Dark Flames

- piece by Sanika Deo

A fire rages. A strange, hidden fire, dark flamed, invisible to the eye. Seething and churning, it burns, gathering flames of darkness into it's hot black heart. Unseen and unknown, it burns.

These flames of darkness are insatiable, they grow, greedy in their spreading, consuming all, destroying all. Though the flames cannot be seen, the heart scorches and singes, sharing flesh and bone alike; it saps the strength, and withers the will. It blisters virtue, corrodes courage, it turns love and honor to hard, dark embers.

The dark fire is an ancient and evil enemy, older than the Earth. It has no face, no body, no limbs or members to be engaged and fought, much less quenched and conquered. Only flames, insidious tongues, and hidden dark sparks that blow and scatter, blow and scatter on every fretful wind. 

And nothing can endure the dark fire. Nothing can stand against the relentless, scathing corruption of the unseen flames. It will not be extinguished until all that exists in the world realm is dead cold ash. 

- art by Shubhangii Joshi