TRAINING'S GONE WRONG
1187 Words
The training hall of the Emerald Kingdom was unlike anything Pyra had ever seen.
It stretched wide like a miniature stadium.
Polished emerald walls reflected light in soft green waves.
Stone platforms rose in layers like spectator stands.
At the center—
A wide circular arena.
Empty.
Waiting.
Pyra stood in the middle of it.
Facing a man.
Tall.
Calm.
Dressed in flowing robes that shimmered faintly with magic.
He stepped forward and bowed slightly.
“My name is Kelly Lione.”
“The royal magician.”
Pyra gave a small, uncertain smile.
“Pyra.”
Up in the stands—
Lena cupped her hands and shouted,
“You’ve got this, girl!”
Aria grinned.
“I trust you!”
Pyra looked up at them and nodded softly.
“…Thanks.”
Kelly clasped his hands behind his back.
“Before I train you…”
“I need to understand what I’m dealing with.”
Pyra frowned slightly.
“Excuse me?”
Kelly gestured toward the arena.
“I need to see your power.”
“A demonstration.”
“Let’s test it.”
Silence.
Lena’s face dropped.
“Oh no…”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“That’s a really bad idea.”
“Like… really bad.”
Pyra glanced at them.
Then back at Kelly.
“…Okay.”
“NO!” Lena and Aria shouted at the same time.
But Pyra had already closed her eyes.
The air shifted.
She inhaled slowly.
Deeply.
Held it.
Then—
Her eyes snapped open.
Red.
Kelly leaned forward slightly, fascinated.
“Interesting…”
Then—
Crack.
The ground beneath Pyra fractured.
Lines spread across the arena floor.
A low rumble echoed.
Then—
BOOM.
Fire ignited.
Not from outside.
From her.
Her body burst into flames.
Not burning her—
But becoming her.
Lena grabbed the edge of the stand.
“I told you…”
“…bad idea…”
The walls trembled.
Rocks lifted from the stands—
Floating.
Spinning.
Then—
Fire surged.
Not like flames.
Like a flood.
Rushing across the arena floor.
Circling.
Rising.
Kelly stepped back slightly, eyes wide.
“Oh… my…”
Pyra rose into the air.
Lifted by her own power.
Flames spiraled around her like a storm.
Her hair glowed.
Her entire form—pure fire.
Kelly raised his voice.
“Okay, Pyra!”
“I’ve seen enough!”
“You can stop now!”
A massive rock flew past Lena’s head.
She ducked quickly.
“…That’s the problem,” she muttered.
“She can’t stop.”
Kelly turned sharply.
“What?!”
Aria stepped back.
“…Yeah.”
“We’ve got a problem.”
Suddenly—
The doors burst open.
The King and Queen rushed in with guards.
The Queen’s eyes widened.
“Aria!”
She rushed forward, pulling her daughter close.
“Are you hurt?”
Aria shook her head quickly.
“I’m fine, mum.”
The King stared at Pyra in the air.
His voice was low.
“I have never seen power like that…”
“…Not even from her mother.”
The flames grew stronger.
Closer.
Hotter.
The Queen turned sharply to Kelly.
“I told you to teach her control!”
“And you let her do this?!”
Kelly swallowed.
“My Queen… I needed to see her limits—”
“Well, now you’ve seen them!” the King snapped.
“Do something before she destroys the entire kingdom!”
Kelly exhaled quickly.
“Right… right…”
He reached into his robe.
Pulled out a bracelet.
It shimmered faintly with magic.
Aria pointed.
“Is that your containment bracelet?”
Kelly nodded.
“Yes.”
“It should suppress her power.”
Lena stepped forward.
“But—”
The King cut her off.
“We have no choice.”
“She will kill everyone at this rate.”
Kelly focused.
His hands moved in swift, precise motions.
A surge of magic shot from his palms—
Carrying the bracelet through the air.
It flew toward Pyra.
Opened mid-air—
CLICK.
Locked onto her wrist.
Instantly—
WHOOSH.
The fire vanished.
Her body returned to normal.
Her eyes faded back.
Pyra dropped—
THUD.
The flames died.
The rocks crashed back to the ground.
Silence.
Smoke drifted slowly through the arena.
The King and Queen exhaled in relief.
Lena and Aria ran down immediately.
“Pyra!”
They reached her.
Pyra groaned, slowly opening her eyes.
“…What happened?”
Lena helped her sit up.
“You lost control.”
Pyra looked around.
The arena was scorched.
Blackened.
Broken.
“…Did I do that?”
Aria nodded gently.
“Yeah.”
“But Kelly stopped it.”
She pointed at the bracelet.
“That thing is controlling your powers now.”
Pyra looked at it.
“…That’s good, right?”
Lena hesitated.
“…Not exactly.”
Pyra frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Lena sighed.
“It reduced your power to zero.”
Pyra froze.
“…What?”
She stood up abruptly.
“What?!”
She turned sharply to Kelly.
“Why would you do that?!”
The King stepped forward calmly.
“Pyra.”
“You are powerful.”
“Dangerously powerful.”
He looked around the destroyed arena.
“We cannot risk that happening again.”
“Not until you are trained.”
The Queen approached gently.
Placed a hand on Pyra’s shoulder.
“I know you want to use your power…”
Her voice softened.
“But power without control is destruction.”
She looked into Pyra’s eyes.
“We will help you.”
“But you must be patient.”
Pyra’s anger faded slowly.
Her voice dropped.
“…You know…”
She looked away.
“The person who would say that to me…”
“…is Louise.”
Silence fell.
The King stepped forward.
“We will avenge your mother.”
“Tomorrow…”
He turned.
“We go to war.”
Pyra looked up quickly.
“Yes.”
But the Queen shook her head.
“No.”
“We go.”
She pointed to the King and the guards.
“You stay.”
Pyra’s expression hardened.
“But it’s my mother!”
The Queen stepped closer.
“That is exactly why you must stay.”
“Lord Fedrah wants you.”
“And as long as I live…”
“He will not have you.”
Pyra looked at her.
Softened.
“…Thank you.”
The Queen smiled warmly.
“You’re welcome.”
She opened her arms.
Pyra hesitated—
Then stepped forward.
And hugged her.
Aria joined in from the side.
Lena followed immediately.
The King stepped in too, wrapping them all together.
A quiet moment.
Warm.
Safe.
Kelly smiled awkwardly and stepped forward—
Trying to join.
A guard immediately grabbed him and pulled him back.
“Not you.”
Kelly fell to the ground with a grunt.
“…Right.”
He looked up at them.
“Family moment.”
“I understand.”
Pyra, Lena, and Aria laughed softly.
For a moment—
Despite everything—
It felt like peace.
But outside—
War was already coming.
- Writer
