The golden hue of dawn stretched across the ancient city of Solaren, casting long shadows across the bustling platforms of Solaren Central Station. The great Ember Train, a marvel of rune-forged ingenuity, stood poised upon Platform No. 21, its gleaming bronze body exuding soft plumes of ethereal flame beneath the wheels—an embodiment of the mystic and the mechanical, united by ancient craft.
As the crowd of travelers surged forward in preparation, a group of youthful adventurers made their way across the marble platform, their excitement barely contained.
HUORIN: "Guys, let's go. Our Ember Train will depart at 7 a.m."ROCYAN: "Yeah. Let's roll!"EVERYONE: "YEAHHHHH!"
The announcement of their journey echoed through the stone arches and high ceilings of the station, carried by a magically-enhanced voice.
STATION ANNOUNCER: "Train to KMC Station, Nortin will depart from Platform No. 21. Passengers, please board on as quick as possible."
And so began their passage, the Ember Train lurching forth with a low hum, its runes pulsing in rhythmic succession as it glided away from the station. They embarked across the parched and unforgiving expanse of the Aghnikhaat desert, where the sun bore down like a hammer upon the dunes, and mirages danced in the distance like spirits of flame.
The scenery beyond the window shifted rapidly—golden sands stretching into infinity, marked only by the ghostly remnants of wind-torn ruins and ancient statues swallowed by the earth. Inside the train, however, cool enchantments warded off the desert's fury, and the atmosphere was filled with both wonder and anticipation.
OSMIAN: "Ooh, this is so cool. This is my first time on the Ember Train. What an incredible way to use rune magic."REN: "Yeah, how could someone even think of this?"TENCY: "It's the legendary Rune Master of the Norian Clan—Sim Norian. He was just an average kid until the age of twelve, but then there was an assassination attempt on him by his uncles. Miraculously, he came back from death a different person. He rose to the position of Clan Head by crushing his opponents. His unconventional thinking and innovation in rune magic development is unprecedented."
The tale of Sim Norian passed between them like sacred lore, the fire of reverence flickering in their eyes as they imagined the young boy turned master, his fate forged by betrayal and flame.
MEENA: "There are many cases where people who nearly avoided death rise toward greatness from then on. Even trash of trash youngmasters turn over like a great sage. People call this phenomenon Realization of Death."
HUORIN: "Yeah, even our former Emperor Claron Ignis also went through this. Before his generation, commoners were oppressed by nobles. When he nearly died during a spar, he changed as a new person. Then he sympathized with commoners so much he founded Claron Academy, restructured the entire imperial judiciary system, and discarded aristocratic law. He allowed commoners into the empire's management—which revolutionized Aghnikhaat. Also the reason we prepared completely before the Third War of Fall."
The air inside the carriage turned contemplative, the warmth of shared ideals mingling with the quiet thrum of runes beneath their feet.
OSMIAN: "Yeah, if it were not for your ancestor Claron, I wouldn't be in this place sitting equally with imperial princes and young masters of noble clans. That's why our city is named Claron after him."
A silence fell for a moment, filled only by the rhythmic clatter of the enchanted wheels against the rune-etched track, until Rocyan broke it with a question.
ROCYAN: "Wait, how long will it take to reach Nortin?"TENCY: "Nortin is 11,000 kilometers away from Solaren. Ember Train's average speed is 900 kilometers per hour, so we can reach there in 10 to 12 hours."
As the sun continued its ascent across the burning sky, the group settled in for the journey. The hum of the train became a lullaby for some, a backdrop for conversation for others.
OM: "Until we reach there… how about we speak some conspiracy theory?"OSMIAN: "Om, you're the one every group needs."HUORIN: "Yeah, how can you come up with ideas that everyone can agree on?"OM: "That's our Sunfire Tribe's talent."
A ripple of laughter passed through the cabin, and soon, their conversation took a turn toward the esoteric.
