The air changed drastically as they left behind the lowlands of Hinoki. The damp freshness of the forests was replaced by a dry, vibrant warmth that smelled of volcanic stone and wild cinnamon. Before Hito and Shinso rose the Whispering Fire Range, where the sky was not blue, but a perpetual orange that reflected the incandescent soul of the earth.

  Hito adjusted the strap of his camera while Moki, his loyal nature-type companion, nestled against his shoulder, twitching its leaf-like ears with unease. The Lúmina here did not flow like a calm river; it pulsed like a restless heart.

  —The compass hasn’t stopped vibrating since we crossed the pass —Hito said, showing the ancient wooden artifact. The needle wavered with a crimson glow toward the volcano’s summit—. Something is disturbing the balance, Shinso.

  ?? The City of the Eternal Forge

  As they passed beneath Akarumi’s black stone arch, the visual spectacle was overwhelming. The town was built along the slopes of an inactive volcano, with houses of charred cedar wood and roofs of obsidian tiles.

  Channels of thermal water ran through the streets like golden veins, providing heat and energy to its inhabitants. Hito paused to photograph the Ishiyaki-Ramen, noodles cooked on volcanic stones that still bubbled in red ceramic bowls. Fire artisans worked in the plazas, shaping metals with the help of Lúmina, but something felt forced. The chimneys released thicker smoke than usual.

  The conflict erupted at midday. In the center of the town, humans had installed Lúmina Concentrators, bronze machines designed to absorb thermal energy and accelerate tool production. But nature does not accept being rushed.

  A deep roar shook Akarumi’s foundations. From the crater of the main forge emerged an imposing figure wrapped in blue flames: a Pirakai.

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  Sighting Record: Pirakai

  Evolution Line: Piri → Piran → Pirakai

  Type: Fire / Magma

  Personality: Noble and protective. It normally acts as a natural thermostat, balancing the mountain’s temperature.

  Imbalance: The excess energy captured by the machines forced its evolution. Its body cannot process so much heat, turning it into a living time bomb.

  The Pirakai roared in pain, not in anger. Its lava-laced steps began to melt the water channels, threatening to flood the town with boiling steam.

  —Soru, now! —Shinso shouted. His companion, the elegant water-type Elyr, leapt forward, launching spheres of dew to cool the ground and protect the villagers.

  Hito didn’t reach for a combat tool, but for his compass and camera. Through the viewfinder, he saw the problem: a Lúmina Concentrator had overloaded and was “feeding” Pirakai with energy it could not assimilate.

  —It’s not an attack, it’s a fever! —Hito exclaimed.

  Running through the embers, Hito reached the machine’s pedestal. The compass in his hand began to glow with a bright white intensity, reacting to Hito’s energy. As he placed his hand on the concentrator, the excess Lúmina began to flow through him, redistributing gently into the earth, restoring calm to the system.

  Pirakai’s blue flames faded, turning into a warm, natural orange. The colossal being of stone and fire released a sigh of steam, looked at Hito with silent gratitude, and retreated into the depths of the mountain, where its presence would keep the hearth’s warmth stable.

  That night, as the Emberak (small Elyr that resemble living embers) cleansed the air by absorbing the remaining smoke, Akarumi’s Master Artisan approached Hito.

  —We sought the fastest fire, not the purest one —the old man said, handing him a small camera lens carved from volcanic crystal—. You’ve reminded us that balance is the only engine that never breaks.

  Hito stored the lens, along with his latest photograph: Pirakai’s silhouette merging with the sunset. He had learned that being a guardian does not mean to defeat, but to listen to what the world tries to say through chaos.

  Just as they were about to rest, Hito’s compass emitted an electric pulse. The needle no longer wavered; it locked with icy determination toward the east, beyond the mountains, toward a region where the map showed only mist and legends.

  —Shinso… get ready —Hito whispered—. The compass is pointing to the Crystal Jungle.