I didn't sleep.
How could I? Every time I shut my eyes, it all came rushing back—the blast, the heat, the look on Felix's face right before he stumbled. That shock. That fear. The sound of the world tearing apart. The walls, charred and broken. The furniture, gone, reduced to ash.
All because of me. All of it my fault.
I sat up in bed, hugging my knees to my chest, staring at my bandaged wrists. Underneath the white cloth, I could feel it—that warmth, that pulse, like something alive beneath my skin. Waiting.
What if I couldn't control it? What if I hurt them again?
My chest felt tight, as if something heavy were pressing down on it, stealing my breath.
By the time the first pale streaks of dawn slipped through the window, I had been awake for hours, staring at nothing.
A soft knock startled me, and I nearly tumbled off the bed.
"Gwen?" Lilly's voice, gentle through the door. "It's time."
My stomach sank. Training.
I dressed with shaking hands. The clothes Lilly left were simple—dark pants and a loose shirt—but my fingers fumbled with every button, every tie. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. Pale. Hollow-eyed. Ghostly.
You have to do this, I told myself. They're giving you a chance. Don't waste it.
But what if I couldn't handle it?
I pressed my palms to my eyes and tried to breathe. Just get through today. One day. That's all.
The training grounds looked different in the morning light. Bigger, empty, yet alive with memory. The ground was scarred—blackened patches where the earth had been ripped open by something wild. Something uncontrolled. Something like me.
They were all waiting.
Leo stood in the center, arms crossed, looking far too alert for this hour. Heath leaned against a tree, his quiet eyes watching me. Lilly offered a strained smile. And Felix… he stared at the ground, avoiding me.
That hurt more than I expected.
"Morning," Leo said as I approached. Calm. Steady. "How are you feeling?"
"Terrified," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Fear wasn't new, but this felt different. "Power in this world isn't separate from you," Leo continued. "It's tied to your emotions. Fear, anger, joy, pain—they all feed it. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the power."
It clicked. The explosion had happened because I was overwhelmed, drowning in fear.
"But that connection makes it dangerous," Heath added. "Lose control of your emotions, and you lose control of your power. When that happens…" He trailed off, and I understood. People get hurt.
"So we start with the foundation," Leo said. "Before you use your power, you need to exist with it. Acknowledge it without letting it consume you."
"How?" I asked.
"Breathing," he said. "That's it. Just breathing."
I sat cross-legged on the ground, back straight, hands on my knees.
"Close your eyes," Leo instructed. "Feel the power inside. Don't fight it. Just know it's there."
At first, there was nothing—just wind in the trees, birds calling, my own heartbeat pounding. Then I felt it.
A small warmth, barely noticeable, flickering like a candle in the dark. Alive. Hungry.
"Good," Leo said. "Now breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
I tried.
The warmth grew, crawling up my arms. Heat. Fire. I gasped, choking, panicking.
"Don't fight it!" Heath shouted. "Let it flow!"
I couldn't.
"No—no, please—" I shook my hands frantically. The golden light spilled across them, wild and uncontrolled.
"Look at me," Felix's voice cut through the chaos. Firm. Not angry. "Not your hands. Me."
I forced my gaze to his eyes. Slowly, I mirrored his breathing—In. Out. In. Out.
The light dimmed, then calmed. I collapsed forward, gasping. Tears ran down my cheeks, but I didn't care.
"Good," Leo said quietly. "That's progress."
"I almost lost it again," I whispered.
"But you didn't," Lilly said, crouching beside me. "You pulled it back. That's what matters."
Felix stepped back, face unreadable, but for a moment, I saw relief in his eyes.
We trained for hours. Breathe. Feel. Hold. Release. My body ached, my wrists burned, and sweat soaked my shirt.
Heath taught grounding—pressing my hands to the earth to release energy. Lilly guided me through stretches to circulate power instead of letting it build. Felix corrected my posture and breathing without touching me, like he feared what might happen.
By midday, I was exhausted.
"One more time," Leo said. "Show me you can do it when you're at the end."
I nodded. My hands shook as I unwrapped the bandages. The golden mark glowed, pulsing with my heartbeat.
"Focus on it," Felix instructed. "Feel it move with your pulse. Part of you."
The warmth returned, now familiar, almost comforting. I controlled it, letting it bloom in my palms like candlelight.
"Hold it," Leo said. "Now release."
I exhaled, and the light faded.
"Perfect," Leo said. "Exactly what we needed."
I collapsed on the ground, staring at the pink sky, every part of me sore but alive.
"You should be proud," Heath said.
"I feel like I'm dying," I muttered.
"Then it worked," Lilly said, laughing.
Felix approached, calm but unreadable.
"One more test," he said.
He knelt beside me. "Show me your wrist."
I slowly unwrapped the bandages. The golden mark glowed brighter than before.
"Now summon the light. Just a little."
I obeyed. The warmth came instantly, soft and controlled.
Felix touched my wrist. His body froze. His eyes widened—not at me, but something else.
"Felix?" My voice cracked.
He staggered back, his face pale, breathing shallow. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"I saw…" he whispered. "Something impossible."
He walked away, unsteady.
I stood frozen.
"What just happened?" I asked.
Heath shook his head. "I don't know. Whatever your mark showed him—it hurt him. Badly."
The guilt hit me in waves. It was always my fault.
Later, I found Heath sitting outside, lost in thought.
"Can I sit?" I asked.
He nodded. We sat in silence.
"You did better than I expected," he said.
"I feel like I failed at everything."
"You didn't. Felix is hard on you because he's terrified. We all are. But he wouldn't train you if he didn't think you could do this."
I looked at my wrists. The mark pulsed faintly.
"What do you think he saw?" I asked.
"Memories, probably," Heath said. "Something—or someone—from the past. Something powerful."
I shivered.
"Can I ask something else?" I said.
"Always."
"School… tomorrow? Am I really supposed to go?"
He nodded. "Everyone your age does. It's not optional."
"But what if I lose control?"
"You won't. We'll be there. You're not alone."
"Even Felix?"
"Especially Felix. He's fiercely protective. And now… that includes you too."
I wasn't sure I believed it, but I didn't argue.
"Be careful," Heath warned. "People here… they don't like us. They fear what we can do."
"Why?"
"Our parents fought the Fiths. People think that makes us cursed. That monsters follow us. Fear makes people cruel."
I hugged my knees. "That's unfair."
"Life rarely isn't," Heath said. "Don't let anyone at school see your mark. Don't mention us."
That night, sleep finally claimed me.
But it wasn't peaceful.
I was standing somewhere cold and empty. The air thick, hard to breathe. Everything dark except a sickly light.
A shadowy figure stood before me. I couldn't see a face, only eyes—watching, judging.
"Who are you?" I tried to ask.
"Don't get close to people," the figure said. Cold. Dead.
"They'll come for you. Everyone you care about will suffer. The closer you get, the more danger you bring."
"Who?"
"They're watching. When they come… everyone you care about will burn. Your fault."
The figure laughed. Cold, cruel, inhuman.
I jerked awake, heart pounding, drenched in sweat. My wrists glowed in the darkness.
Someone was coming for me.
And when they arrived, everyone I cared about would pay the price.