Chapter 5: Rising from the Flames
The first thing I felt was heat—intense, scorching, yet not entirely painful. It pulsed through every nerve, every vein, settling deep in my chest like a caged fire desperate to be free. My eyes fluttered open to a blur of green mist and shadowed shapes.
"Lailac… my little one, awaken."
A deep, steady voice anchored me. I tried to move, and the heat surged, but then I realized something astonishing: I was moving. My body, though weak and trembling, obeyed me.
Haines's face came into focus above me, his dark eyes softened with relief. His strong arms cradled me as if I were fragile porcelain, yet the aura of authority surrounding him warned me not to panic.
"What… happened?" I croaked, my voice hoarse. My chest still burned with unnatural warmth, and faint images flickered in my mind—trees twisting, red threads, the storm, Onii… and something else. The chains.
"You've awakened, Lailac," Haines said gently. "Your flame… it erupted beyond expectation."
I tried to rise fully, but a wave of dizziness forced me back against his chest. "The… workers…?"
His jaw tightened imperceptibly. "They are safe, away from here. Nothing shall harm them again."
But I knew the truth. I had felt the fire's indiscriminate hunger. I had felt the crimson light devour those who came too close. I closed my eyes, the memory of their brief lives and the red ashes burning into my consciousness.
Haines's voice cut through the terror, calm and steady. "Do not blame yourself. You could not have controlled it. Only I can carry you through such fires."
I trembled in his arms, both from fear and awe. "I… I burned them. Everyone…"
"You burned only what would have touched you," Haines replied. His hands, firm yet gentle, pressed lightly on my shoulders. "No one else can approach you safely. Your bloodline is unique, Lailac. It will take time for you to control it. Until then, you must trust me—and the valley."
I shivered, staring down at my hands. They felt… different. Alive. Warm, yet heavy with some terrible promise. My mind reeled at the sensation of the forest, the remnants of Onii's aura merging with mine, the broken chains rattling inside me. I was changed. Something inside me had shifted forever.
"Will I… always be like this?" I whispered.
"No," Haines said, a faint smile brushing his lips, though his eyes remained solemn. "You will learn to control your flame. To use it without endangering others. The next two years… they will be hard. You will be pushed, tested, and sometimes pushed past your limits. But when it is over, you will stand not as a frightened girl, but as a Flame Sage worthy of the name."
I felt a spark of determination ignite amidst the fear. My crimson aura still flickered faintly around me, whispering promises of untold power. The fire that had consumed the forest, that had drawn Onii's attention, was mine—and mine alone.
"And the training?" I asked, voice steadier now.
Haines glanced around the manor, toward the valley beyond. "You have the trainers your body needs. They will teach you combat, agility, survival, and ways to refine the energy you cannot yet control. The workers—your friends here—will assist as well, guiding, supporting, pushing you to your limits. This valley is your crucible. You will forge yourself anew."
I swallowed hard. The reality of it settled in: two years of unrelenting, guided growth. Every morning, every night, every strike, every maneuver—shaping me into something far beyond what I had ever imagined.
"And Onii?" I asked softly, thinking of the storm horse, his silver aura absorbed into my own. "Will I see him again?"
Haines's expression darkened slightly. "Perhaps. But you will meet him not as a child afraid, but as a master in your own right. When that time comes, the storm will recognize its equal. Until then… focus on what you can control."
I nodded, feeling both fear and exhilaration. I was scared of what I had become—and of what I could become—but a deep ember of hope burned steadily within me. This was my path. My trial. My crucible.
Haines adjusted my position in his arms. "Rest now. Heal fully. The valley waits, the trainers wait, and in time, so will your destiny."
As I closed my eyes, the heat that had frightened me now felt like a promise. The fire inside me was alive, untamed, but not yet unkind. And for the first time, I believed I could survive it—and one day, harness it.
Outside, the forest breathed again. Trees uncurled, spirit grass rose, and the Misty Valley seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. Heaven and Earth had mended what the flame had scarred, leaving only faint crimson threads as memory.
And somewhere, beyond the hills and mist, Onii's presence lingered like a promise: a storm waiting for a girl who would one day learn to dance with fire.
-