PYROKINESIS

The Truth of Ember Kingdom

Night had settled quietly over the small house.

Inside, the dining table was warm with the soft glow of a hanging lamp. Plates clinked gently as Pyra, Louise, and Ken sat down for dinner.

Louise smiled warmly. “So, Pyra, how was school today?”

Ken leaned forward, curious. “Any troublemakers giving you problems?”

Pyra shrugged slightly, poking at her food. “School was… normal.”

But something was clearly on her mind.

Louise noticed immediately. “You’re quiet tonight.”

Pyra hesitated, then finally spoke.

“Do either of you know a strange man who stays near the school?”

Ken and Louise froze.

Just for a moment.

Louise forced a small smile. “What kind of man?”

Pyra leaned back, thinking carefully.

“He called me by my name… and said I looked like someone. My mother.”

Ken’s fork slowly lowered to the table.

Pyra continued.

“He said I have a great destiny. And that I’m a… Fire Warrior.”

Silence filled the room.

Heavy. Thick.

Ken and Louise exchanged a look.

Louise exhaled slowly.

“Ken… we can’t hide it from her anymore.”

Ken immediately shook his head. “Louise, no—”

“Hide what?” Pyra asked, confused.

Louise turned to her, her expression serious now.

“Pyra… there’s something you need to know.”

Ken stood abruptly. “Louise, she’s not ready.”

“She deserves the truth.”

Pyra looked between them, anxiety rising.

“What are you talking about?”

Louise’s voice trembled slightly.

“Pyra… we are not your real parents.”

Pyra’s chair scraped loudly across the floor as she shot to her feet.

“What?!”

Louise nodded sadly.

“It’s true.”

Pyra looked at Ken desperately. “Ken?”

Ken couldn’t meet her eyes.

Louise continued quietly.

“We’re not even from this world.”

Pyra stared at her like she had gone insane.

Louise took a breath.

“We’re from Ember Kingdom.”

Ken rubbed his face tiredly.

“I was the Queen’s butler,” he admitted quietly.

“And I was her maid,” Louise added softly. “Her closest friend.”

Pyra blinked rapidly, overwhelmed.

“Hold on… wait—”

She pointed between them.

“You just told me you’re not my real parents, and now you’re talking about some kingdom and being a butler?!”

Her voice rose.

“I don’t get this! What is happening?!”

Suddenly—

“PYRA!”

Louise’s voice thundered across the room.

Pyra froze.

Louise had never shouted at her before.

“Sit down,” Louise said firmly.

Pyra slowly sat, breathing heavily.

Louise’s eyes softened again.

“The Queen of Ember Kingdom…”

She swallowed.

“…is your mother.”

Pyra’s jaw dropped.

“What?!”

Louise nodded.

“Pyra… you’re a princess.”

For a moment—

Pyra just stared at her.

Then she laughed.

A sharp, disbelieving laugh.

“Ha! You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Ken spoke quietly.

“There was an attack the night you were born.”

Pyra’s laughter faded.

Louise continued the story.

“Lord Fedrah… the King’s Commander-in-Chief… betrayed the kingdom.”

Ken clenched his fists.

“He wanted the throne.”

Louise nodded.

“And he knew the only person who could stop him… was the Queen’s child.”

Pyra’s chest tightened.

“Me?”

“Yes,” Louise whispered.

“So your mother opened a portal… and sent us here with you.”

“She told us to go somewhere far away,” Ken said. “Somewhere Fedrah would never find you.”

“She wanted you to live a normal life,” Louise added.

Pyra sat quietly, trying to process everything.

Her entire world had just changed.

Slowly, she looked up.

“What… happened to my mother?”

Louise’s voice softened with sadness.

“We don’t know.”

Pyra’s heart sank.

“We haven’t heard anything from the kingdom since that night.”

Ken explained gently.

“Any attempt to contact them could reveal your location.”

Pyra swallowed hard.

“And my father?”

Ken hesitated.

He looked at Louise.

Louise slowly nodded.

Ken’s voice was heavy.

“Your father… is dead.”

Pyra’s eyes widened.

“Lord Fedrah killed him.”

The words hit her like a blade.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Louise immediately stood and wrapped her arms around her.

“It’s okay,” she whispered gently. “It’s okay…”

Pyra cried softly against her shoulder.

After a moment, Pyra pulled back slightly, wiping her tears.

“You may not be my real mom…”

She sniffed.

“But you’re starting to feel like one.”

Louise’s eyes filled with emotion.

She smiled.

“Your real mother… the Queen… was my best friend.”

Pyra gave a small, tearful chuckle.

“Really?”

Louise nodded.

“Yes.”

Then she placed her hands on Pyra’s shoulders.

“And one day… you will be the one who saves Ember Kingdom.”

Pyra looked down, overwhelmed.

Without another word, she slowly stood up.

“I… I need to sleep.”

She walked quietly toward the stairs.

Ken and Louise watched silently as she climbed them.

A moment later—

Her bedroom door closed.

Silence returned.

Then Ken exploded.

He began pacing across the living room.

“What were you thinking?!”

Louise snapped back.

“What was I thinking?!”

“Yes!” Ken said. “You just told a sixteen-year-old girl she’s a princess from another world!”

Louise stood her ground.

“A strange man already approached her and called her a Fire Warrior!”

Ken stopped pacing.

“That man could be one of Fedrah’s spies!”

Ken sighed heavily.

“But how is she supposed to deal with all this?”

He gestured upstairs.

“She just learned she’s a princess… and that her father is dead!”

Louise crossed her arms.

“I told her now because if someone else told her first, it would be worse.”

Ken shook his head slowly.

“Fine.”

Then he asked quietly.

“But did you tell her about her powers?”

Louise went silent.

Ken stared.

“Well?”

She looked away.

“She’s still growing up… give her time.”

Ken stared at her in disbelief.

“You told her about her parents… but not about the fire?”

Louise remained quiet.

Ken continued.

“The telepathy?”

Still silence.

“The telekinesis?”

Louise’s jaw tightened.

Ken threw his hands up.

“Sooner or later she’s going to discover them!”

His voice rose.

“What if she finds out by blowing up the entire school?!”

Louise said nothing.

The room fell silent again.

Ken sighed heavily.

“You should have thought about that.”

Then he walked away toward his room.

Louise remained standing in the living room.

Alone.

She stared at the staircase where Pyra had disappeared.

Her mind filled with doubt.

Did I do the right thing…?

Outside, the wind whispered softly through the trees.

And upstairs—

Pyra lay awake in the dark.

Staring at the ceiling.

Her mind burning with questions.

Princess.

Ember Kingdom.

Fire Warrior.

And somewhere far away…

Lord Fedrah was still waiting.