The Warden commander stood rigid in front of the squad.
Hands on her sidearm.
Shoulders braced for a fight.
But Jackie didn't look at her.
She looked past her.
> At the ones not reaching for weapons.
At the ones younger than her.
At the ones who looked scared—not of her—but of what they'd been told about her.
She took a step forward.
> "My name is Jackie."
Her voice was clear, cutting through the storm's fading winds.
> "You were told someone like me was dangerous. A relic. A weapon. Something to 'contain.'"
> "That's exactly what they told Jazira. And they killed her for it."
One of the younger Wardens flinched at the name.
Another took a half-step forward before the commander barked, "Hold!"
Jackie kept going.
> "You know why she died? It wasn't because she lost control. It's because she refused to give it up."
> "She chose who to protect. She chose when to burn. And they couldn't stand that a dragon didn't belong to them."
The wind stilled.
Every soldier was listening now.
Even the ones trying not to.
---
🜂 Truth Like Fire
Jackie raised her hand—not to attack, but to reveal. Flame danced across her palm. Controlled. Calm. Beautiful.
> "This is not a weapon."
She pointed to the sky.
> "The Unmade are growing. The Rift is unstable. Your leaders are looking for something to blame."
> "But this fire could be something else. Something older."
> "Something… healing."
She let the fire fade.
And then, looking directly at one of the Warden initiates—barely older than sixteen—she asked:
> "What are you really afraid of?"
Silence.
Then… the initiate stepped forward.
Helmet off. Eyes uncertain, but locked with hers.
> "What happens if we follow you?"
Jackie didn't smile. Not this time.
> "You stop following. You start choosing."
---
🜂 The Commander Breaks
The commander's voice cracked like lightning. "You're all out of line—"
But it was too late.
Half the unit was listening to Jackie now.
A few lowered their weapons.
And Jackie?
She walked past the commander like she didn't exist.
> "If you want to stop me," she said over her shoulder, "you'd better hurry."
> "Because the flame just chose its future."