The sun was just beginning to rise over Berbeign City, casting soft light on the academy's training grounds. Most students were either asleep or preparing for morning drills, leaving the field mostly empty. Milly, under her new identity of Mila, slipped quietly into a secluded corner, her heart beating with anticipation.
"Okay… small, controlled, no one notices," she muttered, crouching low and letting her hands hover just above the dirt. The fire in her palms flickered nervously.
Her first attempt was timid just a tiny spiral of flame curling lazily, barely higher than a foot. She exhaled slowly, nodding. Good start.
"Now, Flamedro Tonado…" she whispered, more softly this time, careful to keep the words low and almost inaudible. The small tornado of fire swirled with newfound precision, its spinning flames contained within a circle barely a meter wide.
She tested it further, sending the mini vortex over a pile of leaves. The leaves danced harmlessly in the spiraling wind, yet the fire burned cleanly, no sparks flying outward. Milly's eyes widened. I… I can control it.
A gentle breeze swept across the field, rustling the distant trees, and Milly adjusted the tornado's rotation. With a flick of her wrist, the flames dipped and rose, shrinking or expanding slightly on command. Every movement was deliberate, controlled.
"Flamedro Tonado…" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. With each repetition, the tiny tornado seemed to obey her instinctively. The fire followed her intent, spinning faster or slower depending on the subtle shifts in her posture.
She allowed herself a small smile. "If anyone saw this… they'd probably think it's just a small campfire trick…" she muttered. Her eyes flicked toward the main training area, where a few early students had begun their drills. They were too far away to notice anything, just tiny dots moving in the morning haze.
Encouraged, Milly experimented further, sending the mini tornado over a small stack of training dummies. The wind lifted them slightly, spinning them gently without harming the ground. The flames remained tightly wound, warm but harmless, as if obeying a silent command: Only what I want to touch.
Her thoughts drifted briefly. This… this feels familiar. Like I've done it before… But the memory remained just out of reach, a whisper of a past she could not grasp. Still, the instinct flowed through her Flamedro Tonado wasn't just magic; it was a part of her, deep and instinctive.
Satisfied, she let the vortex dissipate with a small clap of her hands, the flames vanishing into harmless sparks that disappeared in the morning air.
Milly exhaled slowly and muttered, "Alright… small, secret… controlled. I can do this."
She glanced back at the academy buildings, her pulse still racing. No one had noticed a thing. To everyone else, it was just another quiet morning at Berbeign Academy. But Mila knew the fire was awakening, a power that might one day remind her who she really was.
For now, she smiled to herself, her hands still warm from the flames. One step at a time, Milly… one step at a time.