TENCY: "Then how about we talk about Arsyn?"HYUMIN: "What's that?"HUORIN: "The Sixth Spirit of Fire."REN: "Wait, aren't there only five? But there is a sixth?"TENCY: "I didn't think our brute prince even knew about this."ROCYAN: "That's a surprise for me as well."HUORIN: "Wait—I'm a candidate for the imperial throne. Do you really think I'm just a brainless barbarian?"EVERYONE: "Yes."HUORIN: "........."OM: "Wait, what does him being brainless have to do with our barbarian culture?"
Their laughter echoed across the cabin once again, mingling with the rhythmic chant of runes as the Ember Train surged forward beneath the scorching sun
As the Ember Train surged forward, a soft lull fell over the compartment. Beyond the enchanted windows, the golden hues of late afternoon spilled across the Aghnikhaat sands, igniting the desert with firelight. Inside, the group reclined in thoughtful silence, the rhythmic chant of runes beneath them forming a steady cadence—like the breath of some ancient beast carrying them toward destiny.
And then Tency spoke, voice low yet clear, carrying the weight of lore.
TENCY:Azhir – Flame of TrialsThe tester of souls. Azhir's fire burns only those unworthy, forging heroes through pain and purification.
Yalor – Godfire of RenewalA benevolent spirit whose sacred flame heals, cleanses, and gives rebirth to scorched lands and broken spirits.
Nirvak – The Silent FlameA cold, soundless fire that consumes without heat. Nirvak represents calm destruction and inevitable endings.
Teryx – Flame of BindingSpirit of contracts and chains. Teryx's fire shackles enemies and seals oaths in searing heat.
Orrin – Eternal EmberA flame that never dies, even in darkness. Orrin guards forgotten knowledge and lights the path through despair.
These were the Five Great Fires—sacred spirits, guardians of essence and order, revered across the Empire. And above them all, as father and origin, stood Orun.
ORUN—the Original Flame, Celestial Fire, and one of the Five Primal Sources of Life. His essence danced in the heart of suns and in the soul of every fire cast upon mortal earth.
But Orun had a sixth son. One whose existence was whispered in shadows and remembered in silence.
ARSYN – The Flame of Destruction.
Where his brethren brought balance and purpose, Arsyn brought only ruin—his fire not one of transformation, but of absolute erasure.
ROCYAN: "Until the reign of Emperor Targen Ignis, there were clans that followed Arsyn's way. But after the Second War of Fall, imperial intelligence uncovered Kaastan spy activity near Detron City. The mission was assigned to the Baelith Clan—one of the last remaining devotees of Arsyn. To root out the spies, they burned part of the city to lure them. This inhuman act led to their destruction."
The air in the cabin thickened as Rocyan's voice grew graver.
ROCYAN: "Infuriated, the Emperor issued a decree—banning the Way of Arsyn across the Empire. The clans who followed Arsyn's path were purged without mercy. Some were wiped from history; others fled, only to be hunted for over a decade. A few fragments still remain, hiding in the labyrinths beneath the Northern Messa."
A heavy silence followed. The soft hum of the train seemed distant now, as if the mention of forbidden fire had dulled its rhythm.
Wuxing—silent, unmoving, masked.
Yet behind that stillness, there pulsed something vast and cold. A restrained ferocity. A killing intent so profound it hung in the air like smoke from an unseen blaze.
REN: "Isn't Nortin also near the Northern Mountain?"ROCYAN: "You think there's someone putting our group in danger?"HUORIN: "Yeah—if someone could do that, we'd already know about them."TENCY: "Besides, we have monsters like Wuxing and Osmian."
That drew laughter again—nervous, relieved, a sound that dispelled some of the creeping unease.
Outside, the sky blazed with the amber glow of sunset, painting the world in molten gold. As the Ember Train sped forth, its flame-lined wake shimmered like a serpent of fire curling across the land. In the far distance, Nortin rose—its silhouette stark against the horizon.
And behind it, loomed the Northern Mountain.
Majestic.
Within its stone heart, secrets waited. And dangers unexpected.