Fire & Flame

Five

The wind was blowing rapidly around Louis, a strong windstorm that was being fueled by his magic. The rough pockets of air was whipping his fringe against his forehead, momentarily distracting him from the pulsating organ beating wildly inside his chest. A date. He couldn't believe he was going to go out on a date with Harry Styles. The ringing in his ears intensified and he could feel his power pulsating within him, itching to be released. His whole body was shaking with nerves, unsure of what his next step would be.

He had planned to simply develop a friendship with Harry in order to get close enough to steal evidence of the lies they've been spewing. But this was escalating into a scenario that Louis was not sure he could handle. He's no stranger to dating and having to manipulate people into doing what he needed to be done, even if it meant getting dirty or getting on his knees. But this somehow felt different, there was a sickening feeling sitting in the base of his stomach telling him that this was not going to end well.

His hand trembled as he lifted it to his messy chestnut hair, gripping it at the scalp while he squeezed his eyes shut. Flashes of his father's words swirl through his mind, the pressure of his entire family and their worth weighing heavy on his shoulders.

The achey feeling traveled up his body, his hands dropping to his sides as his chest heaved up and down. He could feel the familiar twisting and turning of his power rising to the surface. But he could not stop it, could not contain the intensifying feeling of dread that has overtaken his body.

His mouth drops open as a scream rips from his lungs, echoing through the dark and decrepit forest he stumbled into. He felt his power unleash itself as he screamed in frustration, as he lost finally lost control. The ground beneath him shook violently while waves upon waves of bright light emitted from Louis' bent form. It burned brighter until the massive wooden trees surrounding him started disintegrating into nothing more than dust floating in the air.

Louis falls to his knees, gasping for breath as he recovers from his outburst. His hands unfold in front of him, twisting inwards a second later as he begins to yank his powers back into his body. It fights against him, eager to be free but Louis pulls backwards until that bubbling sensation ceases to exist and the white noise hissing in his ears dissipates. He lets out a soft breath and takes in the shattered forest before him, brushing his fringe back into place.

He stands a moment later, brushing the dirt off his pants as he rises. He adjusts the tie of his uniform and clears his throat, his tongue sliding over his dry lips. Louis turns, snapping his fingers twice before he begins to silently walk towards the familiar path that leads back to the academy. Behind his retreating body, the forest begins to stitch itself back together. The trees began growing rapidly with huge brown trunks forming roots in the ground and bright green leaves blooming onto new branches, erasing any evidence of what has occurred.

-

Niall walks down the empty hallways of the academy, allowing his instincts to take him to his dorm safely as he focuses on the phone in his hand. He received a text from his mum, asking her usual motherly questions about how the semester was going and if he needed more money. Niall sighs while his grip tightens around his phone. The pang of guilt he feels weighs heavy as he thinks about how worried his mum must be about him. And he knows she would sell the clothes off her back in order to afford giving him more money which is why Niall will never let her know the truth.

The Horan family was not royalty, they were not blessed with the bloodline powers nor their wealth. But his parents never let that affect his life while he grew up. He was pampered to their best ability, most nights his parents went without eating in order to provide meals for Niall and Greg, his brother. He shakes his head as he erases the memories of his past, breathing in shakily. He types a quick reply to his mum, assuring her that he has more than enough money from his job to support himself and that she has nothing to be worried about.