The fire burned brightly, engulfing everything in sight. The air was thick with smoke as it filled our house. Everything was on fire—a gas leak in the kitchen had turned our home into a deathtrap.
There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
The roof had caved in, blocking all routes of escape.
My thirteen-year-old self sat there with tears in my eyes, stinging as they turned red from the smoke. I coughed uncontrollably, my lungs filling with the toxic haze.
I looked up to see my brother Haruka's bright red eyes locked on me as he shielded me with his body. His white hair was singed by the flames, but he stayed with me.
"It's gonna be all right, Sakura. I'll get us out of this," he said.
I could see the fear in his eyes, but he forced a brave smile for my sake.
Then I heard her—Mom.
"Sakura! Haruka!"
Her voice cut through the chaos like a knife. She stumbled into view through the flames, coughing violently. Her clothes were singed, her arms scratched and bleeding. Her eyes locked on mine.
"Mama!" I cried, reaching for her.
She took a single step forward—then a groan from above, a sickening crack—and a burning support beam crashed down between us, separating her from us completely.
"No!" I screamed.
She tried to climb over the debris, but the fire surged too high. Her hands were trembling. Her eyes never left mine.
"Haruka!" she shouted. "You have to get her out of here!"
"I'm coming to you—!" Haruka started, moving toward the fire.
"No! You can't!" she cried, her voice breaking. "There's no time! Get her out—now!"
Haruka froze. I could see the hesitation, the war inside him.
"Promise me, Haruka," she said, her voice suddenly softer. "Take care of her. Keep her safe."
"I—I promise," he whispered, voice shaking.
She smiled through her tears.
"Sakura," she said, looking at me one last time, "I love you. Always."
Then the ceiling groaned again.
I saw it all happen in slow motion—the beam above her snapping loose, the fire curling around it, the look in her eyes.
"No—Mama!"
The ceiling collapsed.
Flames swallowed her.
A scream tore from my throat, but it was lost in the roar of the fire.
My chest felt like it had cracked open. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The world was collapsing around me, and she was gone. Just like that.
And then—
My right eye began to hurt. Not from the smoke. From something else. Something inside me. Something breaking. Or waking.
I clutched my grandma's pendant tightly in my hand as the pain grew. My tears turned bloody, streaming down my face. Then, my right eye burst into flame—purple, with hints of red and blue.
I screamed. Haruka held me tightly, his expression frozen in shock.
"Calm down, Sakura," he said, but he was trembling. He didn't know what to do.
The flame didn't stop. It burned with both searing heat and chilling cold. Then, a shockwave of purple fire erupted from me, tearing through the house. The explosion blew away the flames, the debris—everything. Haruka, who had been holding on to me, was hurled into a tree. He hit it hard and collapsed, unconscious.
The pain in my eye only grew worse. Then I saw a figure—a feminine silhouette with long red hair—reaching out to me. Images flashed through my mind, fast and confusing. I saw beings I couldn't name, a world swallowed in fire, a barren land scorched beyond life. A massive mountain rose in the distance, crowned by a black and red castle. Inside, a tall humanoid sat on a throne, molten rock and flames spilling from the walls. To its left stood a woman with long dark hair and emerald eyes. To its right, a woman with red hair and eyes like sapphires.
The longer I looked, the more it hurt. And then everything went black.
I jerked awake, drenched in sweat. My breathing was ragged. I reached up and touched my right eye, wincing at the pain. Slowly, I climbed out of bed and made my way downstairs.
Haruka was in the kitchen.
"Good morning," I said.
Haruka looked up at me.
"You look pale. Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I said. "Just a nightmare."
He frowned, concerned. "Was it the same one?"
I looked away and nodded.
"The fire?" he asked gently.
I hesitated, then gave a quiet, "Yeah."
He set down the spoon he was using to stir the eggs, walked over, and leaned against the counter beside me.
"What part was it this time?"
I took a breath. "Mom."
He didn't say anything at first. Just stood there, staring at the floor like it might give him the right words.
"I saw her again," I went on, voice barely above a whisper. "Trapped behind the beam. She told you to protect me. And then the ceiling—"
My throat closed up. I looked away, blinking quickly.
Haruka's voice was quiet. "You were just a kid. It wasn't your fault."
"I know," I said automatically. But I didn't really believe it.
He touched my shoulder, gentle but firm.
"You've been carrying this for four years, Sakura. You don't have to keep doing it alone."
I forced a small smile and pulled back just enough to change the subject.
"What I need is breakfast," I said, forcing some cheer into my voice.
He chuckled, letting the tension ease. "Always thinking with your stomach. You never change."
"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, putting on the most innocent face I could manage.
"It is if you wake up an hour late on a school day."
At that, my heart dropped. I froze. Then, without another word, I bolted up the stairs to get ready.
A few minutes later, I was out the door, racing toward my high school.