I barely had time to react as Elias lunged toward me, his body engulfed in blue mes. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light—no longer human, but vessels for the spiritual fire consuming him from within.


    "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he screamed again, his voice distorted and hollow.


    I dodged his first strike, feeling the heat sear past my face. The spectators scattered in panic, their shouts echoing through the Great Hall.


    "Elias, stop!" I shouted. "The fire is controlling you!"


    But reason couldn''t reach him now. The Blue Spirit Fire had taken over, turning him into a living weapon.


    His second attack caught me off guard. His ming fist connected with my shoulder, and white-hot pain exploded through my body. I stumbled backward, clutching my burned flesh.


    "Knight!" Sofia Carrera called out from the edge of the hall. "Don''t let him touch you again!"


    I circled warily, assessing my options. Elias wasn''t himself anymore—just a vessel for ancient, hungry power. His movements were erratic but devastatingly fast.


    The Pavilion Master''s voice cut through the chaos. "Law Enforcement Elders! Restrain him before he destroys the hall!"


    Three ck-robed figures moved forward, their expressions grim. I knew what would happen next—they''d eliminate the threat. Permanently.


    "Wait!" I raised my hand, surprising even myself with themand. "Let me handle this."


    Mariana Valerius stared at me, her eyes narrowing. "You risk your life, Third Elder."


    I nodded, never taking my eyes off Elias. "I know."


    The burning in my shoulder intensified, but I pushed the pain aside. I had one chance to save him—and to prove my worth to the Guild.


    Elias charged again, leaving trails of blue me in his wake. This time, I stood my ground. As he approached, I summoned my own spiritual energy—the golden light that had be my signature.


    But instead of golden mes, something new emerged from my palms.


    Azure blue fire—darker and more intense than Elias''s—erupted from my hands. <dfn ss="phantom-imprint">No&t&e:* Che+c+k M_&VL$E!M%P&Y_R+ for any c+or%r.e@c@ti!on%s.</dfn>


    Gasps filled the hall. Even the Pavilion Master took a step forward in shock.


    "Impossible," the Fifth Elder whispered.


    I didn''t have time to question this new development. Elias was upon me, his burning hands reaching for my throat. I caught his wrists, my blue mes meeting his.


    The contact sent shockwaves through the hall. Where our fires met, the air itself seemed to tear apart.


    "What are you doing?" Elias hissed, momentarily lucid. "This power—it will consume us both!"


    I gritted my teeth against the pain. "Then let it try."


    With every ounce of my concentration, I directed my mes to envelop his. Not fighting fire with fire—but absorbing it.


    My spiritual energy wrapped around his like a predator swallowing its prey. The blue mes covering Elias''s body began to waver, then flow toward me in streams of brilliant light.


    I felt the fire enter my system—hot as a thousand suns, wild as a storm. My veins bulged with the effort of containing it, and I couldn''t stop a cry of agony from escaping my lips.


    "He''s devouring the spiritual fire," someone murmured in awe.


    Elias copsed to his knees as thest of the blue mes left his body. His skin returned to its normal color, though marked with burns and blisters. He looked up at me in disbelief before slumping unconscious to the floor.


    I remained standing, my body trembling with the effort of containing two spiritual fires. The pain was indescribable—like being torn apart from the inside.


    "Breathe, Knight," Mariana''s voice came from somewhere nearby. "Control it before it controls you."


    I closed my eyes, focusing on my core. Thepeting energies raged within me, threatening to rip me apart. With sheer willpower, I forced them into bnce—not merging them, but establishing a fragile coexistence.


    When I opened my eyes again, the mes around my hands had subsided. The hall was silent, every face turned toward me in astonishment.


    Mariana approached, her expression carefully neutral. "You absorbed the Blue Spirit Fire."


    It wasn''t a question, but I nodded anyway.


    "I''ve never seen such a thing," she continued. "The ckthornes gifted him that fire—it wasn''t truly his. For you to strip it away..." She shook her head in wonder.


    "Is he going to live?" I asked, looking at Elias''s crumpled form.


    Sofia was already kneeling beside him, checking his pulse. "Yes. But he''ll never wield spiritual fire again."


    I winced, knowing what that meant for an alchemist. "I didn''t want to destroy his future."


    "You saved his life," Mariana corrected me. "And risked your own doing it. Why?"


    I met her gaze steadily. "Because I know what it''s like to be used as a pawn by powerful families. He was desperate, not evil."


    Her lips curved in a rare smile. "Most would call that weakness, Third Elder. I call it wisdom."


    The Fifth Elder stepped forward, bowing slightly. "An extraordinary disy, Knight. I''ve never witnessed such control—or such recklessness."


    "Both qualities have their uses," Mariana replied. She turned to address the assembled Guild members. "Today, we have witnessed something unprecedented. Liam Knight has not only proven his superior alchemy skills but demonstrated courage and power beyond expectation."


    She gestured for me toe forward.


    "Kneel."


    Iplied, wondering what this new ceremony entailed.


    "Liam Knight, I hereby appoint you Third Elder of the Celestial Apothecary Guild. May your mes guide our path forward."


    A cheer erupted from the crowd. I rose slowly, still unsteady from the ordeal. My body felt different—heavier with power but also somehow more bnced.


    Sofia approached, her expression a mix of concern and admiration. "That was either the bravest or most foolish thing I''ve ever seen."


    I managed a weak smile. "Can''t it be both?"


    "How did you know you could absorb his fire?" she asked.


    "I didn''t," I admitted. "But I knew I couldn''t let him die."


    The Fifth Elder pped me on my uninjured shoulder. "The Guild hasn''t had such an interesting Third Elder in decades! We must celebrate!"


    But I shook my head. "If I may, Pavilion Master, I''d like to request immediate ess to the Elder''s herb repository."


    Mariana raised an eyebrow. "Most new Elders take time to recover and adjust to their position."


    "I don''t have that luxury," I replied, thinking of Isabelle and the growing threats surrounding us. "I need to enter seclusion and strengthen my cultivation as soon as possible."


    She studied me for a moment before nodding. "As you wish. The repository is yours to use."


    "Knight," Sofia said softly, "what you did today was remarkable. But absorbing foreign spiritual fire—especially one as powerful as Blue Spirit Fire—will have consequences."


    I knew she was right. Already I could feel the two mes battling within me, seeking dominance. "I don''t have much time, so I must seize every moment," I replied. "Every risk I take is necessary."


    As Guild members gathered around to congratte me, I couldn''t help but nce toward the hall''s entrance, half-expecting more ckthorne agents to appear. This victory would not go unnoticed by my enemies.


    My new position as Third Elder brought power and resources—but also greater danger. And somewhere out there, Isabelle faced threats I couldn''t yet imagine.


    I had to grow stronger. Fast.


    The blue fire pulsing in my veins was just the beginning.