The man lunged. Kael barely dodged, his heart hammering. The shadowblade clashed against the fiery sword the man wielded. Sparks flew, igniting the air around them.
"Who are you?" Kael shouted, blocking another strike.
The man grinned. "I am what remains of your fate. I am your consequence."
With one final slash, the man vanished in a burst of flame, leaving behind the shard.
Kael grabbed it, feeling the warmth surge through him, but a cold, unrelenting voice echoed in his mind:
You are the flame that will burn us all.