[The meeting]

Before Amira could respond, the sound of tires screeching against pavement caught her attention.

A sleek black van rolled up beside them, its tinted windows hiding whatever was inside. The vehicle barely had time to stop before the back doors swung open, revealing two more suited agents standing inside, their expressions unreadable.

Agent Cross gestured toward the van. “Get in.”

Kora stepped in front of Amira instantly. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Cross didn’t even blink. “This isn’t optional.”

“Like hell it isn’t.” Kora’s voice was sharp, her protective stance unwavering. “If you think we’re just going to let you haul her off without an explanation—”

“Miss Singh.” Cross cut her off, his tone calm but firm. “This is about national security. We don’t have time for a debate in the middle of a media circus.”

Amira’s fingers twitched. The weight of every camera, every set of eyes, every whispered voice surrounding them felt like chains wrapping around her throat.

She could run.

She could fight.

But something in her gut told her that Cross wasn’t bluffing.

She glanced at her friends. Uneasy. Tense. Ready to throw hands if she gave the word.

Then she looked at Stacy. At Kora. Her sisters’ eyes burned with worry.

She exhaled through her nose.

“…Fine.”

Kora snapped her head toward her. “Amira—”

“I’ll go.” She held up a hand before her sister could argue. “But not alone.”

Cross tilted his head slightly, as if assessing her request. Then, after a pause, he gave a single nod.

“Two. That’s all we can allow.”

Kora didn’t hesitate. “I’m coming.”

Amira glanced at her friends. “One of you should come too.”

They exchanged looks before Ruby stepped forward. “I’ll go.”

Cross didn’t waste any more time. “Then let’s move.”

With that, they climbed into the van, the doors shutting with an ominous click behind them.

As the vehicle pulled away, Amira stared at her reflection in the darkened window, her mind racing.

Whatever was coming next…

She wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.

The Ride to the Unknown

The inside of the van was eerily silent.

Amira sat in the middle, arms crossed, her knee bouncing as she tried to shake off the unease creeping up her spine. Kora sat beside her, stiff and radiating pure disapproval, while Ruby sat on the other side, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat as if preparing for the worst.

Agent Cross sat across from them, calm and unreadable. The two other agents were stationed near the front, and the driver didn’t say a word as the van sped down the road, weaving through the city with a purpose.

Amira exhaled through her nose. “So, where exactly are we going?”

Cross didn’t hesitate. “A secure facility.”

Kora scoffed. “Wow. So specific. That really clears things up.”

Ruby nudged Amira lightly. “Bet you it’s some secret underground lab,” she whispered. “Maybe they’ll do tests on you. Ooh—maybe they’ll try to recruit you for some elite task force.”

Amira shot her a dry look. “Thanks for the nightmare fuel, Ruby.”

Cross remained unbothered. “We don’t experiment on civilians.”

“Ah, so you do experiment on other people,” Ruby quipped.

For the first time, a tiny flicker of amusement crossed Cross’s face. “Only volunteers.”

Kora was not amused. “Enough with the cryptic government talk. Why are we really here?”

Cross studied them for a moment before responding. “Because Miss Renshaw isn’t a normal awakened.” His gaze flickered toward Amira. “And we need to understand exactly what she is.”

Silence.

Amira felt her heartbeat spike.

She knew something was off about her flames—she’d known from the moment she awakened. The way they burned differently, the way they felt alive in her hands. But hearing it out loud, from someone who clearly knew more than he was letting on, sent a wave of unease through her.

She swallowed. “And if I say no?”

Cross leaned back slightly. “Then you’ll be walking blind into something that could destroy you.”

The weight of his words settled in the air.

No one spoke.

The only sound was the low hum of the van’s engine as it carried them toward whatever awaited them.

The moment they were escorted into the cold, sterile room, Amira knew this wasn’t just any meeting.

The walls were lined with security cameras, and the long metal table in the center had files neatly stacked on one side. A large screen took up the farthest wall, currently black, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Seated at the table were three people—a woman in a lab coat, an older man in a formal suit, and—

Amira’s breath caught for a second.

The President.

Not just some government official. Not a regional director. The actual President of the country sat at the head of the table, his hands folded in front of him, his expression unreadable.

Kora tensed beside her. Ruby let out a low whistle, clearly recognizing the weight of the situation.

Agent Cross gestured for them to sit. “Please. Let’s begin.”

The scientist, a woman with silver-rimmed glasses and sharp eyes, adjusted her coat. “To start, we need to be clear about something. The government has been monitoring every awakened individual since the first recorded dungeon break.”

Amira felt the weight of those words but stayed silent as the scientist continued.

“For the most part, the awakeners fall into standard categories. Elemental abilities. Strength enhancement. Telekinetic skills.” She waved a hand. “And most importantly, a fixed mana capacity. That means their abilities, while powerful, don’t cause lasting effects on their bodies.”

The screen behind her flickered on. A compilation of clips began playing.

