“…I do not understand what you mean—

  “You do not have to,” the Fire said, raising the edges of his lips ever so slightly, trying what it meant to smile. It was tiresome. And disappointing. Emotions were the most primitive form of communication. And all communications worked best when they came naturally. Like in the form of flames. He could always understand what others of his kind meant just by looking at their flames. And they could the same for him.

  Humans, on the other hand, not only had all kinds of strange words, but they also had to match their words with their tone, voice, their body movements, and even the context of their conversation, to get their thoughts across. And sometimes, even all those things were not enough. Such pathetic creatures. No wonder they failed to break the limits of the Origin Sea even millions of years after becoming the rulers of their world.

  Still, complicated as their means of communication was, it came with its own advantages. Like getting his thoughts across without expressing any words or emotions. Sometimes, he could even use the same expressions and words to display two distinct emotions. Like his smile a moment ago, carrying both, his happiness for finding his Origin, and his disdain for the impudent Fire Servant.

  “It is already here.”

  “What?”

  “My Origin,” the Fire said, as he stretched his arms out towards the depth of the forest. Or at least, that is how his actions appeared to the people around him. In a realm that they could not see or perceive, isolated from the rest of the world by the Mysteries of ■■■■—

  The Fire stopped thinking and just reached out to his Origin to give it a pull. His Origin, in turn, pulled back at him. And he let it pull him. Not out of his body, of course. He did not wish to go back into the prison he had worked so hard to climb out of. Not even if the prison held his Origin.

  Although the prison would not be able to stop him once he regained his Origin and rekindled his Fire, he did not have much time left. The movements in the prison should have already alerted those ■■■■■■■■, and they could come looking for him at any moment. If he did not leave right away, he would not be able to leave at all. If he would even be alive to leave at that point.

  He may have been one of the few of his race to have broken the limits of the Origin Sea, granting him a near ■■■■■■■■, but that did not mean that he could not be killed. It would just be a little harder to kill him. Maybe that was why they designed his prison in the first place. To wash away all his powers by the ■■■■ of ■■■■, weakening him to his limits, before finally killing him, returning his essence to the Origin Sea.

  Except, it seemed that the Origin Sea did not have any intention of taking back his essence. Why else would it guide a bunch of humans to his prison, breaking the Time Lock placed on it by those ■■■■■■■■? And why would those human slaughter most of the beasts roaming in his prison for no reason?

  If not for such wanton destruction destroying the balance of his prison, creating gaps for him to send out his consciousness, he would not have been able to contact the little humans. At least not so soon. And that would have meant losing the opportunity to contact the human whose essence aligned with ■■■■■■■■.

  Few, if any beings had such rare essence. Especially those from a lower race. Had he missed the human, he did not know if anyone with a similar essence would have ever come to his prison again. Even if he could have created gaps in his prison on his own after some time, it would have been too late. Without the help of ■■■■■■■■, he would never have been able to retrieve his Origin and rekindle his Fire. And without his Fire, he would never have been able to escape. Such a perfect chain of coincidences…

  It was as if the Origin Sea itself was orchestrating his escape. But that was not possible. If there was one absolute truth in the world, it was the fairness of the Origin Sea. It never interfered with what happened in its depths, acting only on its rules. As such, it would never facilitate his escape. Unless, the coincidences were just a ploy those ■■■■■■■■ to lure him out of his prison, and then kill him once and for all. After all, as the phrase he had heard from humans recently went, ‘in the Origin Sea, nothing happens by coincidence’.

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  Even if those ■■■■■■■■ were not behind the coincidences, there had to be some other beings directing his escape. Quite possibly, to trap him once again. This time, with the intention of exploiting his Origin. But so what? Could he ignore such a perfect opportunity? Could he let the only chance he had of escaping his prison slip past him? Could he give up his freedom, and live trapped in a broken world, until the Origin Sea would begin anew?

