The Flower Is Finished

The atmosphere suddenly turned tense. Arvan tried to hold me back, but I quickly brushed his hand away, sending him tumbling to the ground. My breath came fast, my blood boiled, and my eyes began to glow red. I stood facing the soldiers before me. I tried with all my might to restrain myself from hurting them, but my body no longer obeyed my will.

"What's happening to me?!" I shouted, running beneath the crimson moon that hung arrogantly in the night sky.

The heavy footsteps of soldiers echoed behind me, thudding against the rocky ground. I kept running toward the forest—a dark place, far from any settlement.

"Argh!" My scream echoed as flames burst uncontrollably from my hands, burning the bushes and trees around me.

"Xanders! Control yourself!" shouted King Albert, his voice cutting through the chaos of the night as he charged on his horse.

But I couldn't stop. The pain throughout my body was unbearable, as if something inside me was trying to tear its way out. I turned and struck back.

"I can't! It hurts!" I screamed.

Another burst of fire erupted—this time hitting King Albert's horse. The beast neighed loudly in terror and threw its rider to the ground.

"Ahhh! It's burning!" King Albert cried out as the fire scorched the ground beside him. I froze, staring in horror at what I had done.

Then I turned and ran again, plunging deeper into the forest that had now become a maze of darkness. The flames slowly died down, replaced by a thin mist and the earthy scent of wet soil. Every step grew heavier, every breath more painful.

The towering trees loomed like prison bars, closing in on me. The forest felt like a living cage—silent, cold, and devouring the light. I ran without direction, without knowing where to go.

Strange sounds began to echo from afar: whispers, faint footsteps, even soft laughter that seemed to come from inside my own head. I couldn't tell if they were real or just hallucinations born from pain and guilt.

I stopped in the middle of the forest, staring at my trembling, smoke-stained hands. "Why can't I control it?" I whispered.

Then, from within the mist, a deep, resonant voice spoke.

"We meet again…"

I spun around, eyes scanning the surroundings—but there was no one there.

"Who are you?!" I shouted.

Only laughter answered me—loud, echoing, bouncing between the trees.

"Hahahahaha… we will meet again, Xanders. Enjoy your time before that day comes…"

The voice faded away, leaving behind suffocating silence.

I screamed in frustration, hurling flames in every direction, burning innocent trees.

"Show yourself, bastard!"

No reply—only faint laughter again, piercing both my mind and my heart.

"Surrender the ancient fire…" The voice was sharp now, cold and commanding.

I growled, "In your dreams, bastard!"

The pendant around my neck suddenly glowed bright crimson. Its heat seared my skin, and I could feel a surge of immense energy rampaging within me.

The forest trembled, the air thickened, and all the rage I'd been holding back exploded outward.

"Take this!" I roared, unleashing a massive blast of fire toward the source of the voice.

A small explosion followed. The trees around me shuddered, and from the shadows, a massive figure fell from above.

The creature towered over me—nearly five meters tall. Its skin was dark, its eyes blazed like embers, and its breath came heavy, hot, and poisonous. The air around us thickened with the stench of iron and blood.

"You think you can fight me, boy?" its deep, rumbling voice shook the ground.

I glared at it with burning hatred. "Surrender the ancient fire," it said again, "and I might let you live peacefully."

I spat on the ground before it. "Tch… pathetic. I'd rather die than hand this over to you."

The creature let out a furious roar, a sound like a lion and a man merged into one. "Arrogant human! Feel this!"

It lunged at me with incredible speed for its massive size. I tried to dodge, but the muddy ground slowed my steps.

The pendant on my neck blazed even brighter, its crimson light flickering wildly, casting frantic shadows across the forest floor. Anger and power surged together inside me.

I swung my hand, unleashing a great wave of fire. "Take this!"

Another explosion rocked the forest—this time, my attack hit squarely. The creature was thrown back, crashing into a massive tree that splintered from the impact.

I walked closer, panting, my body covered in burns. "I won't let anyone take this power from me," I muttered.

The creature glared at me with hatred. "You think… this is over?"

Its veins bulged, its skin split open, and from within emerged another form—more monstrous, larger, and radiating an aura so fierce that the ground trembled beneath me.

"A brat like you could never defeat me," it growled mockingly. Then it closed its eyes and began chanting a spell in a language I couldn't understand.

I took a deep breath, trying to focus. With the last of my strength, I summoned my illusion technique—an ancient trick I'd learned to confuse enemies.

My body split into three shadowy forms darting between the trees.

The creature raged, attacking my shadows one by one, but I was already running toward my sword, which had been thrown aside earlier in the fight.

Before I could grab it, it sensed my trick. It snatched the sword first and hurled it straight at me.

"Your petty tricks are useless!" it snarled. The blade slammed into a tree behind me, and a sharp pain burst across my back as splinters struck me.

I fell, gritting my teeth through the pain. "Not… yet…" I whispered.

With my remaining strength, I created one more illusion—just a decoy. As the creature turned toward it, I leapt and drove the recovered sword straight into its chest.

"Curse you!" it roared, but the blade had already pierced its heart.

It collapsed to its knees, black blood gushing onto the soil. I too fell, barely able to move, yet a faint smile formed on my lips.

"I… won," I whispered before consciousness faded away.

The pendant around my neck still glowed brightly, its light piercing through the forest canopy—as if declaring that this battle was far from over.

---

I didn't know how long I'd been unconscious. When I finally woke, my stomach was empty, and my body ached as if crushed by stone.

"Didn't they come looking for me?" I muttered, gazing at the faint light filtering through the leaves.

The forest was silent. Too silent. No birds, no wind—only the sound of my own breathing echoing between the massive trees.

Slowly, I stood and picked up the sword lying beside me. My wounds hadn't healed, but I had to keep moving.

"Where… am I?" I whispered. There was no answer but the soft hiss of the breeze.

The forest now felt alive, like a prison with eyes—every tree watching, every step whispering death.

I walked carefully through the thorns and thickening mist. From between the trunks, I felt eyes on me—cold, sharp, and filled with malice.

My pendant no longer glowed as before, but its lingering heat warned me of the danger nearby.

Then suddenly, from behind me, came a loud hiss.

"Ssshhh…"

A massive serpent slithered out from behind a tree, its scales glinting dark green and black, its eyes gleaming with murderous intent. I rolled to the right, narrowly dodging its strike.

"You're quite agile," the serpent hissed—speaking with a human voice.