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~Lisa’s POV
I stared at the flas dancing around the forest, my heart racing with excitent. Fire leaped from my fingertips, curling and twisting as I made it burn hotter, faster. Trees caught in the blaze, and smoke curled into the sky. The heat ward my face, but my body felt alive, pulsing with raw energy.
"Lisa! Stop!" Lira’s voice cut through the roar of the fire. She ran toward , eyes wide, a mixture of amusent and worry.
I laughed, waving my hand and making a smaller fla flicker above my palm. "I know, I know... conserve my energy, right? But it’s so much fun!"
Lira grabbed my shoulder, steadying . "Fun? Lisa, you’re going to burn the hut! And yourself too, if you don’t calm down!"
I smiled, almost teasingly. "I’ll put my mind to it... But just a little longer. I want to see how far I can push it!"
Her eyes narrowed, clearly not trusting . "Little longer? You’ve already been at this for hours!"
I ignored her and snapped my fingers. Fire danced again, this ti between my fingers, delicate but alive. Then, without thinking, I raised my other hand, and water from a nearby stream started spiraling around , following my command. Flas t water, hissing and cracking, but I didn’t stop. I wanted it all, the control, the power, the mastery.
Then, sothing went wrong. My head spun violently. My stomach twisted, and a burning pain ripped through . I clutched my abdon as sothing warm and tallic ran down my throat. I gasped and fell to my knees. Blood... I was vomiting blood.
"Lira!" I scread again, my voice breaking as I fell to my knees. The world around spun like I was trapped inside a storm. My chest burned, my throat felt tight, and my vision blurred.
Lira’s footsteps were fast, and in seconds she was beside , dropping to the ground. Her hands gripped my shoulders tightly, eyes wide with panic. "Lisa! What did I tell you? THIS is why I said conserve your energy!"
I coughed again, tasting blood, feeling it slide from my mouth to my chin. My whole body trembled. "Am I... dying?" My voice ca out weak and shaky. "Am I going to die?"
Lira’s lips twitched into a small, pained smile. She tried to sound calm, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "No, you’re not dying, you foolish girl," she said softly, brushing my hair from my face. "But you’ve gone too far. You’ve drained yourself dry. You’ve pushed your body and your spirit past their limit."
Tears filled my eyes, hot and unstoppable. "But... I can’t stop, Lira," I whispered, struggling to breathe through the ache in my chest. "I have to get stronger. I want the world to see that a human girl is not a weakling. I want them to know that I’m not soone they can trample over."
Lira sighed, the lines on her face deepening. "Lisa... that’s ambition, and I love that fire in you. But listen to , your life is not just about proving sothing to others. What use is power if you destroy yourself to get it?"
Her words hit hard, but my heart still burned with determination. I clenched my fists, forcing my voice out even though it trembled. "You don’t understand," I whispered. "I’ve lived my whole life being looked down on, being called nothing. I can’t let it stay that way. I need to be powerful. I need to show them that I can rise higher than anyone ever expected."
Her expression softened, and for a long mont, she didn’t say anything. The firelight reflected in her eyes, making her look almost sad. "Lisa... I understand more than you think," she finally said quietly. "But strength ans nothing if it kills you. Power cos from patience, not rushing. It’s built, not forced."
I turned away, my voice breaking. "I... I just want to see my brother again," I said, almost choking on the words. "I want him to see , to be proud. I want him to watch over and smile, knowing his sister can take care of herself."
Lira’s face softened instantly. The hard edge in her tone lted away. "Your brother... You want to know him, don’t you?"
I nodded weakly, the tears falling faster. "Yes. I want to feel what it’s like to have him by my side. To... to have soone who truly sees ."
She sighed, her tone gentle now. "You will, Lisa. You will see him again. But if you keep this up, you’ll destroy yourself before that day cos."
I looked down, ashad, feeling the weight of her words. My hands were still trembling, and the ground beneath felt like it was swaying.
Lira knelt lower, wrapping one arm around and lifting slowly. "Co on," she said softly. "Let’s get you inside before you fall over again."
She helped inside, easing onto the mat by the fire. My body ached all over, my arms trembling from the strain I had put on myself. She knelt beside , brushing hair away from my face, her eyes soft but serious.
"I know a shortcut," she said quietly, almost like she was afraid I might refuse to listen. My eyes widened, hope sparking in my chest despite the pain.
"A shortcut?" I croaked. "You an... I can get stronger faster?"
She nodded slowly, her fingers pressing lightly to my wrist. "Yes... But it’s risky, Lisa. Extrely risky. If your body isn’t ready... if you push it too far... it could cost you your life."
I swallowed hard, ignoring the trembling in my chest. "I don’t care. I... I can handle it. I want to learn everything, fast. I can’t wait."
My body ached in every corner, but I couldn’t stop talking. "I... I want to maximize my power... the shortcut... I can do it! I won’t die!"
Lira shook her head firmly. "No. You cannot. The shortcut is too dangerous. If you fail... you’ll die. I won’t let that happen. You’ll go at your own pace. Learn everything, little by little."
I pouted, frustration bubbling up. "But I can! I won’t die! I just want... to be stronger, faster... better!"
She crossed her arms, clearly done arguing, and muttered a soft chant under her breath. I blinked, my words caught in my throat. My eyelids grew heavy, and before I could protest again, I sank into darkness, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Lira knelt beside , brushing a strand of hair from my face. "Rest, Lisa," she whispered. "You’ll get there... I promise. But not like this."
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