Mira slowly opened her eyes.
Her head hurt, and her body felt heavy. She was lying in her room at the academy. The familiar ceiling above her made her realize she had been brought back.
For a moment, she thought everything had been a dream.
Then she saw her hand.
The strange mark was faint, but still there.
Memories rushed back — the light, the wind, the destruction.
Her breathing quickened.
"I did that…" she whispered.
Fear wrapped around her heart.
She remembered the terrified faces of the students before she lost consciousness. She had never wanted to hurt anyone.
Tears filled her eyes.
"What if I lose control again?" she thought.
"What if I hurt someone next time?"
She pulled the blanket over her head, trembling.
The voice did not come that night.
Only silence.
That silence felt heavier than any punishment.
Mira realized something painful — the power inside her was not only dangerous to others.
It was dangerous to herself.
For the first time, Mira was afraid… not of the world.
But of who she might become.