[Final boss]

Amira felt the heat surging through her veins, the flames licking up her arms, growing wilder. Despite everything—the chaos, the danger—she couldn't help it. A grin stretched across her face.

This was getting interesting.

She lunged forward, flames flaring as she drove her sword through another creature. The rush of adrenaline was intoxicating, her fire burning brighter with every movement. It was as if her body thrived in battle, the thrill pushing her beyond her limits.

“Amira!” Sara’s voice barely registered as a beast with a jagged exoskeleton leaped at her from the side.

She twisted at the last second, her flames flaring uncontrollably. A massive burst of heat shot outward, incinerating the monster mid-air. The sudden explosion of power sent her staggering back slightly, her vision flickering.

“Whoa,” the blue-haired speedster muttered, skidding to a stop next to her. “Did your flames just evolve mid-fight?”

Amira’s breathing was heavy, but she barely noticed. The fire in her hands flickered, shifting into a deep, intense purple for a split second before returning to its usual red-orange.

She clenched her fists.

Something was happening to her.

And she liked it.

“Less talking, more fighting!” Ruby yelled, freezing a monster solid before shattering it with a well-placed kick.

The earth-user slammed his hands to the ground, sending a wave of stone spikes erupting from the pavement, impaling several enemies at once. “We need to shut that portal down before more come through!”

Amira exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus. The heat in her blood, the overwhelming power—it would have to wait.

“Then let’s finish this,” she said, gripping her sword as flames reignited.

Just when Amira thought they were gaining control, the entire battlefield shook.

A deep, guttural growl echoed from the portal above. The air itself grew heavy, thick with an oppressive force that sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Then, it emerged.

The creature was massive—easily four stories tall. Its body was a twisted mix of obsidian armor and pulsating, glowing veins of energy. Four arms, each ending in razor-sharp claws, flexed as it stepped forward. A jagged, bone-like crown protruded from its head, and its eyes—cold, calculating, predatory—locked onto them.

“Uh… guys?” Dave’s voice wavered as he took a step back. “I think we just met the final boss.”

The monster roared, sending a shockwave that shattered nearby windows. The sheer force of it pushed them all back, cracks forming beneath their feet.

Amira, however, barely felt it.

Her breathing was ragged, her body still thrumming with that feeling—like something inside her was waking up. The fire around her hands surged again, flickering wildly between red and deep violet.

She grinned.

This was it. The real test.

Without waiting for a plan, without hesitating, she charged.

“Amira, wait—!” Sara yelled, but it was too late.

The moment her feet left the ground, her flames erupted brighter than ever. The rush was intoxicating, overwhelming—her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her vision sharpened, and for the first time, she felt limitless.

She swung her blade, and the very air around it burned with unnatural heat.

The monster blocked with one massive claw—but as soon as it made contact, something changed.

Her flames pulsed, and suddenly, it flinched.

For the first time, it felt her attack.

Amira’s grin widened, but she didn’t notice something else.

Her friends did.

Her eyes—once their usual deep brown—were now glowing, flickering with the same unnatural purple hue as her fire.

And for the first time since awakening her powers—

She wasn’t sure if she was the one in control anymore.

Amira barely registered the gasps from behind her. The only thing she could focus on was the sheer, overwhelming power surging through her body. Every breath she took made the flames burn hotter, her vision sharpening in ways that felt both exhilarating and unnatural.

The monster snarled, swiping at her with one of its massive claws, but she was already moving. Her body felt lighter, faster. She dodged effortlessly, the ground beneath her feet cracking from the force of her jump.

And then she attacked.

Her sword struck true—this time, carving straight through the beast’s thick armor like it was nothing. The moment her blade connected, her flames surged, consuming the wound and burning inside the creature. The monster let out a guttural, agonized roar, staggering back for the first time.

It was afraid.

Amira felt a twisted thrill at the realization.

More.

She needed more.

