Age of Powers.

The Showdown: Last part - Episode 14: Flames of the Heart

Kei stood atop the shattered cliff, the storm around her roaring, as if it was a reflection of her own inner turmoil. The battle below was distant now, as distant as the feelings she had been trying to bury for so long. Her gaze was locked on the horizon, where a familiar flare of power had ignited moments before. The flames that danced in the distance, faint but unmistakable, stirred something deep inside her.

It was Teri.

She hadn't seen him since that moment—the confrontation, the accusations, the silence that followed. But now, even from miles away, Kei could feel him. His power called to her, burning with an intensity she couldn't ignore. It wasn't just the strength of his flames, though. It was something more—something that had always been there, but she had tried so hard to push aside.

Her heart clenched as the memories rushed back—memories of battles fought together, of shared laughter, of moments when everything else in the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them. Kei had never allowed herself to acknowledge what those moments truly meant. Not until now.

"Kei." Ignis's voice broke through her thoughts. Her friend approached from behind, her fiery gaze searching Kei's expression. "You sense it too, don't you?"

Kei didn't respond at first, her eyes still fixed on the flames flickering in the distance. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her voice steady. "It's him."

Ignis nodded, though her expression was unreadable. "Teri. He's getting closer."

Kei's heart pounded. She knew what she should feel—anger, betrayal, confusion. But instead, all she could feel was a desperate need to see him again, to understand what had happened. Why he had disappeared. Why he had left without a word.

Ignis stepped closer, her fiery aura brushing against Kei's icy storm. "Kei... you need to be careful. We don't know what he wants. After everything, he—"

"I know," Kei interrupted, her voice firmer than before. "But I have to go."

Ignis frowned, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Go? You mean..."

Kei turned to face her, her eyes filled with resolve. "I need to find him, Ignis. I need to know why he left. Why he's here now."

Ignis hesitated, her gaze searching Kei's for a long moment. "Kei... are you sure? After what happened last time—"

"I'm sure," Kei said quietly, though her heart was pounding harder than ever. She wasn't sure, not really. But she knew that she couldn't run from this any longer. Not from Teri. Not from the feelings she had buried deep within her.

Ignis sighed, frustration and concern evident in her voice. "I get it, Kei. But don't forget—we're in the middle of a war. We need to stop the Storm Guardian. We can't afford any distractions."

Kei looked away, her chest tight with the weight of responsibility. Ignis was right. They were in the middle of something much bigger than themselves. But how could she focus on the battle when her heart was pulling her in the opposite direction?

The storm inside her swirled, her emotions clashing violently with one another. The Shivering Tempest responded to her turmoil, the icy winds around her intensifying, swirling in a vortex of confusion.

Ignis placed a hand on Kei's shoulder, her voice softer now. "Look, I know this is hard. I know how much Teri meant to you—"

Kei flinched at her words, but she didn't deny them. She couldn't.

"—but you have to think about what's at stake here," Ignis continued. "You can't let your feelings for him cloud your judgment. He made his choice. You have to make yours."

Kei swallowed hard, turning her gaze back to the distant flames. She could feel Teri's power calling to her, growing stronger with each passing moment. Her heart ached with the weight of it all—the confusion, the longing, the fear.

But she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't turn her back on him. Not again.

"I have to go," Kei whispered, more to herself than to Ignis. She took a step forward, her icy aura flaring with determination.

Ignis didn't stop her. Instead, she gave a resigned sigh, her voice laced with worry. "Just... be careful, Kei. Don't lose yourself."

Kei nodded, though she wasn't sure what she would find when she finally stood before Teri again. All she knew was that she needed answers. And maybe, just maybe, she needed more than that.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the battlefield...

Teri's flames flickered with renewed strength as he cut through the chaos, his mind sharp and focused. But beneath the calm exterior, there was a storm brewing—a storm of emotions he had tried to suppress for too long.

He had felt her. Kei. Her power was unmistakable, and her presence tugged at him like a magnet. His heart, once hardened by the choices he had made, now faltered as the memories of her flooded his mind. The battles they had fought side by side, the quiet moments in between, the way her laughter had always softened the edges of his world.

But he couldn't go back. Not after everything. Not after the deal he had struck to gain the power he now wielded.

Still, the thought of seeing her again, of standing before her, filled him with a mix of dread and longing. Would she understand why he had left? Would she hate him for the choices he had made? Or worse—would she still care?

The flames around him flared as his emotions threatened to spill over. He couldn't afford to be distracted. Not now. Not when the final battle was so close.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that Kei was coming for him. And when she found him, everything would change.

Next time on The Showdown: Last part – Episode 15

Kei and Teri finally come face to face after months of separation. But with both their powers at their peak and emotions running high, will they be able to confront the truth about their past—and their feelings for each other? Or will the storm of love and betrayal tear them apart once and for all?

Find out in The Showdown: Last part – Episode 15: When Flames Meet Ice.