The night was quiet, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the faint hum of the academy lights. Milly had slipped away from the dorms, careful not to alert any staff or wandering students. She needed a private space somewhere she could test herself, push the limits of her abilities without interruptions.
She knelt in a small clearing near the academy grounds, her fingers brushing the air. Flames danced along her palms, responding to her thoughts.
"Alright… come on, focus," she muttered, her voice low, almost like a chant. "Just a small one… just a little tornado."
She exhaled slowly, drawing the fire into a tight spiral, willing it to rise. But the flames fizzled out, collapsing almost immediately.
"Ugh…" she groaned, frustration tightening her jaw. She tried again, more deliberately this time. Her mind raced, instinct guiding her hands even as she wracked her brain, trying to remember the right technique. A tiny whirl of fire rose from the ground, spinning weakly, almost embarrassed by its own fragility.
Something inside her stirred, an urge she didn't understand. A fleeting memory or maybe something deeper urged her to speak a name aloud.
"Flamedro Tonado!" she gasped, unsure why those words came to her.
The tiny spiral of flame erupted, twisting violently, growing taller and stronger. The air itself seemed to hum as the Flamedro Tonado coiled upward, a roaring vortex of heat and light. It was far more powerful than she had intended. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Milly's heart raced. The staff could see this! Students might notice! She had to cancel it immediately. She focused her energy, forcing the Flamedro Tonado to collapse, sparks raining harmlessly to the ground.
Her legs carried her back to the academy as fast as they could, adrenaline pumping in her veins. She slipped back into the building, heart hammering, and returned to her post just as her students were wrapping up a drill.
"Phew… no one saw," she whispered under her breath, wiping sweat from her forehead. But as she sank into the chair, her hands still tingling from the residual heat, a strange thought crossed her mind.
"That… that felt familiar… but I can't… remember…" she murmured, frowning. There was a strange echo in her mind, like a distant memory tugging at her, teasing her with something just out of reach.
Unable to leave it alone, Milly later returned to the clearing in small increments, experimenting with her power. First, a flicker of flame twisted and coiled with her movement, then a slightly stronger swirl rose with each attempt.
"Flamedro… Tonado…" she whispered repeatedly, testing variations of her movements. With every utterance, the flames responded more eagerly, obeying her will instinctively. By the third try, a swirling column of fire spun with precision, and she instinctively adjusted the vortex's size and speed, surprised by how natural it felt.
Her eyes shone faintly in the dim moonlight, and for a fleeting moment, she glimpsed a hint of herself she didn't fully understand. Mila… Milly… the voice inside her echoed with a name she had not yet fully remembered.
But for now, she had to act normal. Mila, the PE teacher, had to keep her secret… even from herself.