"When I was 10 years old, three years ago, I had been adopted by two people," Pyra began, pausing to figure out how to describe Emily and Jacob Helen. "Emily never did any of the cooking or cleaning. She left that up to me. Jacob had an insane temper; whenever he got mad at someone, he would break dishes and scream at me." She didn't want the pitying looks that Evander and Fiora were giving her, so she scowled and went on. "So, one night he got mad at me for being just a little bit late home, which was just because the street had been blocked and I had to take the long way. When he got into his fit of rage, I gave it right back to him. I didn't mean to do it; it just… happened."
"What happened?" Evander and Fiora both said at the same time.
"Promise you won't hate me," Pyra said, although she didn't understand why she cared in the slightest about what they thought. She hesitated for a moment and then continued. "The house set ablaze with a kind of unnatural fire. It smelled different than normal fire too—it smelled, you're gonna think I'm crazy, but it kind of smelled sweet. And when the fire looked like it was going to burn me, it didn't. It was like I was flame-resistant. Emily and Jacob weren't killed, but they did have some nasty scars." Just thinking about it made Pyra shiver. "Then they sent me back to the orphanage, and I've tried living with multiple other families over the years, but they just…"
She thought about how every single one of them called her freaky, and not just in the way she looked. It was also because whenever she was around a fire, strange things seemed to happen—nothing that would hurt anyone, of course, but still. When she finished her sentence, all she said was, "They just didn't work out."
When Evander and Fiora looked at each other again, they seemed to have knowing looks in their eyes, but there was also fear. But overall, there was excitement.
"You must be the one, then," Evander said.
"What are you talking about?" Pyra asked.
"I mean, you must be the one in the prophecy," Evander said.
"What prophecy?" Pyra asked.
"The prophecy of fire and water," Evander said. "It goes like this:
In the realm where fire dances and water weaves,
Twins born of magic, their destinies interleave.
One shall command the flames, fierce and bold,
While the other holds the secrets of water untold.
Together they stand, a balance to maintain,
But beware the shadow that seeks to reign.
A choice of paths, diverging and wide,
One shall embrace darkness, the other confide.
In the crucible of time, their fate unfolds,
A tale of power, as the prophecy foretells.
The fire may consume, the water may quell,
Yet the destiny of the twins, only time shall tell."
Pyra stared at Evander, her brow furrowed. "And how am I supposed to believe this?" she asked as soon as he finished. "I don't even have a twin sister."
"As far as you know," Fiora interjected. She glanced at Evander, who gave a slight nod, as if confirming an unspoken agreement. "Also, there is one more thing. We're not exactly… human."
"Then what exactly are you? And why should I believe you?" Pyra exclaimed. "Seriously, are they joking about all this?" Pyra thought, "because I seriously cannot play games right now."
"You're…" Fiora said, after a slight hesitation, "you are a… fairy!"
Pyra burst into fits of laughter. When Evander and Fiora didn't join in, Pyra finally caught her breath and said, "Prove it, then. Show me your wings." She rolled her eyes. Pyra thought these guys were either joking or actually crazy.
"We can't show you wings," Evander replied. "We haven't had wings in forever. Our magic is not strong enough to have wings. Millennia ago, we used to have wings, but the goblins stole our magic stone that gave us multiple abilities and wings, as well as the ability for eternal life. We haven't had wings ever since. The only thing we have are these." He moved his face so she could see his ears. Although they looked like normal ears, they were pointy.
"Pointy ears!" Pyra shouted. "You're an elf!"
"No, we're fairies. Elves don't exist. We've always had pointy ears, but when our wings were taken from us, the humans didn't know that we were actually fairies. They gave us a new name and made legends about us."
"Okay, I think I'm actually gonna need a little more proof than pointy ears. Do you fairies have any magical powers or something?"
"Actually," Evander said, "we do."
Pyra raised her eyebrows. "Then show me."
"All right, but this is gonna be kind of freaky." Evander snapped his fingers three times, and then a cup of water appeared in midair, hovering. Evander grabbed it and took a sip. "I'm a conjurer."
Then Fiora said, "And I am…" She went invisible! "A light bender."
When Pyra looked closer, she could see that Fiora wasn't entirely invisible but had blurred her appearance to the point where you had to look closely to see if she was actually there.
"Oh my gosh!" Pyra whispered in shock. "You weren't lying!"
Pyra's perception of the entire world shifted, and she thought about the prophecy. "So you're saying that I have a twin sister who might be evil or might try to destroy me because I am evil?"
Evander and Fiora nodded at the same time.
"And we need to warn you about something," Fiora said gently. "Everyone always thinks of water as a holy thing, and they always think of fire as chaotic and destructive, and we know that's not true. But some other fairies might not."
"So you're saying everybody thinks that I am the evil one?" Pyra started to freak out, and then she thought, But what if I actually am? She dismissed the thought. She couldn't be evil… could she?