure you both survived long enough to find your way back to where you belong.”

Ember’s heart pounded as she tried to absorb the truth. “A guardian?” she repeated. “Then you knew everything all along—about me, about Eira, about our powers?”

“Yes,” Samantha admitted, her expression pained. “I stayed close, always watching, always making sure you were safe. But there were forces beyond my control—your mother’s betrayal, the king’s wrath. I couldn’t interfere directly, not until now.”

Ember clenched her fists, emotions warring inside her. She wanted to ask more, to demand answers, but Samantha’s grip tightened.

“There’s more you need to know,” she said, her breath ragged. “The king… your father… he betrayed the queen and Eira because of a prophecy.”

“What prophecy?” Ember asked, her golden-red eyes searching Samantha’s face for answers.

Samantha’s gaze darkened, her expression filled with sorrow and anger. “The prophecy foretold that the twins—both the fireborn and frostborn—would bring about King Alex’s downfall,” she explained. “When he learned of it, he was terrified. He saw you and Eira as threats, something he needed to eliminate before his reign could be jeopardized.”

Ember’s breath hitched, her mind reeling from the revelation. “So that’s why… that’s why I was never raised with her? That’s why he wanted me dead?”

Samantha nodded slowly. “Your mother, Queen Melanie, doesn’t even know you exist,” she admitted. “He made sure she never knew you were alive.”

Ember felt like the ground beneath her had shifted, her entire world unraveling with each word Samantha spoke. “She doesn’t know I exist?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“No,” Samantha confirmed, sorrow etched into every syllable. “And King Alex will do whatever it takes to ensure she never finds out. But there’s more,” she added, urgency creeping into her voice. “You must also know about Ignis.”

“Ignis?” Ember repeated, confusion mixing with panic.

Samantha gave a weak smile. “Ignis is your phoenix,” she explained. “A loyal protector, bound to you since birth. He has been watching over you, waiting for the day you would awaken your true power.”

Ember’s breath caught. The voice that had spoken to her, guiding her in moments of distress—it suddenly made sense. “The voice… the one in my mind,” she whispered. “That was him?”

“Yes,” Samantha confirmed. “Ignis is more than just fire. He is wisdom, strength, and warning. He will push you to become who you are meant to be, but only if you learn to listen.”

Ember clenched her fists as anger boiled inside, threatening to consume her completely. She wanted to march back into the palace, demand answers, make King Alex face the daughter he had abandoned. But she couldn’t—not yet. They needed to move, to escape the darkness that loomed around them.

Samantha gasped, her body convulsing with pain. “Ember… listen to me…” she whispered, her voice growing weaker. “Take the map. Find the guardian in the village. He’ll lead you where you need to go.”

Ember’s heart clenched as she cradled Samantha in her arms, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t leave me.”

Samantha managed a faint smile, her fingers brushing against Ember’s cheek. “You don’t need me,” she murmured. “You are strong. Stronger than you know.”

And then, her breathing slowed… until it stopped.

Ember let out a broken sob as she held Samantha’s lifeless body close, her flames flickering wildly as grief tore through her. The voice in her mind returned, steady and firm.

“Honor her sacrifice, little flame,” Ignis said. “Find the village. Find Eira. The answers await.”

Ember clenched her fists, her flames roaring to life as she nodded to herself. Samantha had died protecting her, guarding a truth that had been hidden for too long. She would not let that sacrifice be in vain.

Carefully, Ember buried Samantha beneath the starlit sky, whispering a quiet vow as she placed the last handful of earth over her grave. “I will find Eira,” she said softly. “I will uncover the truth. And I will make King Alex pay for what he’s done.”

With the map clutched tightly in her hands, Ember turned toward the forest, her flames illuminating the path ahead. The night air hummed with energy as she stepped into the unknown.

Behind her, the fire flared once, a shimmering golden bird briefly appearing in the smoke before vanishing into the night.