The sun cast a blood-red hue across the land as Little Fire and Spirit Fairy ventured deeper into the volcanic labyrinth of the Secret Realm. The once-molten rivers began to harden into glittering obsidian paths. The flames that danced on the rocks no longer threatened but whispered—silent and watchful.
Little Fire glanced at Spirit Fairy, her steps quiet but certain. Though veiled, her silhouette betrayed a rigid tension. She hadn't spoken since morning, and the air around her was laced with a strange chill—one that contradicted the blazing environment.
"Hey," he finally said, "I'm grateful for what you did. Saving me. Not that I needed it."
"You did," she replied coldly, not breaking stride. "Your body would've melted into the lava within moments if I hadn't cooled the magma."
"You used water qi, didn't you? I didn't know anyone here could cultivate it."
She paused for the first time, eyes flickering back to him.
"I didn't inherit just fire," she said. "I was born with a dual element—Watery Fire."
Little Fire blinked. "That's rare. Extremely rare."
Her gaze dropped to her hands. "Rare... and cursed."
He frowned but said nothing. She kept walking, but this time, her voice softened—like an ember cooling in the rain.
"My father was a fire cultivator. One of the strongest in Fire Land, known as the Flame Hornet. Ruthless, proud. My mother... was from the Rain Cloud Clan, born of water essence. No one believed they'd ever fall in love."
"Let me guess—they did anyway?" Little Fire asked.
Spirit Fairy nodded, a sad smile touching her lips. "He saved her once during a storm-torn expedition. They fell in love in secret. But clans—our world—doesn't allow such unnatural pairings. It was forbidden. Water and fire don't mix, they said. But I was born from them."
Her hands trembled slightly.
"My father loved her, but when I was three... the Rain Cloud Clan hunted us down. He couldn't protect us both. He fought them back, told her to run. She wrapped me in her water shield and fled into a glacial cave. But..." her voice cracked, "she never made it out."
A soft breeze carried the sorrow in her words.
"She used every drop of her cultivation to save me, fusing it into my body before the cold swallowed her forever. I saw her freeze in front of me, still trying to smile. I remember her eyes."
Little Fire's fists clenched. "That's not fair."
"No," she agreed. "But that's the world we live in."
They stopped near a glowing cliff, where lava veins pulsed through the earth like dragon arteries. Spirit Fairy knelt and touched the stone.
"The Fire Lotus is beneath this canyon. We're close."
Little Fire knelt beside her, gently touching her shoulder. "You carry both elements... That's not a curse. That's strength. You survived something no one else could."
She looked at him, eyes hidden but aura trembling. "Sometimes I still hear her voice. She wanted me to live freely. But all I've done is train to become someone others fear. I thought... if I grew strong enough, maybe I could bring justice."
"You can," he said simply. "But you're allowed to grieve too. You're not a weapon."
Spirit Fairy exhaled slowly. Her watery-fire qi shimmered briefly, soft blue flames flickering at her fingertips, steam rising as fire and water danced together. "Thank you… Xiao Huo."
He blinked. That was the first time she'd said his name.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Cracks webbed across the canyon, and magma burst forth like furious fountains.
A creature emerged—a massive, three-headed magma serpent, each head exuding a different aura: raw fire, dense earth, and chaotic lightning.
"The Lotus Guardian!" Spirit Fairy hissed.
"Split Soul—maybe early Rebirth Stage!" Little Fire judged as he unsheathed his burning crimson blade.
"I'll support with water-fire qi! You draw its attention!"
He dashed forward, his figure blurring as flames exploded under his feet. The serpent's fire head lunged, but he rolled under it, slicing across its jaw with a fiery arc.
Spirit Fairy formed a twin-elemental sigil mid-air. Blue fire surged with hissing steam as she launched a torrent of scalding water that exploded upon the serpent's earth head.
The beast roared, rearing back and swinging its massive body like a whip. A stone tail swept the battlefield, smashing pillars and breaking boulders.
Little Fire leapt atop the tail, running upward along its length. "Now!" he shouted.
Spirit Fairy's hands moved in a complex pattern. "Frozen Pyre—Mirror Bloom!"
A watery-fire lotus formed mid-air and struck the serpent's lightning head, dazing it. Little Fire jumped, blade raised high, and slashed across its skull.
With a final roar, the serpent collapsed, three heads turning to ash and sinking into the lava.
A deep rumble echoed. From beneath the ground, a pedestal rose—a single Fire Lotus blooming upon it, its petals glowing with alternating red and pale blue.
Spirit Fairy walked forward slowly. "It's… beautiful."
"It's yours," Little Fire said.
She hesitated. "No. We got it together."
He smiled. "Then we'll share the fortune. But take it. You deserve it. For her."
She reached out, tears welling as her fingers touched the lotus. The flower shimmered, recognizing her qi, and its petals expanded, revealing a glowing crystal core. Energy surged into her body, stabilizing her dual elements. The haunting flames within her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Mother…" she whispered. "I'm still here."
They sat in silence by the edge of the canyon, watching the last flames die down.
"You're not what I expected," she said after a while.
"What did you expect?"
"A hot-headed idiot who talks too much."
"Well, I am that," Little Fire grinned.
She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Maybe. But maybe I needed one."
Night fell, and the lava glowed beneath the stars. Two figures sat close, not touching, but not far. The flames between them had begun to warm more than just the air.
And so, the journey of Little Fire continued—not just through realms of flame, but into hearts scarred by the past.
[To be Continued]