The alley was silent, save for the crackle of Mila's flames. She crouched slightly, summoning her energy.
"Alright… Flamedro Tonado, again," she murmured, raising her arms. The air twisted as a small tornado of fire formed above her palms. She tightened her focus, trying to stabilize it. Slowly, the tornado grew stronger, the swirling flames contained in a tight vortex.
"Good… now Blagos Endos!" Mila shouted. She threw a fireball forward. It exploded in a brilliant mushroom-shaped burst, sending sparks flying into the darkening sky. She quickly canceled it before it could be seen by anyone from the academy.
Her heart thudded in her chest. This is… working.
She tried another fireball, and suddenly, the same dragon-shaped beam she had seen yesterday blazed beside it, slicing the air with intense energy. Mila staggered backward, her eyes wide.
"What… no, I didn't-" she whispered, panic lacing her words. Her hands trembled slightly, the flames flickering wildly. The dragon beam roared through the alley, scorching the cobblestones.
She clutched her head, trying to control it. "Focus… focus… it's just… it's not mine… yet!"
Mila experimented again, summoning both Flamedro Tonado and Blagos Endos. Each fireball was sometimes accompanied by the dragon beam, the sheer destructive force dwarfing anything she had learned so far. Trees along the edge of the alley shook; the ground beneath her feet quivered.
She stumbled back, panting. "This… this is insane… stronger than anything I've ever done."
Her mind raced. I can't control it… not yet. But if I could… She imagined the power flowing through her, the Flamedro Tonado spinning wildly, Blagos Endos lighting the air with explosive fire, and the dragon beam untamed, unstoppable.
Mila sank to her knees, hands still glowing. "It's… too much for me right now… I need to understand it… slowly…"
The alley was quiet again, only the faint glow of her controlled flames remaining. Yet deep in her chest, a spark of exhilaration burned.
One day… I'll master this. And then… nothing will be able to stop me.
She took a deep breath, letting the small tornado die down and the last fireball fizzle out. For the first time, Mila realized just how much untapped power she truly held and how dangerous it could be if she lost control.