The forest erupted.
Branches cracked like breaking bones, the wind howled through the treetops, and the whispers Raine had once thought gentle now twisted into shrieks that clawed at her ears. The ground trembled beneath her feet, roots shifting as if the forest itself was preparing for war.
Raine stumbled back, heart hammering, the warmth in her chest now a wildfire. Her eyes darted to the Guardian. He stood tall and unyielding, his golden-green gaze blazing through the chaos, his body tense, every muscle poised for battle.
"Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice low but unshakable.
Raine opened her mouth to protest, but the words died in her throat as the shadows emerged.
They slid from between the trees like liquid night, shapes that bent and twisted unnaturally, claws glinting in the pale light. Their eyes burned with a sickly, unnatural glow—neither gold nor green, but a dull, hateful crimson that made her skin crawl.
The Guardian's hand lifted, and the forest seemed to answer. Branches creaked, the wind stilled, and for a heartbeat, even the shadows hesitated under his gaze.
But then they surged forward.
"Run!" he barked.
Raine tried—she truly did—but her legs locked beneath her. Terror rooted her in place as one of the shadow-creatures lunged, its maw wide, teeth like jagged stone. She screamed, raising her arms instinctively—
—and fire burst from her hands.
It wasn't ordinary fire. It blazed golden, streaked with streaks of emerald light, alive and fierce, curling around her fingers without burning her skin. The creature shrieked as the flames struck, its form shattering into smoke that vanished into the wind.
Raine froze, staring at her hands in disbelief. The fire still danced there, bright and untamed, humming with the same rhythm she had felt in her chest. Her pulse thundered, but the fear was mixed now with awe.
The Guardian's gaze snapped to her, his expression unreadable—but his eyes burned brighter than ever. "So it begins," he murmured.
Another shadow lunged, larger this time, its claws aimed for her throat. Raine staggered back, panic flooding her veins. The fire flickered, threatening to die, but then the Guardian was there. He moved like a storm, faster than she could follow, striking with a force that cracked the earth. The shadow shattered before it could touch her.
Raine gasped, clutching her chest as the fire in her palms flickered uncertainly. "What's happening to me?!"
The Guardian didn't look at her, his eyes locked on the swarm still approaching. "The truth you can no longer hide," he said firmly. "The forest has awakened your fire—and the enemy will not stop until it claims you."
The shadows circled now, dozens of them, hissing like serpents, their red eyes fixed on her. Raine's knees weakened, but the warmth in her chest flared again, stronger than before. She clenched her fists, and the fire answered, blazing brighter, curling up her arms like living flame.
She could feel it. The forest's hum, the Guardian's presence, the enemy's hatred—it all converged on her, pulling her into the center of something far bigger than she understood.
The Guardian glanced at her, his voice sharp but calm. "Do not fear it. The fire is yours. Let it answer when they strike."
Raine swallowed hard, lifting her hands as the shadows closed in. Her body trembled, her breath came fast, but deep inside, the fire surged with a will of its own.
And when the first wave of creatures leapt toward her, she let it free.
The forest lit up.
Flames erupted in a great arc, golden and green, searing the shadows into ash. The trees glowed with the light, their leaves trembling in the sudden blaze, yet nothing living burned—only the darkness. The shadows screamed, their forms unraveling as Raine's fire cut through them like dawn breaking night.
When it was over, silence fell. Smoke drifted where the creatures had stood. The fire in Raine's hands dimmed to embers, then vanished, leaving only the faint warmth in her chest.
Her legs gave way. She fell to her knees, gasping, trembling. "I… I did that…"
The Guardian stepped closer, his gaze steady, his presence grounding her even in her panic. "Yes. And you will do more. But tonight was only the beginning."
Raine's eyes lifted to his, fear and wonder colliding in her chest. "What am I becoming?"
His lips curved slightly, a shadow of something between pride and warning.
"What you always were," he said softly. "What the forest remembers. The Phoenix."