Kacie
There was no doubt in my mind as I stared at Clara. I knew what I was about to do and I didn’t have an ounce of hesitation. her head jerked to the side and her gift obey and blocked my flaming sword as it swung at her. That’s when I saw it, she stood there wide open and it was now or never.
The flames were small but burned bright with intent. I took a deep breath and lunged at her. A few seconds in mid-air and Clara turned her head slightly. She stared at me but there wasn’t shock or surprise in her eyes. She may not have seen me coming but she knew, of course, she knew.
It was too late for her to dodge but I had the feeling she didn’t have any intentions of trying to get out of the way or protecting herself. Was this a test? Was I being tested? My mind was a jumble of thoughts.
My left hand connected with her first, the flames scorching through her dress as I grabbed her. I’d done it but I didn’t feel like celebrating. My eyes were locked on her skin as it reddened and began peeling. She didn’t scream and that unnerved me. She didn’t try to push me off. I released her and stepped back. She shook her head, disappointment lighting her eyes.
“Now, Kacie, it’s my turn,” Clara whispered.
As soon as she said the words, her face disappeared as the world went black. For a second, I thought I fainted but I was still conscious. The sun hadn’t set and it wasn’t dark. No, it was black, there was nothing. I was completely surrounded by darkness. I couldn’t see my body or my hands in front of me. I tried but failed to move.
“This is what happens when you don’t kill your opponent. They get the upper hand and you’re left at a disadvantage. In a battle, you should never show mercy. Your opponent isn’t your friend and they won’t hesitate to take you out. Your hesitation to hurt me is your weakness and will get you killed,” Clara’s voice said from somewhere close by.
The world was now cold and it felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. I breathed in but there was nothing. With each deep inhale, I was left with a greater need for relief, for oxygen. Panic began to set in and I started scratching at my throat. My eyes tightened and my throat felt restricted.
“When you’re fighting an enemy, be it in a battle or a fight, there are rarely second chances. It’s either you or them. Remember that, Kacie,” Clara said. I still couldn’t see anything and the darkness was overwhelming. Her voice was getting farther and farther away.
Was this it?
Before I started thrashing, Clara spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper now. “Now, break free.”My brain’s warning alarms were going off and my head was pounding. I failed to see a way out of this and I was starting to lose hope.
If I could do that I would have done it already. I would have done it the moment I realized I couldn’t breathe, the moment oxygen disappeared. “Use your gift and break free, Kacie.” I tried and failed to get a handle on my flames, they slipped through my grasp. I could barely focus on my gift as I’d done earlier.
Don’t try, think, Kacie. Don’t you think I’m trying, Ath?
Come on, Kacie.
I’m trying, Ath.
Suffocating, I lost focus of what I was doing, I was suffocating now. I think I fell to my knees but I couldn’t see anything. My eyes rolled in the back of my head. I was making weird noises I’d never heard before. My head felt faint and I knew I was done.
If I could see, the world would be spinning, instead, I felt sick to my stomach. I started to sink into the abyss. Just as the thought of death flashed across my mind, the darkness was gone, and I squinted as the brightness blinded me. Gasping, I filled my lungs with air as I stared up at her.
I was still struggling to catch my breath and calm myself. My hands were no longer on fire and the flaming sword that had stuck from my chest was extinguished. As soon as I gulped a few breaths of air, the flames rose and burned brighter than they had before.
After trying so hard to call on the flames while I’d been trapped by her gifts, I was no longer restricted and had full access to my gifts. I felt it running through me, I felt the anger from my flames, I felt the need to burn and destroy.
“Now turn it off,” Clara said. I tried to call it back inside of me but it didn’t budge. I’d let it free and let it run rampant. My gift didn’t want to be sealed away.
Heat pooled within me before bursting out and lashing towards her. My vision changed and as I peered out through my eyes, I saw things in waves of heat. Clara was cold and my heat surrounded her.
“I didn’t know you were this bad,” Clara murmured. “You have the control of a child.”
“I-”
Clara shook her head and lifted her hand. Sensing she was going to try and attack, the flames turned into eight thick whips. Trying to stop her from attacking, they slashed against her barrier. Power surged through me and my head dropped back. I felt so free and wild. All I wanted to do was test my barriers. I wanted to grow and grow until I burned down everything. I wanted to watch the world burn to the ground. Why had I been trying to call my gift back? I tried to remember why I wanted to lock my gift away.
“We’re done for the day,” Clara said. With a flick of her wrists, her gift surrounded me and it felt like a lid had been placed on my flames. My flames fizzled until they disappeared.