2025-03-26 17:37:44Adrian sat in the dim firelight, moving his fingers. His hands no longer felt like his own. Every time he closed them, he swore he could feel the fire still there… hiding under his skin, waiting.
The old man had said it would take time to control it. But Adrian didn’t have time. Kara nudged him with her boot. “You’ve been staring at your hands for an hour.” Adrian looked up. “I don’t want to lose control again.” Kara raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t lose control. You made fire. That’s the whole point.” Adrian sighed. “It didn’t feel like I was the one controlling it. It just… happened.” Kai, who had been sharpening his dagger nearby, spoke without looking up. “Maybe that’s the problem. You’re trying to control something that isn’t meant to be controlled.” Adrian frowned. “Then how do I use it?” Kai smirked. “You learn to move with it. Not against it.” Adrian wasn’t sure he liked that answer. The old man walked in, his steps light but steady. “It’s time.” Adrian stood. “For what?” The old man motioned for him to follow. “For you to understand what’s coming.” That didn’t sound good. Kara and Kai exchanged glances before following as Adrian went after the old man outside. The night air was cool, the sky full of stars. The fire in the pit still burned low, glowing like embers in the darkness. The old man stopped, turning to face Adrian. “You have power now.” Adrian nodded. “I know.” “No.” The old man’s voice was sharper. “You think you know.” He stepped closer. “You feel strong, don’t you? Like you could take on the world?” Adrian hesitated. “I….” “Good,” the old man interrupted. “Because that’s exactly when power becomes dangerous.” Adrian swallowed. The old man’s voice grew lower. “Your enemy knows you’re alive. And now… they will come.” Silence. Kara shifted uneasily. “You mean Killian?” The old man’s gaze darkened. “Him. And worse.” Adrian’s hands clenched. “Then we fight.” The old man’s lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile. “And if you lose?” Adrian hesitated. Because deep down… he knew he wasn’t ready. “Attack me.” Adrian blinked. “What?” The old man stood still, hands at his sides. His face was calm, waiting. “Attack me,” he repeated. Adrian hesitated. “I….” The old man sighed. “Did you think your enemies would give you time to think?” Before Adrian could react, the old man moved. He didn’t run. He didn’t even raise his hands. He just stepped forward… and suddenly, Adrian couldn’t breathe. His chest tightened, his vision spun. It felt like something invisible had wrapped around his body, squeezing the air from his lungs. Kara gasped. “What…” Adrian dropped to one knee, gasping. He could feel his fire, but it was buried deep under something stronger. Something that wasn’t his. The old man crouched in front of him. His voice was calm, almost gentle. “This is what true power feels like.” Adrian gritted his teeth, fighting against the invisible grip. His fire flared, trying to break free. The old man’s eyes moved with something… “Good. Now, use it.” Adrian exhaled sharply. He stopped fighting. Stopped thinking. And then… he let go. A burst of heat exploded from his chest, pushing the old man back. Adrian gasped as the pressure around him vanished, and he stumbled to his feet, flames moving around his hands. The old man chuckled. “Better.” Adrian wiped sweat from his brow. “What… was that?” “A lesson,” the old man said. “Power is not about force. It’s about knowing when to release it.” Adrian swallowed. He understood now. The fire had been inside him all along. He had been holding it back. But when he let go… it answered. And this was only the start. The old man turned toward the horizon. His face grew serious. Kara frowned. “What is it?” The wind changed. The air grew colder. The old man’s voice was grim. “They’re coming.” Adrian followed his gaze. Far beyond the trees, past the hills… something moved in the shadows. Something watching. Waiting. And for the first time, Adrian knew… his training had to end. Because war was already here.