Amira felt a cold chill run down her spine.

She recognized every single one.

The first was of her collapsing in the middle of a burning battlefield, her friends running to her side.

The second showed purple flames bursting from her hands mid-fight, the sheer force sending monsters flying.

The third…

Her eyes glowing.

Her body moving on its own.

The scientist didn’t look away from her. “And then there’s you.”

Kora’s glare sharpened. “And what exactly are you saying?”

The President finally spoke, his voice calm but weighted.

“Dungeons are appearing in patterns,” he said. “But yours? It’s different.”

Amira’s hands clenched under the table.

“The most dangerous dungeons have surfaced near your location,” the scientist explained. “And unlike the others, they seem… personal.”

Another image flashed on the screen—a heat map of dungeon breaks across the country. Bright red clusters indicated high-risk zones, but there was something unmistakable about the pattern.

The highest concentration was wherever Amira had been.

She swallowed. “So, what? You think the dungeons are following me?”

The scientist hesitated. “We think they’re reacting to you.”

Silence.

Kora’s grip on the chair tightened. Ruby had gone completely still.

Amira exhaled slowly. “And what does that mean?”

The scientist exchanged a glance with the President. Then, she closed the file in front of her and looked Amira directly in the eye.

“It means you aren’t just an awakener, Amira.”

“You’re something else entirely.”

The room felt colder.

Amira sat rigid in her chair, her mind racing. “Something else?” she echoed, her voice quieter than she intended.

The scientist nodded, pulling up another file. “We’ve reviewed every single documented awakener in the country. Some can conjure fire, but they have a clear limit—a depletion of mana, exhaustion, but nothing…” She hesitated, glancing at the screen.

The video playing showed her again—flames burning hotter, spreading without restraint, eyes glowing an unnatural purple.

“…nothing like this.”

Ruby shifted uncomfortably. “So, what? She’s just… stronger?”

The scientist’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That would be the simple answer.”

The President interlocked his fingers, studying Amira carefully. “But there’s more.”

He gestured, and another document appeared on the screen—a breakdown of mana levels, names of other awakeners, their recorded limits, their recovery times.

Every single one had a set threshold.

Except hers.

Amira’s name was marked in red, and beside it was a single word: UNKNOWN.

Kora’s jaw clenched. “So, what does that mean?”

The scientist sighed, leaning forward. “We’ve been tracking how mana interacts with the body. Every awakened individual has an internal system that manages their magic. But Amira…” She looked directly at her.

“…your magic doesn’t deplete. It overflows.”

Amira blinked. “Overflows?”

“Instead of running out, it builds. Increases. Each time you use it, your mana surges instead of drains. But your body can’t always handle it, which is why you collapse or black out.”

Ruby whistled. “So she’s like… a magic battery that keeps overcharging?”

The scientist nodded. “In a way.”

Amira let out a slow breath. “And the dungeons?”

The President spoke again. “They appear stronger around you, almost as if they’re… reacting.” He studied her. “We don’t know if you’re attracting them or if your presence is triggering something, but the evidence is clear—wherever you go, the highest-level dungeons follow.”

Silence settled over the room.

Amira clenched her fists. What the hell am I?

Kora’s voice was sharp. “So what do you want from her?”

The scientist exchanged another glance with the President. Then, she sighed.

“We want to train her.”

Amira’s breath hitched.

“We want to help you understand what you are before it’s too late.”

Amira finally exhaled, her fingers curling against the metal table. She had been silent long enough, letting them analyze her, study her like some kind of unstable anomaly.

Now, she was done listening.

“You don’t want to train me out of the goodness of your heart,” she said, her voice cold and sharp. “You want insurance.”

The scientist’s expression didn’t change, but Amira saw the flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes.

“You see these dungeons appearing around me, getting stronger, and you’re scared.” Her nails dug into her palm. “You don’t want a hero. You want a weapon—well-polished, well-oiled, ready to be used when something big happens.”

The room tensed.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably. Kora’s glare could have burned through steel.

The President leaned forward slightly, his hands still calmly folded. “That’s a rather harsh perspective.”

Amira scoffed. “Is it?” She motioned toward the screen, still displaying her name in red. “You’ve been watching me. Tracking me. You didn’t step in when I collapsed. You didn’t send help when the dungeons started increasing. You waited.”

The scientist sighed. “Because we needed to see.”

Amira narrowed her eyes. “See what?”

“If you would break.”

Silence.

A cold, unshakable rage settled in Amira’s chest.

She wanted to be surprised, but deep down, she wasn’t.

She wasn’t a person to them. She was an experiment—a potential disaster waiting to happen.

Kora stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “This meeting is over.”

The President didn’t move. “You should think about this carefully, Amira. We’re offering you control.”

Amira laughed—low and humorless. “No. You’re offering me a leash.”

She pushed back her chair and stood. “And I don’t take well to being controlled.”

Without another word, she turned and walked toward the exit.