Fire.
Panic.
absolute chaos.
Smoke thickens the air, clogging my throat as flames devour the grand hall. The golden chandeliers crash down, scattering embers like falling stars. The laughter and music have turned into screams and chaos.
But none of that matters.
"Father!" I choke out, pushing past the panicked crowd. The heat bites at my skin, sweat pooling at my temples. My heart pounds against my ribs, a frantic drum fueling my desperation.
I see him—Armando Mabuz—through the haze of fire and destruction. He stands near the grand staircase, his coat catching the glow of the inferno. He is coughing, his strong frame trembling, but his eyes remain sharp.
"Father!" I call again, moving towards him, but a strong grip yanks me back.
"Kaan, no!" Jasper's voice snaps in my ear as he tightens his hold on my arm.
I twist violently, breaking free, but another pair of hands—Millard's—grabs my shoulder.
"We have to go!" Millard yells over the roar of the flames. "The roof is about to collapse!"
"Not without him!" I shout, shoving against their grip. "Let me go!"
'No....'
'Not again.'
'I will not let another swallow another damn thing.'
Armando's gaze locks onto mine. There is something in his expression, something calm despite the chaos. A decision already made.
"Kaan." His voice is hoarse but firm. "You have to go."
"No! I won't leave you!" My chest tightens as I take another step forward, but a burning beam crashes down between us, forcing me back.
The fire spreads quickly, consuming everything, swallowing the past and the future in one hungry breath.
I remember the fire that destroyed my first actual home and I absolutely can't let that happen.
Not again.
Not after everything I did.
I so desperately want this to be a dream.
A terrible nightmare.
But I know it's not.
Because every fiber of my being is screaming and thrashing.
Desperation claws at me. Ice forms at my fingertips, crawling up my arms, answering my call. The temperature around me drops sharply. I lift my hands, pouring every ounce of strength I have into my power, willing the flames to recede.
For a moment, the fire falters. A path begins to form.
Hope surges.
Then, with a violent roar, the inferno pushes back. My ice cracks, steam rising as the heat overwhelms it. No matter how much I force, how much I push, my power is not enough.
'Why are these powers not working? I have been training for a long time and they still refuse to follow me.'
I frown.
No matter what powers I had in the past I could weld it like it's a part of my body but these powers refused to listen to my command.
Like it knows there is no point trying.
But I do.
Because I am still alive and not helpless.
I feel my powers surge in me, making a mess of my core.
This is a risk no one would take no matter what.
But this is nothing.
I can sacrifice myself for him.
I spread it all around the estate but the inferno swallowed my mana as if it was a greedy monster.
But I don't stop, my lungs fill with smoke and burns but I don't move.
Some ice forms again but fades as fast as it forms.
Steam and smoke mix making the air toxic.
My eyes go crystal blue, hairs turning white.
My clothes are coving with ice and going stiff. The floor follows next. Cold air dances with hot air and forms mist.
I can't see because my eyes blur and some kind of liquid drips from my nose.
I close my eyes and take a painful breath and open my eyes.
It clears up and I see Armando who has a shocked expression.
'Yes, just like that..'
I think but suddenly lightning zaps between me and father.
His eyes light and his power push me.
"Jasper." He calls as I feel my shadow come behind me.
I ignore him in my attempt to keep my powers up, I frown but couldn't take the slash on from his powers as they push me and destroy my carefully built dome.
All my hard work shatters and my eyes deepness and white recedes from my hair.
"NOO-" I scream but blood flows from my mouth instead and I bend down.
I vomit blood right then and there.
I take desperate breaths and straighten to try again.
But before I do anything Jasper growls, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Damn it! We're leaving!"
I fight, clawing at him, screaming. "No! Let me go! I can reach him! I can—"
More blood flows from my mouth and my eyes bluer with water forcing me to wipe my face with force.
"Listen to me, son!" Armando's voice rises above the destruction.
I stop struggling, my eyes locked onto his, pleading, desperate.
"You are the future of this house," he continues, standing tall despite the inferno. "The weight of our name now rests on your shoulders. Live. Protect them. Lead. That is my last order."
"I don't care about orders! I want—!" My voice breaks as another piece of the ceiling caves in, sending sparks and ash into the air.
His expression softens just slightly. "I am proud of you. I always have been."
And then, before I can say anything else, before I can refuse, the fire swallows him whole.
The last thing I see is his silhouette, strong and unwavering, before Jasper and Millard finally drag me out.
'No.'
The night air hits like ice.
'No..'
I stumble forward, collapsing onto the dirt, my knees hitting the ground hard. The estate—my home—roars behind me, flames clawing at the sky.
'No...'
Everyone is here. Servants, knights, even the pets. They are coughing, crying, staring at the burning ruins with hollow eyes.
'No....'
Everyone made it out.
'No.....'
Everyone except him.
'NOOOOO!!!!!!!'
A raw, guttural scream tears from my throat, ripping through the night. I don't know if it's grief or rage or both, but it doesn't matter.
Because Armando Mabuz is dead.
And I can do nothing but watch.
AGAIN!!!!!