[ten years ago]
Smoke fills the air, thick and sweet.
Standing atop the fiery wreckage is a figure cloaked in black. Flames roar around him, outlining his silhouette in gold.
She stares up at him with a heavy heart. If only they'd had more time—
"Go on without me," she says suddenly.
"The structure's going to collapse any second," the elf beside her warns. "There's no going back."
"I know," she says quietly. "I'm sorry. I have to give him one last chance."
She darts into the wreckage before he can stop her. He has no choice but to flee with the others as the tower crumbles further, trapping the girl inside.
They watch the island burn from a distance. The fire is so strong that they can still feel its heat on their skin from miles away, warm as the sun.
"Can't we go in after her?" someone pleads.
The elf looks solemn. "I'm afraid she's made her choice, Councillor."
The fire pulses from within the rubble like a yellow heartbeat. The entire island becomes engulfed in Everblaze.
Lumenaria has fallen.