  No, absolutely not. He was Fire. And Fire could never be restrained. It could be trapped. It could be harnessed. And it could even be extinguished. But it could never be tamed. He would never be tamed. Because Fire was unrestrained. Not the carefree kind, like Wind. But of a wanton kind, doing as he pleased, fearing no one. Cowering from no one. Even Death. Because he was Fire.

  Yet, just because he was Fire did not mean that he had to be reckless. At least not always. Sometimes, Fire had to show prudence. Which his why he did not contact ‘him’ right away. Instead, he contacted him through others of ‘his’ race, even if that meant wasting part of what little power he had left on turning an ignorant human into a Fire Servant. It was unnecessary, but it was prudent. And a little excessive, perhaps.

  Regardless, what had happened could not be changed. And did things not work in ‘his’ favour at the end? What was ‘he’ so dissatisfied about? Yes, he remembered that he said only a few moments. But only if he would let him concentrate. His thoughts? He could not help it. That was the only way he could resonate with his Origin. He could feel it too, right? The pull was getting stronger. Just a few more moments…

  As if responding to his thoughts, his Origin began pulling him with an even greater force, forcing him to put even greater strength behind his pull, until he was pulling on his Origin with all his strength. Enough to make the space around him ripple with stress, giving everyone an illusion that he was summoning a Spatial Storm, forcing them to quickly retreat away, leaving only the three girls and the Fire Servant within a hundred metres of him.

  Yet, even such a force, that sent almost all the Wanderers around them scurrying for their lives, was not enough for him to retrieve his Origin. Though, it did allow him to borrow a few things from his Origin. Like the ■■■■■■■■, with which, he had broken the limits of the Origin Sea. Why could he not understand what ■■■■■■■■ was? And why did his thoughts often become garbled?

  Because of the Origin Sea, of course. It would not let him explain things that were beyond ‘his’ comprehension. Especially things related to its Rules, that could help ‘him’ break its limits. Still, if ‘he’ wanted to know, then he could think of ■■■■■■■■ as his essence, his core. In words that ‘he’ could understand, it was the Concept that made him who he was. But it was also what was keeping him shackled to his prison. And the reason why he needed ‘his’ help.

  Although those ■■■■■■■■ were abominable, he had to admit that the prison they designed was impeccable. Just putting him in a Time Prison was not enough. They also separated him from his Origin, before turning his own Concepts into his shackles. If not for certain coincidences, he would never have had the chance to regain his freedom. And though those coincidences were certainly orchestrated by someone, since he had been given such a chance, how could he hesitate?

  Tugging on ‘his’ essence, he called ■■■■■■■■ to be the witness, before sacrificing his ■■■■■■■■ to the Origin Sea, asking to borrow a tinder in return. The Tinder.

  “WAS HE SURE?” ■■■■■■■■ asked. “HE WOULD LOSE EVERYTHING HE STOOD FOR.”

  But he would regain his freedom, the Fire said.

  “AND WHAT WOULD HE GIVE TO ■■■■■■■■ FOR BEING THE WITNESS?”

  Nothing to ■■■■■■■■, but to ‘him’, he would give the Miracle that he had asked for.

  “ACCEPTED,” ■■■■■■■■ said, and retreated back to the Origin Sea. But not before giving him the Tinder he had asked for. A spark, that existed in a realm beyond all common sense. He could not describe it, and ‘he’ could not observe it. But ‘he’ felt its existence, along with his excitement.

  “Finally,” the Fire said, withdrawing the spark from ‘his’ essence, and letting it float in front of his chest, unguarded, for all the world to see. Yet, it eluded the eyes of all the Wanderers around it. Even with their Spirits, no one could feel its presence. Except for ‘him’, and the Fire Servant, trembling on his knees.

  “…What… What is that…”

  “This,” said the Fire, gently caressing the spark, “is the Original Tinder. The spark that gave birth to all Fire.”

  “…All Fire…”

  “That is right. All Fire. Including the one in your heart, and the Fire sealed within these lands.”