The Fire Inside

39. Hope for the Better

Jimin had held her breath for god knows how long. She was beginning to get light headed, but she didn't want to risk being poisoned or killed for that matter. She tried to open her eyes as she realized the back of her eyelids were tinted red. Opening her eyes to the warm light, she found herself in a stone room similar to that of the mansion. She saw a well in the center of the room, but against her prediction, it wasn't filled with water, but a bluish flame. Looking past the well, she found her friends all getting up and off the ground. She noticed closest to her, Riley, still laying on the ground and ran towards her friend.

"Riley! You ok?"

Riley gave no response.

"Riley? Riley!"

Jimin checked the girl for injuries. Upon seeing no external injuries, she got up to find her friends hoping that she could get help from one of them.

"Everyone ok?" Julien asked cautiously.

"I-I don't know," Jimin said, almost close to tears.

"Riley!" Emmalynn ran over to Riley before Jimin could ask her to be gentle and gave her a hug.

Upon getting no response from her fallen friend, Lynn began to panic.

"What's wrong with her! Why isn't she responding!"

Jimin saw Varun holding onto Maria and Heiwa carrying Isadora's puppy form in her arms.

"Is Izzy ok?" Jimin asked worried for the rest of the group now.

The puppy whined before hopping out of her arms. When Izzy's paws hit the stone surface, the room shook making Jimin look at Izzy in awe.

"What was that?" Jimin asked confused.

Isadora whined uncertainly.

"Guys look!" Heiwa pointed to the flaming well.

The fire rose and snaked up into the air brightening the room ten times more. In its wake were scaled blue limbs with claws that could cut through the toughest material. The head being sleek and smooth while looking sharp enough to break the world in half. A bright blue dragon took form taking up the entire space of the room.

"What the..." Julien started.

"Hello!" A cheerful voice vibrated throughout the room, contrary to the current mood.

Isadora yelped and jumped away from the dragon.

"Hello to you too Isadora! Well aren't you the cutest thing ever," the dragon cooed.

Jimin noticed that it's mouth never moved yet the voice was definitely coming from the reptilian beast.

"To answer your question, dear Jimin, I am the dragon of the flame of life. I reside in you until the flame gets passed on and show up whenever necessary."

"Then where were you when Jimin's family was getting burned down?" Julien retorted tears streaming down her cheeks.

Everyone had soon realized that their friend wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. Jimin and Emmalynn were sobbing while the rest of them held unshed tears as they glared at the beast.

"I was a baby dragon then. I grow according to her power."

"So, like a phoenix...?"

"That's correct Varun."

Varun's eyes lit up with understanding. He finally got to put his mind to good use. Maria punched his side, indicating that it was a bad time for being proud of himself, before turning back to Riley's unresponsive body.