Not the Same Girl
Kael sat near the edge of the fire, staring into the embers.
He hadn't moved since Elira stormed into the woods.
Rian paced behind him like a caged wolf, his boots scuffing lines into the dirt. "She's been gone too long."
Kael didn't answer.
"You should've told her," Rian snapped. "All of it. From the start."
Kael still said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on the fire, as if willing it to offer clarity. Forgiveness. A way back.
Then, a sudden gust swept through the clearing—warm and strange, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and something older: ash and lightning.
Both men turned as the trees parted.
Elira stepped into the light.
But she wasn't the same.
Her green cloak flowed behind her like living flame, though no wind stirred it. Her hair shimmered faintly, threaded with strands of emberlight. And in her eyes—still fierce, still familiar—there was something new.
Power.
Control.
Purpose.
The fire at the center of the camp rose slightly, crackling in greeting.
Kael rose to his feet, slowly. "Elira…"
"I remember," she said simply.
Neither man spoke. Even Rian seemed struck dumb.
"I remember the circle," she continued, stepping forward. "The boy with the steady hands. The one who told me I wasn't broken." Her gaze locked on Kael. "I didn't realize it was you."
He swallowed. "I wasn't supposed to let you see me. I broke protocol that day."
"You broke more than that."
Rian finally found his voice. "Elira, what happened out there?"
She looked at him. Not cruelly. Not coldly. Just… differently.
"I found the truth. My truth. The forest showed me what I am—and what they've been trying to erase."
Kael stepped forward, cautious. "And now?"
"Now," she said, lifting her hand, letting a flicker of light dance between her fingers, "I choose what to do with it."
She let the flame vanish.
"I'm not your secret, Kael. I'm not your burden, Rian. I am not something to be protected from myself."
The silence after her words was deep. Not empty—full of everything they had not said for far too long.
Kael finally said, "What do you want to do?"
Elira looked at the night sky—so full of stars, it felt like the world was holding its breath.
"Expose the ones who framed my brother," she said. "Burn the lies out of this kingdom."
Then, softer, eyes meeting Kael's:
"And maybe… figure out who the boy in the woods became."
Kael's mouth parted slightly, as if to answer—but the fire flared suddenly, casting a long shadow.
Rian stepped forward. "Then we'll need to move fast. Because if you've awakened what I think you have… they'll be coming for you."
Elira didn't flinch.
"Let them come," she said.