Nareman lay upon the bed, utterly spent, her face and dress veiled in sweat and dust. Her eyes were half-closed, seeking a brief surrender to rest after the long, unforgiving day at the farm—unaware of what waited beyond that fragile calm.
The door creaked open; her sister Nora slipped into the room, eyes bright with restless curiosity. Before Nareman could stir, Nora leapt upon her.
Her heart jolted. "Get off me!" she shouted, struggling to push her away.
Frowning in anger, Nareman snapped, "You're acting like a child—stop this at once!"
But Nora stood her ground, unshaken. "Why are you angry? I only wanted to tease you."
"Don't tease me! Stay away, do you understand?" Nareman's voice tightened with frustration.
Nora's pout deepened; then she turned toward the wardrobe, rifling through it with careless fingers.
Nareman's voice trembled with anger. "What are you doing?"
She rushed forward, but Nora stepped back, smiling as she held a folded piece of paper, waving it tauntingly in the air.
Nareman froze at the sight, then lunged toward her. "Give it back!" she shouted.
Nora darted aside, and Nareman stumbled over her siblings' toys, falling hard to the floor.
Nora leapt onto the bed, shaking her head with mock disbelief. "Oh, sister… you're always so clumsy."
She unfolded the paper slowly—and gasped. "What is this? It looks like a map… why were you hiding it?"
Nareman's eyes widened, fear flickering in their depths.
Nora pressed on, her voice bright with excitement. "A map? Does anyone else know? Why didn't you tell me?"
A moment later, she smiled in wonder. "Is it a treasure map?"
Nareman's anger surged. She threw herself at Nora, and both crashed from the bed in a tangle of limbs and cries.
A scream tore from Nora's throat. Nareman recoiled. "What?!"
Nora rubbed her arm, searching the floor with trembling fingers. "I felt a shock—like lightning!"
Nareman frowned. "You probably struck your wrist against the floor, that's all."
But then a flicker of light danced across Nora's palm—a spark, faint yet alive.
"Did you see that?" she gasped. "Did you?"
Nareman's breath caught. Fear and awe mingled in her gaze as she reached toward her sister's hand—
—and in that instant, the power burst forth, hurling Nareman across the room. The air erupted into light and sound; energy raged, wild and blinding, filling the walls with a furious hum.
Adam stormed toward the room, each step shaking under the weight of the storm. Lightning lashed out, striking walls, searing curtains, turning breath itself into resistance.
"Nora!" he roared. "Try to control your power!"
But his voice was swallowed by the chaos.
"I can't!" cried Nora, her voice quivering, tears cutting through the brightness.
Adam's chest tightened—not from the danger, but from the terror of watching his daughter consumed by something she did not understand.
He turned—there, in the corner, Nareman pressed against the wall, pale and trembling, eyes wide with disbelief.
He moved carefully toward her, but a bolt of lightning shot past, cleaving the wardrobe in two and scattering sparks like a storm of glass.
They froze, eyes locked, the air thick with fear. Smoke coiled upward from the splintered wood.
Adam stepped back, breath ragged, mind racing—The energy is too wild. I can't risk touching either of them. The only way is containment.—how could he stop her?
He touched the ground. The house groaned in response; wood split, stone twisted, walls shuddered as if obeying his command. In a heartbeat, rock rose around Nora, sealing her within a dome of earth and silence.
For a moment, stillness returned. Then from within came Nora's scream—raw, frightened.
Adam pressed his hand to the dome. His voice, low yet steady, carried through the trembling air.
"Calm down, little one… breathe. We'll figure this out. We're here."
The younger children crowded at the doorway, faces pale with wonder and fear.
"Do not enter!" Adam thundered.
Barwin moved quickly, shielding them from the storm that still crackled behind the barrier.
Niolefer approached, voice calm but commanding.
"Take a deep breath… quiet your fear… rub your fingers together, then clench your fist—and never let go."
Nora obeyed, trembling, pressure mounting in her hand. But she faltered—the grip slipped—and energy burst outward, shaking the dome, splitting stone.
Everyone drew back in alarm. Nareman stood frozen, eyes wide, watching the cracks spread.
"Nareman!" her father shouted.
In an instant, Barwin moved, shielding her with his body.
The explosion came—deafening, absolute. The rock barrier shattered, fragments whirling like knives of light.
Then—silence.
The light vanished. The sound dissolved. Even the dust seemed to hang motionless before sinking slowly to the floor.
At the center lay Nora, her eyes distant, her hair rising softly, threads of static shimmering faintly around her.
No one moved. No one spoke. Astonishment held them all.
When the light and noise dissolved, Barwin recoiled slightly, eyes wide with disbelief, as though an unthinkable truth had just taken shape before him.
She stood still, her hand raised, breathing calm amid the ruin. Her white hair floated lightly, touched by a glow unseen. Her eyes—twin galaxies of light—held a quiet, impossible power.
It became clear in that silence.
The explosion had not faded on its own.
It was Nareman who had stopped it.
Adam turned toward the doorway, where his children stared in mute disbelief. His expression hardened, voice breaking to a whisper:
"Everything… is ruined."
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