Frostbound Flame: Legacy of the Forbidden Clans

The wind tasted of salt and old fire.

Kaien and his companions stood atop a sea cliff overlooking the Ashen Coast—a stretch of black sand, ruined shipwrecks, and endless grey waves that moved like breathing shadows.

Somewhere deep beneath those cursed waters was the fourth portal—a rift sealed within the Sunken Temple of Rah-Zar, a shrine swallowed by the sea over 400 years ago after an elemental war.

The flame within Kaien's spear flickered blue.

"This one is different," he murmured. "I feel… drowning memories."

The Ocean's Curse

The group made camp in the shattered remains of an old lighthouse. That night, Lira dreamt of voices rising from the sea.

"He waits… chained in coral…The one who remembers all truths…Release him, and the sea will scream."

When she awoke, her light magic pulsed out of control.

The next morning, they boarded a crude enchanted skiff they found buried in the sand—left behind by a long-dead expedition.

Saejin raised a brow. "This thing smells like it sank three times."

Toru grunted. "As long as it floats one more, I'm fine."

As they sailed toward the vortex at sea's center, where the portal slept, the water became unnatural. Flat. Still. Colorless.

Akari closed her eyes.

"I've been here before… In my dreams."

Akari's Bloodline Revealed

As they neared the temple ruins, a surge of magic flared in the sky.

Ghosts of drowned sailors rose from the depths, dragging nets of bone and rusted steel. Among them stood a figure cloaked in molten armor—General Veyrith, Warden of the Drowned Flame.

Kaien drew his spear.

But Veyrith's glowing eyes turned… to Akari.

"Daughter of the Crimson Pyre… or should I say… child of the Infernal Depths?"

Akari froze.

"What are you talking about?"

Veyrith raised a hand—and a sigil on her neck flared in response. A crimson brand she never knew she had.

"Your mother sealed your bloodline. You are not just fire-born…You carry the blood of the Sea Inferna—a lost lineage of fire wielders who lived under the sea.And you… are the Key to the temple."

The ocean roared.

Akari fell to her knees as waves responded to her pain—igniting with flame.

Descent Into the Abyss

Guided by the Flamebond Spear and Akari's resonance, the group descended into the Sunken Temple—encased in magical air pockets, but riddled with traps and illusions.

Murals on the walls depicted an ancient battle: dragons of flame and water locked in war. A single warrior stood between them, holding a blade shaped like a tidal fang.

Kaien whispered, "This place… it remembers."

In the central chamber, they found a chained altar—and inside it, a skeletal dragon heart, still pulsing with watery fire. The fourth portal swirled behind it.

But as Kaien stepped forward, Veyrith emerged from the shadows—mask shattered, face marked by barnacles and molten tears.

"To unlock the portal… the Key must die."

He pointed to Akari.

The Battle in the Drowned Temple

"No one dies today," Kaien growled.

The fight exploded.

Toru wielded his hammer like a wrecking ball, shattering coral walls.

Yuki froze the water trying to crush them.

Lira held the illusions at bay with light runes.

Saejin battled shadow beasts lurking in the currents.

Kaien turned to Akari. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded.

He poured his flame into her hand—igniting her inner fire. The seal on her neck shattered.

Her hair lifted, glowing crimson-blue. Her aura radiated both heat and tide.

"I am Akari, Flame of the Deep."

She summoned her ancestral weapon—Scaldfang, a blade forged from volcanic coral.

Together, she and Kaien struck Veyrith's core.

The cursed general howled as the fourth portal cracked and collapsed inward, dragging him into the void.

A Treasure and a Warning

With the portal sealed, the temple trembled.

Before escaping, they found a relic hidden in the dragon heart: a crystal orb, marked with seven circles, each glowing with a different element.

Lira translated the writing.

"The Heptasoul Core… a compass that awakens when all elements are united.It leads to the Vault of the Eternal Flame."

Kaien took it—his eyes narrowing.

"We're not just stopping portals anymore."

Yuki's voice was cold. "We're uncovering something… someone didn't want found."