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When the Past returns
Adrian’s hands burned with heat. The fire inside him pulsed under his skin, alive and restless. He could feel it moving, calling, wanting to act. His chest rose and fell quickly as he stared at the figure stepping out of the shadows.“Killian,” Adrian said, his voice low, rough. “You’re alive.”Killian’s lips lifted in a small smile, but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “And you are awake,” he said. His voice was calm, but it held a weight that pressed down on Adrian’s chest. Years of hate, of waiting, of planning… it was all there.Adrian’s fists tightened. Heat ran through his arms and into his shoulders. “You left me for dead. You took my kingdom. My crown. My life… Why?”Killian’s eyes glinted in the moonlight. “You think it was that simple? You were weak. You let them get to you. I did what had to be done.”Kara stepped closer, her sword held loosely but ready. “He’s lying. He always lies.”Kai crouched beside Adrian, dagger in hand. “Don’t let him mess with your mind. Focus on wha
The Price of power
Adrian sat on a fallen log, staring at his hands. The flames had gone, but the heat inside him would not leave. It pulsed under his skin, restless, alive. The others were quiet. Kara leaned against a tree, arms crossed. Kai cleaned his daggers, though his hands were stiff. Even the old man, who always seemed calm, studied him too closely. Adrian clenched his fists. “Why do I still feel it?” The old man exhaled, throwing dried leaves into the fire. The flames moved in blue waves. “Because it’s part of you now. The fire doesn’t sleep. It waits.” That didn’t make him feel better. Kara kicked a rock. “Next time, maybe warn us before setting the whole place on fire?” Adrian frowned. “I didn’t mean to..” Kai cut in. “You lost control. We saw it.” Adrian swallowed. He had felt it too. For a moment, he wasn’t fighting, he was something else. Something bigger. Something dangerous. The old man stirred the fire with his staff. The flames turned deep blue. “Your power is waking up, Adri
The Storm Approaches
The night was too quiet. Adrian stood near the fire, staring into the dark trees. Something was out there. He could feel it. A strange pressure pressed on his chest, like unseen eyes were watching him. The wind blew, rustling the leaves, but it wasn’t the wind that made his skin prickle. Kara paced back and forth. “I don’t like this.” Kai sat on a rock, sharpening his dagger. “You don’t like anything.” She shot him a glare. “I like being alive.” Adrian didn’t join their argument. His hands felt warm, his fingertips tingling. It had been happening more often, this strange heat inside him. Then it happened. A voice. Adrian. It wasn’t spoken. It was inside his head. A whisper, distant but clear. His breath hitched. His fingers twitched. The fire behind him moved, as if it had heard the voice too. “The wards are breaking,” he muttered. Kai stopped sharpening his dagger. Kara froze. The old man, sitting quietly by the fire, finally spoke. “They found us.” Everyone went still.
Sparks in the Dark
Adrian sat in the dim firelight, moving his fingers. His hands no longer felt like his own. Every time he closed them, he swore he could feel the fire still there… hiding under his skin, waiting. The old man had said it would take time to control it. But Adrian didn’t have time. Kara nudged him with her boot. “You’ve been staring at your hands for an hour.” Adrian looked up. “I don’t want to lose control again.” Kara raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t lose control. You made fire. That’s the whole point.” Adrian sighed. “It didn’t feel like I was the one controlling it. It just… happened.” Kai, who had been sharpening his dagger nearby, spoke without looking up. “Maybe that’s the problem. You’re trying to control something that isn’t meant to be controlled.” Adrian frowned. “Then how do I use it?” Kai smirked. “You learn to move with it. Not against it.” Adrian wasn’t sure he liked that answer. The old man walked in, his steps light but steady. “It’s time.” Adrian stood. “For wha
The Awakening and Weight of Power.
The flames moved. Alive. Waiting. Adrian’s breath came fast. He could feel it now. The pull in his chest… like something long asleep was waking up. The old man watched him closely. “Do you feel it?” Adrian swallowed hard. “What… what is this?” “The truth,” the man said. “Your blood remembers.” Kara shifted uneasily. “That doesn’t sound good.” But Adrian couldn’t look away from the fire. It called to him. And before he could stop himself, he reached out. The moment his fingers neared the flames, they changed. The fire turned white… hot, moving in strange shapes. A name burned in his mind. A name he didn’t know. A name that felt like it belonged to him. Adrian staggered back, his heart hammering. The old man’s voice was calm. “You are remembering.” Adrian clenched his fists. It didn’t make sense. His whole life, he had been… normal. No magic. No power. Yet now, he could feel it. It was like something had been locked inside him. Hidden away. And now… It was breaking op
The truth in the flames
Adrian’s hand gripped his sword. The old man in the doorway didn’t move. His gray eyes held a look that was hard to read, like he was waiting. Kara’s voice was sharp. “Who are you?” The man smiled. “Come inside.” Adrian didn’t trust him. But the cold bit into his skin, and Kai... barely standing, needed warmth. He made the choice. They stepped in. The cabin was small but warm. A fire crackled in the hearth, filling the room with light. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with books and strange vials. The man walked to the fire, stirring a pot of something that smelled like herbs. He turned to them. “Sit.” No one moved. Adrian studied him. He was old, too old to be dangerous. But his presence felt strong. “Who are you?” Adrian asked. The man’s eyes gleamed. “Someone who has been waiting for you.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Why?” The old man chuckled. “Because you are not who you think you are.” Silence. Kara crossed her arms. “Great. Another cryptic old man.” The man ignore
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