Chapter 4
Ather’s gaze was sharp as a blade, locked onto Ethan as if he meant to tear him apart.
But Ethan remained utterly unshaken, returning the glare with cold defiance.
Arther’s temper flared instantly at his attitude.
Just as he was about to lash out, Shael rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly.
“Wether, how could that amber pendant possibly be real? It must be a cheap lenitation,” she said softly.
“The trial is about to begin. He might not even survive the first wave of flame–why stoop to his level?”
Hearing that, Aether’s expression eased somewhat
He nodded and gave Sharl’s hand a gentle squeeze.
I simply watched them with cold amusement. It was almost laughable.
Moments later, the King descended and opened the Divine Power Awakening Ceremony, summoning the clan members one by one to undergo the trial.
Most of them could only withstand a single flame of the Sacred Fire. The strongest among them managed three at most.
Seeing this, the King’s eyes flickered with disappointment.
Then it was Arther’s Furn
He stepped forward with full confidence–and to everyone’s surprise, Shael followed him closely.
The crowd exchanged looks of disbelief.
They all knew how terrifying the Sacred Flame was. For someone e Shael, whose divine strength was feeble, even a single spark could reduce her to ishes.
Yet Aether turned to her with a gentle smile. “Don’t be afraid. Do you still doubt my power? Besides, Serin is here. With her watching, she won’t let me
“You
Just wait–I’ll come back and marry you.”
Shael’s eyes dimmed slightly at those words. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, she raised her head and spat out her own Heartflare Core.
It was small, glowing faintly, but the moment it left her body, her face paled drastically.
Even a strand of hair near her temples turned suddenly white.
“Shael, what are you doing? We agreed–you were only meant to stay by my side. That’s all,” Acther cried out.
“If your Heart!lame Core is damaged, it could ruin your future!”
7
But Shael, though ghostly pale, still forced a smile. “Aether, I know I’m weak–nothing like the Goddess of the Starfire family. But I’ve always wanted to do something for you.”
“So let this Heartlame Core help you through the trial.”
Aether’s eyes Instantly filled with emotion.
The others watching were stunned.
“What use is that little Feathergale girl’s core? It’ll burn up in less than a second, someone murmured.
“She really must love him. What kind of charm does this Aether have to attract so many?
“She’s not afraid to die? If Aether fails to withstand the Sacred Flame, the core will be the first thing to break. Without it, she’ll lose all her power and
“It’s because she thinks Goddess Serin will help him with everything. The Starfire family has rebirth power. If she steps in, she might help him survive the flames. Honestly, what’s so great about this man? Why is even the Goddess so blindly devoted?”
Whispers spread through the crowd, many of them laced with envy.
I merely stood there, watching coldly. This scene had never occurred in my past life, which only made me more curious about what would come next. Arther stood at the edge of the molten lava, face alight with excitement.
Chapter 4
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The lava began to churn–and shockingly, he summoned nine flames of the Sacred Fire all at once!
The skies above the volcano darkened abruptly, violet–gold fire pulsing through the lava.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
The King’s face twisted in shock. “Has he gone mad? No one in history has ever summoned all nine flames in one go!”
From among the crowd, someone gasped,
“With flammes like those, even if the Starfire Goddess herself lends a hand, she’ll be seriously injured! Her inner power might be completely shattered!”
And it wasn’t just the others, even Shael stood frozen, stunned speechless. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Aether to be this reckless, to try and take all nine flames at once.
I lifted my eyes and watched him coolly. Yes, that was exactly how he had treated me in my past life–reckless and selfish to the very end.
So this time, I wanted to see just what gave him the right to face the Sacred Fire.
A deafening roar echoed as the fire fully condensed, about to burst forth.
Aether turned to me, eyes blazing with excitement.
“Serin! What are you waiting for? Come help me survive the trial-!”
