Deep within the Moonshadow District, behind an alley scorched by ancient fire, Priyanshu found himself standing before a forgotten shrine—one not even in the system's maps.
It was a single stone structure shaped like a phoenix's claw, half-buried in rubble. Flames danced unnaturally around it, yet the heat didn't spread.
He had been drawn here by the newly awakened artifact—the Eye of the Forgotten—which now pulsed in his palm like a second heart.
[Hidden Quest Unlocked]Name: Riddle of the Phoenix FlameObjective: Solve the flame's riddle and retrieve the Flameborne ScriptureDifficulty: ExtremeReward: Divine Technique – Flame of Beginning and End (Sealed)Warning: Failure may result in soul burn or permanent memory loss.
He stepped forward.
As he entered, the flames curled like fingers trying to grab his soul. Yet, they parted before him as though recognizing their former master.
Inside, a pedestal of black obsidian rose, and on it danced a single blue flame—silent and unmoving.
Then, a voice echoed. Feminine. Cold. Timeless.
"He who seeks fire, answer true.What burns but never turns to ash?What lives but breathes no air?What dies but cannot pass?"
Priyanshu's brows furrowed. A riddle. One layered with meaning.
He thought back to his old world—the myths, the stories. He thought of the system's database, of all the forbidden flames sealed across dimensions.
He whispered, "A memory."
The flame pulsed violently, rising.
"Second question.What feeds all flames, yet kills them too?What is needed to rise, yet falls with pride?"
Priyanshu's eyes gleamed. "Desire."
The shrine trembled.
"Final question.What can never be touched, only felt?It breaks the mighty and raises the broken."
Priyanshu grinned.
"That's pain."
The shrine exploded into blue-white light. The flames raced into the air, forming a massive phoenix—one made of emotion, memory, and agony.
It looked down at him, eyes of sorrow.
"You were once my master," it said. "You died protecting the last flame. Now you rise again, hidden, forgotten, reborn."
Then, it dissolved into him.
[You have acquired: Flame of Beginning and End – Divine Grade]Effect: Burn through reality, ignite space, purge lies.Passive: Immunity to all fire-based attacks and illusions.Special: Create domain 'Ashen Truth' – Reveals the true nature of all beings in range.
Priyanshu fell to one knee, clutching his chest.
His heart now burned with something beyond power—it burned with truth.
And truth was dangerous in a world built on lies.
As he stood, hair slightly charred, eyes glowing faintly blue, the shrine collapsed behind him. Ash swirled through the alley like whispers.
In the system's silence, a final notification chimed.
[Warning: Your awakening has been noticed by the Heavenly Monitoring Array. Cloaking Protocol Enhanced.]
He smirked.
Let the heavens watch.
They'd see nothing.
Except the rise of a flame, they thought long extinguished.