Her grip on her sword tightened, the fire around her hands spreading wildly, licking up her arms. The once-familiar orange glow was completely gone now—replaced by a deep, unnatural purple. Her veins pulsed with heat, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst.

She could end this thing. Right here. Right now.

She raised her sword again, ready to unleash the full force of her flames—

But then—

“Amira, STOP!”

A voice.

Distant. Drowned out.

Someone grabbed her wrist.

The world snapped back into focus.

Amira blinked.

Her sword was still raised. The monster was staggering, clearly on its last legs—but she hadn’t delivered the final blow yet. And her friends—

They were staring at her like she was the monster.

Sara was the one holding her wrist, her expression filled with panic. “You need to stop,” she said again, breathless.

Amira’s eyes darted to the others.

Ruby had ice forming around her hands, but she wasn’t attacking. Dave was gripping his arm like he had just been thrown back. The two awakeners they had just met—the earth-user and the speedster—were frozen in place, eyes wide with shock.

And then Amira saw her reflection.

In the broken glass of a nearby car window, her own face stared back at her.

Her eyes were glowing. Not just flickering—but fully, blindingly purple.

Her fire pulsed erratically, spreading across her arms, her shoulders—unstable.

Too much.

She sucked in a sharp breath, and just like that, the power she had been basking in turned into pain.

Her body burned. Her vision blurred. Her legs suddenly felt like they couldn’t hold her weight anymore.

Then, the world tilted—

And she collapsed.

Darkness threatened to swallow her whole, but Amira fought against it. Her body ached—not just from exhaustion, but from something deeper. It felt like her very bones were on fire, her skin too tight, her muscles strained beyond their limits.

Faint voices broke through the haze.

“She’s burning up—what the hell just happened?!” That was Ruby. Her voice was unusually shaky.

“Her fire—it changed,” Dave said, breathless. “That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t just fire anymore.”

“I told you guys something was wrong!” Sara snapped. “We have to get her out of here—now!”

Amira forced her eyes open. Her vision was still blurred, but she could make out figures moving around her. Someone was holding her up—Sara, most likely. The others were tense, alert, like they were expecting another fight.

Then, she felt it.

The monster.

It was still standing.

She tried to move—tried to summon her fire again—but her body refused to listen. Every muscle screamed in protest. Her flames flickered weakly, then sputtered out entirely.

For the first time since awakening her powers—

She had nothing left.

The towering creature let out a ragged snarl, glaring down at them with its remaining strength. It was injured—badly—but still dangerous.

“We can’t fight like this,” Dave muttered. “Not with Amira down.”

“I’ll handle it,” the earth-user said, stepping forward. “You guys just focus on getting her out of here.”

The speedster nodded, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s wrap this up before more of those things show up.”

Amira wanted to argue, wanted to stand up and finish what she started—but her vision spun again, and she felt herself slipping back into unconsciousness.

The last thing she saw was the sky above—the swirling portal slowly closing—and the panicked yet determined faces of her friends.

Then, the darkness took her.

A dull throbbing settled in Amira’s skull as she drifted back into consciousness. Her body felt heavy, like she’d been hit by a truck. Voices murmured around her, but they were muffled, distant.

She blinked sluggishly.

A ceiling. White. Familiar.

Home?

Her fingers twitched, and suddenly, someone was hovering over her. “She’s awake!”

Sara’s voice.

Amira groaned, turning her head slightly. The movement sent a sharp pain through her skull, making her wince. “Ugh… did anyone get the plate of the truck that hit me?”

“Oh, shut up,” Ruby huffed, arms crossed. “You scared the hell out of us.”

The memories came rushing back. The fight. The monster. The power surging through her. The unnatural purple flames.

Her stomach twisted.

“I—” She hesitated. “What happened?”

“You tell us,” Dave said, leaning against the wall. “One second, you were fighting fine. The next? You went full ‘unhinged battle junkie’ and nearly roasted the whole battlefield.”

