THE KINGLESS QUEENS

THE FLAMES OF TRUTH

As the entrance to Zifzia faded behind them, the forest around the girls shifted once more. Where the air in Zifzia had been heavy with whispers and riddles, now it crackled with an unseen tension, as if something was waiting, holding its breath. The moon above them remained their only guide, its pale light slowly giving way to the deep reds and oranges of dawn.Orien’s expression grew more serious as he led them down a winding path. “We’re approaching the Wake Lands,” he warned, his voice barely above a whisper. “This realm does not hide behind illusions. It tests what lies within—a trial by fire, revealing what you truly are.”Charlotte felt a shiver run through her despite the increasing warmth in the air. “Why is it called the Wake Lands?” she asked, trying to shake off the unease settling over her.Orien didn’t answer immediately. His eyes seemed distant, as if remembering something he would rather forget. “Because those who enter either wake to their true selves… or are consumed by what they find.”Silence fell over the group, the weight of Orien’s words heavy on their minds. But Charlotte squared her shoulders, refusing to let fear take hold. The realm was calling her, and she couldn’t ignore it.Soon, they emerged into a clearing surrounded by jagged rock formations. The ground beneath their feet was dry and cracked, and the air shimmered with heat. At the center of the clearing, a massive stone archway stood, its surface scarred with ancient runes and markings that pulsed faintly with a deep red glow. Beyond the arch, the path seemed to vanish into a hazy, shifting horizon, as if the land itself were restless.“This is the entrance to the Wake Lands,” Orien announced, his voice firm. He turned to Charlotte. “This realm is different from the others. It doesn’t just test your wisdom or your spirit it confronts you with your deepest fears and your truest self. You must face the flames alone.”Charlotte’s eyes widened slightly. She could feel the gazes of her friends on her, their worry barely masked. Zayla reached out, touching Charlotte’s arm. “You don’t have to do this alone,” she said softly.
“its me,” Charlotte replied, though her voice wavered slightly. She found herself smiling. “It’s my trial,  I-I can feel it.”Orien stepped aside, his green eyes focused on her with a mixture of hope and concern. “When you’re ready,” he murmured.
Charlotte took a deep breath and approached the archway. She could feel the heat radiating from it, but she didn’t turn back. A strange energy pulsed within her, a quiet flame she had never truly acknowledged. As she stepped through the archway, a searing light engulfed her, and the world around her shifted.
She stood in a vast plain of red sand, the horizon blurred by heat waves and shadows. The sky above was a deep, burning orange, and in the distance, flames danced like mirages, twisting and flickering in shapes that seemed almost alive. Charlotte felt her heartbeat quicken as she realized she was alone.
Suddenly, the sand beneath her feet began to tremble. From the ground, flames erupted, spiraling into the air before solidifying into a humanoid figure a being of living fire. It was tall, with molten eyes that seemed to pierce through Charlotte’s very soul.
“Who are you?” Charlotte demanded, her voice trembling slightly.The figure’s eyes flared brighter, and its voice was like the roar of a distant inferno. “I am Iris, guardian of the Wake Lands and judge of those who seek its truth.”Charlotte swallowed hard, but she stood her ground. “What do you want from me?”Iris tilted its head, as if contemplating her question. “The flames reveal all that you are, all that you fear. What burns within you, child of Olympus?”Before Charlotte could respond, the flames surrounding Ignis began to shift and take shape. Memories and visions flickered in the fire—faces she recognized, moments she thought she had forgotten. She saw herself as a child, lost in a crowd, crying out for her mother. She saw herself in the midst of battles she wasn’t ready to fight, moments when she had doubted herself, had felt powerless and afraid.Her heart pounded in her chest, and a voice whispered in her mind: You are not strong enough. You will never be strong enough.Charlotte clenched her fists, fighting against the rising panic. “Stop it!” she cried. But the flames only grew stronger, swirling around her with greater intensity.Ignis’s voice rumbled like thunder. “The fire does not lie, nor does it relent. It reveals what you are—and only those who can embrace their truth will survive.”Charlotte’s vision blurred, tears stinging her eyes. Her greatest fear had always been failure not just for herself, but for those who depended on her. She had always tried to be strong, to protect others, but in her heart, she feared she wasn’t enough.Face it, a quiet voice inside her urged.Taking a shaky breath, Charlotte steadied herself. She could feel the fire inside her—small, flickering, but undeniably there. “I’m not strong enough,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. I may be afraid, but I won’t let that fear define me.”The flames around her seemed to hesitate, flickering uncertainly. Iris’s eyes narrowed, its gaze penetrating. “You would walk through the fire with fear still in your heart?”“Yes,” Charlotte replied, her voice growing stronger. “Fear doesn’t make me weak it means I have something worth fighting for. And I’ll keep fighting, even if it means walking through fire.”There was a long silence, and then, slowly, Iris’s form began to dissolve, the flames retreating. The air around Charlotte cooled, and the burning horizon faded to reveal the stone archway once more. She stood there, breathless and exhausted, but unbroken.When she stepped back through the arch, the other girls rushed forward, their faces a mixture of relief and awe. Zayla was the first to speak, her voice barely more than a whisper. “You did it, Cha-cha.”Orien stepped forward, his eyes shining with admiration. “You faced the trial and emerged whole. The Wake Lands have accepted you, Charlotte.”In her hand, Charlotte now held a small emblem a scarllet crystal with a symbol of flames etched into it, the mark of the Wake Lands. She stared at it for a moment, feeling the warmth emanating from it, and a quiet sense of pride settled within her.
Zifrin smiled at her, a look of understanding passing between them. They were all changing, each finding their path through these realms. But there were still more trials to face.Orien glanced at the horizon, his face darkening slightly. “Next, we journey to the Orchid Oceans, where serenity meets sacrifice. Nemo, your trial awaits.”The group exchanged determined glances, their resolve growing stronger with each realm they faced. With the Wake Lands behind them and new challenges ahead, they took a deep breath and continued their journey through Olympus. To the orchid Oceans