KZ's and Dragoln's Short Stories [2022 EDITION]

Balance

12.9.22

She felt for the lock in the dark. Her fingers were running down a sort of wooden board, rough in texture. Absentmindedly, she barged her shoulder into it.

She did it again and again until it became sore. There was no response from outside and nothing seemed to change apart from the growing smell of smoke that infiltrated the room. Summoning a flame didn't look like a good option either, even if it was just for light. Her control over the element was still at the level of a beginner. If the entire room was composed of wood, it would catch and spread worse than a rumor. She'd be dead within seconds.

The girl couldn't recall how she had ended up in such a place. She couldn't remember if anyone had accompanied her or if she was ambushed, beaten up, or suddenly abducted. She didn't see any reason why she should have left the treehouse. The forest and her friends needed her after all. There needed to be a balance between the four and she was absent. The fire disappeared.

No signs of pain showed. At least she hadn't gotten into a fight. Plus, if she did, then she should have won. That was good right? Maybe she was waiting for something? 

That was the issue though. She felt the need to get out of there. Urgently.

There were no light sources at all and she was too afraid to try scrambling for one whilst practically blind.

But as soon as she found the icy slab of metal, she internally rejoiced and immediately unsheathed her sword to pick the lock. 

It was difficult at first to pinpoint where the blade needed to be inserted. The girl feared that her weapon was unable to fit at one point. It was deadly quiet and it seemed like she had all the time in the world. Once she did fit the end of her sword in the hole, it had gotten even more complicated from there. 

She rotated her wrist and tried to push on the little spines inside of the puny mechanic. The chains she held onto whilst doing so only rattled awkwardly. 

There was no telling of the time in the room. No ticks marked any seconds. No outlines of any clock were to be seen. However, if she were to estimate, it felt like she had spent a whole seven minutes trying to work the lock, which rapidly grew warm in her hand.

She surrendered to the general escape artist's solution. After all, the girl had never done it before. A grumble slid out of her parched mouth. Picking a lock was much harder than she thought it would have been.

Finally, she decided to go for it. Her sword went untouched for a while until a surge of energy sprang up in her arms and legs. She seized a firm hold on her weapon and struck the wooden panel.

It was as if steam rose from the hilt of her weapon. Memories started to flood through with every slash of the girl's sword. And with each one, her reckless cries became louder.

She saw her life. Her purpose. And she saw that she was manipulated, exploited, and treated into thinking that fire was just pure destruction. That's how she ended up in the dark room. Technically, she put out the flame herself. She let go of the spark on her own. But it was the water that could decide the fate of the crackling blaze. Water either fed it or distinguished it completely.

Echo had enough of the torment and decided that this time, she'd let the water feed her flickering flames. Not destroy them. 

The sword clattered to the ground, no longer being swung hopelessly at the chains and the jammed door. Her hand reached up towards the panel and her mind began to work, fortunately not bringing her too much toil to have done what she wanted. She focused her thoughts and her awareness started to flower and prune. Her spirit and system began to cooperate.

Her connection to her element clicked into place at last.

Illumination began to flurry. The chains that contained the lock began to glow. The heat was rising.

In one tremendous blast, the flare appeared in her hands and caught onto the wooden panel quicker than a viral disease.

Orange was the only color Echo saw. It was the only color she wanted to see. The door was scorched and the chains were slowly singed off, the lock being of no more use.

Even more light flooded into the room as the flame roared. Ashes began to loom and the outside world was now in the girl's sight.

"Echo!" Someone screamed in agony at the top of their lungs. She heard her name for the second time. Then a third. Echo thought they were going to explode.

Her fire gave way to the dying embers. 

And that's when she realized that she was too late.

She had come to stop the Pharos from converting all the element connections into the one that belonged to her. Not to overpower them.

Because if fire overpowered water or air or earth, there would be no balance and they would all die.

In front of her was Sylvie who was sobbing, each burning tear staining her abnormally scarlet cheeks. She was chained to the ground and her hands were tainted with her blood.

Echo hurried towards her best friend and wrapped her into a tight embrace. "It's okay," she attempted to hush her undisciplined snivels, "you're okay. I'm here now."

She looked around for the two boys who wielded the connections of earth and air. They were nowhere to be seen.

"No!" Sylvie retorted, making Echo's head snap back in her direction, "it doesn't matter anymore."

The powerless girl bore more unwanted pursuing tears.

Sylvie held her cuffed hand up and for a moment, it looked as if she was going to break free from the chains using telekinesis. 

But a flame appeared in her palm and it danced aggressively in front of Echo as if it were trying to impress her.

It didn't. 

Her blood began to boil.

Following her mortification, tears that never ever showed in Echo failed to hide themselves this time. The water did feed the fire after all. Just not in the way that Echo hoped.

"The connection of water doesn't exist anymore. Our time is up."

~

Author's Note

Oops, sorry guys. It seems that I was too late in posting this story on time. Please excuse my punctuality. I apologize for the delay. I will definitely try my best for next time to keep on track.

I still hope you enjoyed today's plot. I tried extra hard for this one.

Don't forget to check out [Dragoln's] side of the prompt.

I'll see you guys in the next one!