> [Flame Trial Countdown: 1 Day Remaining]
Vault Update: Sovereign Directive Decoded – "Legacy Gate: Solstice Hollow"
Bonded Flame Alert: Tian Xue summoned to Overseer's Dome – Status: Reclassification Pending
---
Morning – The Message Within
Inside the Sovereign Flame Vault, Jiang Han stood alone as the final segment of Long Chen's voice played aloud, the flame echo hovering inches above the carved stone.
> "You'll be hunted."
"Not because you're weak—but because you're not theirs."
"My coordinates… they lead to the first Gate I never opened. It holds the Sovereign Spark that chose me."
> "Open it... and either burn this system down, or light something new."
> Location Embedded: SOLSTICE HOLLOW – Coordinates Sealed in Soul-Bond Chain.
Jiang's system flared.
> [Legacy Coordinate Unlocked – Entry Requires Synchronized Flame Pair]
Current Match: Tian Xue – Sync: 97% | Risk: Overseer Suppression Detected]
He swore under his breath.
> "She's the key again. And they know."
---
Midday – Tian Xue's Summons
At Ashroot Pavilion, Tian Xue read the official black-sealed summons with a cool expression.
> "Private flame assessment," she said. "No soul pets allowed. No bonded presence. Overseer authority clause enforced."
Bo Ren frowned. "That's not a check-up. That's a chain."
Yanxi looked at Jiang. "You going to let them walk her into a cage?"
Jiang's knuckles tightened.
> "No."
---
Overseer Dome – The Conversation Behind Walls
Inside the silent stone dome, Tian Xue stood at the center of a circular seal array. Three Overseers stood along the edge—cloaked in red and grey, faces obscured.
> "Your power rose rapidly. Suspiciously."
> "It rose with effort," Tian Xue said. "And fire."
> "Your bond with Jiang Han destabilizes traditional flame authority hierarchies."
> "Because we're stronger together?"
> "Because you're unpredictable."
The lead Overseer stepped forward.
> "We will offer you elevation. Sovereign tutelage. Independent advancement."
> "Without Jiang Han."
Tian Xue raised her head, eyes narrowing.
> "I choose my path. You don't get to rewrite it."
They said nothing.
But the glyphs beneath her feet pulsed.
---
Outside – A Reckoning Approaches
Jiang stood just beyond the Dome, Emberfang glowing faintly at his back. The Phoenix Hatchling paced, screeching quietly.
> [Sync Link Interference Detected – Signal Distortion Present]
> "They're trying to sever the bond," Jiang growled.
> "Then we do the same," Bo Ren said. "We sever the system."
Yanxi handed Jiang a folded scroll.
> "You're not the only one Long Chen trusted."
Jiang opened it.
A second map.
One that led to the same place—
> Solstice Hollow.
> A forgotten Sovereign Gate buried in myth.
And now... a destination.
---
Inside – Flame Refused
Tian Xue felt her flame constrict—tighten—not from inside, but from pressure applied without consent.
> "Accept the bond severance," one Overseer said. "Rise unbound. Rise free."
She smiled bitterly.
> "I'm already free."
Then her soul flame pulsed—once—and the glyph array cracked.
A shockwave knocked two Overseers off-balance.
Tian Xue raised her hand, flame wreathing her knuckles.
> "Tell whoever sent you this order... Jiang Han and I don't burn alone."
---
System Surge
> [Emergency Sync Re-Linked]
Twinstep Flame Restored – Bond Integrity: Reinforced by Soul Defiance]
New Title: "Bound by Choice"
Effect: Immune to Forced Flame Separation Below Arch-Sovereign Rank
---
End of Day – Together Again
Jiang met her as she stepped out of the Dome.
She said nothing.
Just leaned into him, breathing slow.
He wrapped his arms around her.
> "They'll keep coming," he said.
> "Then we keep walking."
Above them, the stars shifted.
And far in the distance, a gate shimmered in ghostlight—
Solstice Hollow.
Waiting.
Watching.
Ready to awaken.