PYROKINESIS

The Night Rescue

The search for Pyrester lasted the entire afternoon.

Pyra, Lena, and Aria checked everywhere in the school.

Classrooms.

Locker rooms.

The gym.

Even the cafeteria storage.

Nothing.

By evening, they were exhausted.

“I swear,” Aria said while rubbing her forehead, “that dragon is better at hide-and-seek than actual humans.”

Lena sighed.

“She probably left the school already.”

Pyra nodded reluctantly.

“Let’s just go home. We’ll figure this out tomorrow.”

So they all went their separate ways.

None of them knew that the night was about to change everything.

---

Lena’s House

Lena pushed open the front door slowly.

“Marisa?” she called.

No answer.

The house was completely dark.

She stepped inside cautiously.

“Marisa? Are you home?”

Still nothing.

She walked further into the living room when suddenly—

A large shadow moved in the darkness.

Lena sighed in relief.

“Pyrester…?”

The shape looked like a dragon.

“Pyrester, we’ve been looking for you everywhere at school.”

The creature stepped closer.

Then two glowing green eyes appeared.

Lena frowned.

“Wait…”

Pyra’s dragon had red eyes.

Not green.

The creature stepped fully into the moonlight.

It was a massive dragon. Much bigger than Pyrester.

Lena stepped back slowly.

“Oh… that’s not good.”

Then two figures stepped out from the shadows.

Armored soldiers.

Soldiers of Lord Fedrah.

Lena’s expression hardened.

“What do you want with me?”

One soldier smirked.

“Lord Fedrah wants you back in the kingdom.”

Lena crossed her arms.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The second soldier chuckled.

“You disobeyed your father.”

“You were ordered to kill Princess Pyra.”

“You didn’t.”

Lena glared at them.

“I will never kill my best friend.”

The first soldier laughed mockingly.

“Best friend?”

He leaned closer.

“Does she know that your father killed her father?”

“And now rules the kingdom?”

Lena didn’t even hesitate.

“Yes.”

The soldiers paused.

“And unlike some people,” Lena continued calmly, “she still likes me for who I am… despite my father.”

The soldiers laughed loudly.

“How touching.”

“Anyway, we didn’t come here to argue.”

They grabbed Lena’s arms.

“Lord Fedrah wants you.”

Lena struggled.

“What is he going to do with me?”

One soldier shrugged casually.

“I overheard him saying he might feed you to a dragon.”

The other added,

“Or kill you himself.”

They dragged her toward the dragon.

“But honestly,” the first soldier said, “it doesn’t matter.”

“You disobeyed orders.”

They forced her onto the dragon’s back.

She struggled and kicked.

But they tied her wrists with chains and taped her mouth.

Moments later—

The dragon spread its wings.

And they flew into the night sky.

---

Pyra’s House

Meanwhile…

Pyra sat on her bed staring at the magazine again.

The picture of Princess Pyra stared back at her.

She sighed.

“This is insane…”

Then she heard something.

A snort.

Pyra slowly turned.

Right beside her bed…

sat Pyrester.

The dragon looked at her happily.

Pyra screamed so loudly the entire house shook.

“DRAGON!!”

The bedroom door burst open.

Louise and Ken rushed in.

“What happened?!”

Then they saw the dragon.

Pyrester wagged her tail happily.

Louise gasped softly.

“Pyrester?”

The dragon chirped excitedly.

Ken stepped forward.

“Pyrester? How did she escape the dungeon back in the kingdom?”

Louise smiled proudly.

“Remember… she’s the strongest dragon ever born.”

Ken nodded.

“True.”

Pyra blinked in confusion.

“Wait… you two know her name?”

Louise looked at her gently.

“Yes.”

“She was born the exact same day you were born.”

Ken added,

“Her name was created from yours.”

“Because the two of you are bonded.”

Pyra frowned.

“Why would I be bonded with a dragon?”

Louise smiled.

“Because in a way…”

“You are a dragon too.”

Pyra groaned.

“I will never understand this family.”

Suddenly—

Pyrester’s eyes turned red.

At the exact same moment—

Pyra’s eyes turned red too.

Pyra grabbed her head.

“Hey!”

“Get out of my head!”

She stumbled backward.

“Get out of my head you psycho dragon!”

Then suddenly the connection stopped.

Their eyes returned to normal.

Pyra looked at Pyrester angrily.

“What was that?”

“Next time you ask permission before entering my brain.”

“It’s called privacy!”

Louise stepped closer.

“Pyra… you and Pyrester can share visions.”

“You can see what she sees.”

The dragon began whining softly.

Ken frowned.

“I think something’s wrong.”

Louise looked at Pyra.

“She’s trying to show you something.”

Pyra hesitated.

“No.”

Then Ken and Louise both nodded encouragingly.

Finally she sighed.

“Fine.”

Her eyes turned red again.

Pyrester’s eyes glowed red too.

Suddenly—

BOOM

A vision appeared in Pyra’s mind.

She saw places.

Mountains.

Forests.

Cities.

Then—

A woman with long red hair.

Beautiful.

Strong.

Pyra whispered softly,

“I think… I just saw my mother.”

Ken and Louise exchanged looks.

“That’s good,” Louise said quietly.

But the vision kept moving.

Then suddenly—

Pyra saw soldiers.

A dragon flying.

And Lena chained on its back.

Pyra gasped.

The vision ended.

Their eyes returned to normal.

Ken stepped forward.

“What did you see?”

Pyra looked at them seriously.

“I know why Pyrester came tonight.”

Louise frowned.

“Why?”

Pyra said quietly,

“My friend has been captured.”

“Lord Fedrah’s soldiers.”

“They’re transporting her right now.”

Ken stood immediately.

“We have to go.”

