Rising god-Chapter 162: Twilight Flame

In Dawnless, the survivors of the Flameheart Kingdom’s experiments had all awakened, their bodies altered as a result of the fusion. Of the 68 survivors, 53 achieved perfect integration, while 15 showed partial success, with 40 being children.

Under Ralph’s orders, they underwent rigorous testing to uncover any lingering side effects the experiments might have had. Today, it was the day another set of five faced their evaluation in Wick’s newly completed laboratory.

Among the large-scale renovations, Wick’s lab was the first to be completed, as Wick had personally built it. It was nestled behind the central building, beside the volcano. Although the entire space wasn’t fully occupied, as it was a large area that could accommodate two ancestors of the Darkans, many materials and arcane equipment typically found in a lab were present. And assisting was Thalendor.

Thalendor, the smallest and probably the weakest among the dragons, Baines brought from the ruins, greeted the group.

"Welcome," Thalendor said, his voice calm but warm.

"H-Hello," Kaya replied, standing nervously before four younger children, her violet hair catching the lab’s dim light.

With the help of Eye, he found his calling in research, and the speed at which these dragons discovered and developed their interest was frightening. It was a testament to their latent potential.

"Come with me," Thalenor led them deeper into the lab, passing a table cluttered with devices.

As they did, a sharp Beep... Beep... Beep pierced the air.

The children froze, eyes wide with fear.

"What’s that?" Thalendor asked, turning to the table.

"I-I don’t know!" Kaya stammered, stepping back with the others.

Thalendor reached, examining the devices, his brow furrowed.

"W-We were just passing, and it started," Kaya added, her voice trembling, trying to convince him.

"Haa, it’s alright," Thalendor said, offering a reassuring smile as he saw no damage. "Let’s go."

The children hurried past him as Thalendor watched the table closely. ’They’re probably Wicks.’ Thalendor decided not to touch anything and left.

...

The group moved to a testing chamber, where each child entered a sealed room separated by a thick glass barrier.

"Alright, Kaya, you’re first," Thalendor instructed from behind the glass, and she got into the glass barrier.

"Now, I want you to slowly release the flames. Don’t force it—just let them flow."

Kaya nodded, closing her eyes.

With a deep breath, she unleashed her power. A torrent of violet flames erupted, surging upward like a reverse waterfall. Unlike the chaotic bursts Thalendor had seen in others, her flames were controlled, vibrant, and harmless to her. She stood there, serene and pain-free.

"Magnificent," Thalendor muttered, scribbling notes. Among all those used as experiments, only she had violet hair, the mark of the flameheart royalty, and burned the brightest flames. She’d once told Ralph her mother was a princess, likely explaining the reason for her perfect harmony with the violet energy

"Good. Now slowly withdraw it."

Kaya complied, the flames receding smoothly. She stepped out, her expression composed.

Thalendor’s notes were precise: No burns, no sign of exhaustion, no muscle or bone strain. The notes then ended with: She is the most attuned to violet energy. "You can come out," he said.

The other children clapped, awed by her display as she stepped out, blushing, "T-Thank you," Kaya mumbled.

Thalendor crouched to meet her gaze. "Good job, Kaya. You have no side effects. Your power is now stable."

Her eyes widened, but a shadow crossed her face.

Thalendor sensed her turmoil. "Don’t be sad," he said gently, avoiding the word "experiment." "This power is yours now, no matter how you earned it, and nobody can take it from you."

Kaya nodded, her expression softening.

"Now the flame is yours," Thalendor continued. "You should name it."

She raised her head in surprise.

"Yes, you are the first to achieve perfect harmony with the two flames, so you should give it a fitting name," Thalendor explained.

"Hollowflame!" one child shouted immediately.

"No, Purple Flame’s better!" another argued.

The room erupted in excited chatter as the children debated.

Eventually, Kaya’s voice cut through, quiet but firm. "Twilight Flame."

The children and Thalendor paused, the name striking an odd chord.

The name sounded unfitting, but fit if one thought about it; it was confusing. Twilight came as a result of the contrast between darkness and light, and if they compared it to the hot flame and cold flames, it felt a bit fitting.

"Alright, Twilight Flame it is," Thalendor said, nodding appreciatively.

He called the next child, who eagerly entered the chamber and instantly released his energy.

Boom...

However, a blood-curdling scream followed. "Ahhh!"

"Nooo!" Thalendor rushed into the room, transforming into his dragon form.

Violet ashenfall energy flooded the space, suppressing the boy’s erratic violet flames. The glass barrier went violet for a moment before it disappeared.

Once he saw that it was suppressed, he morphed back to his human form and caught the collapsing child, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The children, frightened, retreated in haste.

Inside, Thalendor examined the boy while continuously using ashenfall to halt the twilight flames’ progress.

’Burn marks, muscle strains, signs of frame collapsing.’ The opposite of Kaya’s flawless control happened to the boy. It was like the energy rejected his body.

’Unfortunately, I can’t extract it, maybe he can do it.’ Thalendor thought as he rushed him to a large tube filled with stabilizing liquid, where the boy’s shaking subsided.

He sighed, turning to the frightened children.

"Let’s continue this later," he said, leading them out.

As they passed the table again, the device blared once more: Beep... Beep... Beep.

The children flinched, snapping out of their daze.

Thalendor frowned, but before he could investigate, a shadow loomed overhead. Wick hovered above, his piercing gaze fixed on the children. They screamed in fright, scrambling behind Thalendor.

"What should I do?" Thalendor muttered, panic rising. "W-What is—"

Bang!

The door burst open, and Ralph stormed in, his eyes darting until they locked onto the group.

"What’s going on?" he demanded, his voice sharp. After ’sneaking’ back into Dawnless, he went to find Kaye but didn’t find her there, so he came to the only place she could be, here.

That was until he heard their screams and burst into the room.

"Wick, what’s the matter?" Ralph asked, turning to the Wick for answers.

Wick pointed at the children, his voice low. "Sir, one of them triggered the tracker."

On the table, amidst scattered devices, lay a circular slate etched with runes and magic circles. This was the prototype tracker Wick had crafted.

Ralph’s eyes widened, nearly popping from their sockets. "Which one?" he asked, his tone urgent.

Wick’s gaze shifted to Kaya, who shrank back, her violet hair glinting under the lab’s lights. "Her," he said.

Kaya’s heart raced, confusion and fear warring within her. "I-I didn’t do anything," she stammered.

Ralph stepped closer, his expression softening but firm. "Kaya, stay calm. We just need to check something." He turned to Thalendor. "Let’s run a full scan on them. Now."