Amira swallowed, shifting slightly. She expected to feel warmth from her flames, but there was nothing. Just emptiness.

Sara’s expression softened. “You passed out. Your body overheated or something, and then…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “Your eyes, Amira. They—”

“Glowed,” Ruby finished. “Purple. Not normal fire glow—like, straight-up supernatural glow.”

Amira’s heart pounded. She remembered it now—that moment when she let go, when she stopped holding back and let the flames take over.

And for a split second… she hadn’t felt like herself.

She clenched her fists. “And the monster?”

“Dead,” the speedster—Aiden—answered. He was standing near the door, arms crossed. “Earth-boy and I handled the cleanup. You did most of the damage, though.”

“But…” The earth-user, Liam, hesitated. “Your flames. That wasn’t normal, was it?”

Amira didn’t answer immediately. Her vision had blurred in the middle of the fight. She had lost control. And now…

She blinked.

The room was bright, but something was off. The details were fuzzier than they should be, like there was a layer of static over her vision.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then reopened them.

Still blurry.

Panic settled in her chest.

Sara must’ve noticed her shift in expression because she leaned in. “Amira?”

Amira licked her lips. “My… vision. It’s—” She hesitated, forcing a breath. “It’s not normal.”

Sara frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s—blurry,” Amira admitted, rubbing her temples. “It comes and goes, but right now… it’s worse.”

Silence filled the room.

Then, Dave muttered, “Shit.”

Amira flexed her fingers, but when she tried to summon even a small flicker of flame, nothing happened. It was like she had been drained completely dry.

Her fire wasn’t gone. She could feel it, but something was wrong.

Sara and Ruby exchanged glances. “You think…” Ruby trailed off.

Sara exhaled. “It’s a side effect.”

Amira’s stomach sank.

Her power had grown—her fire had changed. But it had cost her something.

And if she didn’t figure out how to control it soon…

She might lose more than just her sight.

The evening air was thick with unspoken tension as everyone gathered in the dining room. The smell of home-cooked food filled the space—Kora had taken over cooking, claiming no one was allowed to starve on her watch. Plates were set, glasses filled, and yet… no one really touched their food.

Amira sat at the head of the table, stirring her rice with her fork. Her head still ached, and her vision flickered between almost normal and frustratingly hazy. She hadn't told them how much worse it had gotten in the past few hours. No one needed another reason to freak out.

“So…” Stacy, her older sister, finally broke the silence, stabbing at her vegetables with a bit too much force. “Are we just not gonna talk about the fact that Amira and her friends were literally on the news fighting a giant-ass monster?”

Dave sighed. “We were kinda hoping to avoid that conversation for at least one meal.”

“Well, too bad.” Stacy raised an eyebrow. “Because every single social media platform is exploding with clips of you guys fighting like a bunch of anime protagonists.” She turned to Amira. “And you? You were literally glowing like some final boss.”

Amira stiffened but didn’t look up. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Well, too bad,” Kora said, setting down a plate with a loud clank. “Because we’re going to talk about it. Do you know how it felt watching you nearly lose control and not being able to do anything?”

Amira flinched.

Sara cleared her throat. “She didn’t lose control exactly—”

“Didn’t she?” Stacy cut in. “Because from where we were standing, it looked like she was two seconds away from burning down half the city.”

The words hit harder than they should have. Amira’s grip tightened around her fork. “I handled it.”

Kora scoffed. “Barely.”

The table went silent again.

Amira felt something cold settle in her stomach. She hated this. Hated the way they were looking at her—like she was a ticking time bomb.

Ruby cleared her throat, trying to cut through the tension. “Look, we all just had a crazy day. Maybe we should just eat, get some sleep, and—”

“And what?” Kora shot her a sharp look. “Pretend none of this happened?”

A heavy silence followed.

Amira swallowed. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.” Her voice was quieter than she intended, but it was the truth.

Her sisters exchanged glances.