“Yes,” Louise agreed.

But Pyra shook her head.

“No.”

They both looked at her.

“I’ll bring her back.”

“You two stay here.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Then her eyes turned red.

“Go to sleep.”

Ken yawned instantly.

Louise blinked sleepily.

Moments later—

Both collapsed onto the floor asleep.

Pyra smiled.

“Good night.”

She turned to Pyrester.

“Alright girl.”

“You can camouflage yourself right?”

She tilted her head.

“Can you do it for two people?”

Pyrester wagged her tail.

Then she lowered herself.

Pyra climbed onto her back.

“Whoa!”

Suddenly—

WHOOSH

They vanished.

Then reappeared high in the sky.

Pyrester’s wings beat powerfully.

Pyra looked down.

“…Okay.”

“That is very far from the ground.”

Pyrester smiled proudly.

Then suddenly—

They saw them.

The soldiers.

The dragon.

And Lena.

Pyra grinned.

“Alright girl.”

“We got this.”

Pyrester growled softly.

“Now!”

Pyrester blasted fire at the enemy dragon’s wings.

The dragon roared and began falling.

The soldiers shouted.

Lena slipped from the dragon’s back.

She started falling toward the ground.

Pyra panicked.

“PYRESTER!”

The dragon dove down.

Just before Lena hit the ground—

Pyrester caught her on her back.

They landed hard.

Pyra quickly burned the chains and removed the tape.

Lena immediately hugged her.

“You came…”

Pyra smirked.

“Of course I did.”

The enemy soldiers landed nearby.

One of them stepped forward.

“You.”

“Princess Pyra.”

“You have trespassed.”

The other looked at Lena.

“You know what you must do.”

“Lord Fedrah will not forgive this.”

Pyra stepped forward calmly.

Pyrester walked behind her.

“Tell Lord Fedrah something for me.”

The soldiers laughed.

“Oh? A message?”

Pyra’s eyes turned bright red.

“I know he killed my father.”

“And imprisoned my mother.”

“And that he wants to kill me.”

The soldiers stopped laughing.

Pyra smiled slightly.

“Tell him this.”

Her entire body suddenly burst into flames.

Behind her—

Pyrester’s body ignited with fire too.

Lena stared in shock.

The soldiers stepped back in fear.

Pyra’s voice echoed through the flames.

“Tell him I have my dragon.”

The ground around them glowed red.

“And tell him…”

“I know how to use my power now.”

The fire vanished suddenly.

Pyra brushed her hair calmly.

“I just want to finish some exams at my school.”

“Then I’ll come back.”

“And take my kingdom.”

She waved.

“Bye.”

The soldiers jumped onto their dragon immediately.

They fled into the sky.

Running in fear.

Pyra laughed.

Lena hugged her again.

“How did you know I was in trouble?”

Pyra pointed at Pyrester.

“She told me.”

Then she patted the dragon.

“You’re not so bad after all.”

Pyrester wagged her tail happily.

Lena sighed.

“I don’t know what Lord Fedrah did to Marisa and the old man that raised me.”

“They weren’t home.”

“I don’t have anywhere to go.”

Pyra smiled gently.

“You can stay at my house.”

Lena blinked.

“Really?”

“What about your foster parents?”

Pyra shrugged.

“They’ll deal with it.”

“I need someone to talk to anyway.”

Lena hugged her again.

“Thank you.”

They climbed onto Pyrester.

As the dragon flew, Lena suddenly said,

“Wait… if this dragon can disappear, why didn’t we camouflage to your house?”

Pyra laughed.

“She’s still learning her powers.”

“She can only hide two people right now.”

Lena nodded.

“Oh.”

“That explains a lot.”

---

Ember Kingdom

Meanwhile…

In the grand throne hall of Ember Kingdom…

Everything had changed.

Lord Fedrah now ruled the kingdom.

Two soldiers rushed into the hall and fell to their knees.

“Your Highness!”

Lord Fedrah sat on the throne beside his wife.

“Well?”

“I told you to bring Lena.”

“So I could kill her.”

“Where is she?”

One soldier stammered.

“Sir…”

Fedrah’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re trained soldiers.”

“Are you telling me a teenage girl defeated both of you?”

“And a dragon?”

The soldier shook his head.

“No sir.”

“We almost succeeded.”

“Until she was rescued.”

Fedrah leaned forward.

“Rescued?”

“By who?”

The soldier answered quietly.

“Her best friend.”

Fedrah’s wife frowned.

“And who is this best friend?”

Both soldiers spoke together.

“Princess Pyra.”

The entire hall went silent.

Fedrah whispered slowly,

“Princess… Pyra?”

The soldier swallowed.

“Sir… she also sent you a message.”

Fedrah’s eyes darkened.

“What message?”

The soldier trembled.

“She said she knows you killed her father.”

“And imprisoned her mother.”

“And sir… her body… ignited with fire.”

“And Pyrester the dragon escaped.”

Fedrah stood up violently.

“WHAT?!”

“How?!”

“Send soldiers!”

“Find that dragon and return it to the dungeon!”

“She must never meet Pyra!”

The soldier spoke carefully.

“Sir… I think we’re too late.”

Fedrah froze.

“What?”

“Pyrester is already with her.”

“And when Princess Pyra burned…”

“The dragon burned with her.”

“It looked like they shared the same mind.”

Fedrah’s wife looked terrified.

Fedrah clenched his fists.

“Then we need a new plan.”

He turned toward the generals.

“We cannot let her return here.”

“We will buy time.”

He smiled coldly.

“We go to her world.”

“We convince their government that Pyra is a dangerous asset.”

“And once they capture her…”

His smile turned darker.

“We kill her.”

Because together…

“Princess Pyra and that dragon…”

“…are unstoppable.”