The Four Elements: Fire

Prolog

Ella's Perspective

"Hey, Scarlett!" I called out. "Come check this out!" The sun was just setting, bathing the sky in a gentle orange light. Foam and cold seawater washed over my feet, and I could feel the sand, heated during the day, slowly cooling down. The sand grains swirled as my best friend Scarlett Mizura ran towards me. "What's up? Did you find something?" she asked. "Yeah, here." I showed her my palm. There lay a beautiful golden chain with a small pendant—a deep red ruby shaped like a tear. "Wow!" Scarlett exclaimed. "That's gorgeous!" I smiled, "I think so too. Do you think I can keep it?" "As far as I know, you can have it for now. If nothing is reported after 6 months, it's yours," she said. I replied, "Hopefully, I won't have to return the necklace," and put it around my neck. It felt cool against my warm skin, and it fit me perfectly. When the ruby touched my skin, a feeling of warmth and comfort surged through my body seemingly out of nowhere. I was briefly confused but dismissed it. Scarlett looked at me puzzled. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Earlier—you kind of glowed. It was very brief, but there was something!" Scarlett responded. I shook my head, "I think we should go home. It's getting dark, and my things are still at your place." "Just stay overnight at my place!" Scarlett suggested. "That way, you won't have to walk the long way home." "Okay. I'll quickly text my parents so they know."

It was nighttime. The full moon shone through the curtains, illuminating the room. Scarlett was already asleep, but I was still wide awake. The golden chain dangled from my wrist and swayed back and forth as I watched it attentively. Then, the ruby started to glow. Slowly, I sat up. "What is this?" I whispered softly. The glow intensified until it was so bright that I could barely look at it. I blinked, blinded by the light. Fortunately, it gradually dimmed until I could look at it again. Scarlett seemed to be oblivious to it, which surprised me. Normally, she would wake up instantly if something happened, but this time, it seemed like nothing had occurred. The ruby now only emitted a soft glow, and the light completely went out. I checked the time; it was now 2:14 am. I took off the necklace and tried to go back to sleep.