Frost Beneath the Flame
In less than a moment—
The flames stabilized.
Still, the weight of their presence hung heavy.
A hush came over the gusts, like they feared getting close to the red glow twisting round Rias. Under her feet, the sand shifted tone - grains bubbling up into smooth black glass, then settling with a soft pop. Fire now curled tight, not snapping loose in jagged fits.
It moved with her.
It breathed with her.
Each slow inhale drew the flames inward, tightening them into a controlled vortex. Each exhale sent faint ripples of crimson heat across the desert floor.
Rias stood at the center of it all, crimson hair fluttering gently in the hot current. Her eyes were closed, expression focused, almost serene—as if she could hear something inside the flames that no one else could.
Selena felt it clearly.
If she were to fight Rias now—
It would not be easy.
