The whole cabin is ablaze, the once-dull brown walls now a fierce shade of red.
Out of nowhere, a burning book crashes down on my frozen body. Spera darts over, knocking it away in a blur. "My Tao of Jeet Kune Do…" I mutter, feeling a pang of sadness. "Later!" Spera cuts me off, swooping under my raised leg and expanding with a force that flips me forward. I land on my feet, shaky but steady.
'Okay, do that to my arm now' I tell him, stretching my hand out. In a flash, the ball of light slams into my palm, spinning me a sharp 90 degrees, and now I'm facing the window across the room.
But before Spera can move me, a burning bookcase topples forward, blocking my escape route.
'Doorway, then,' I decide, but as if the cabin itself is against me, the bookcase tilts toward the doorway too. "Not again!" Spera roars as he tackles me, shoving me through just in time.
I crash hard into the wooden wall, and drop like a plank. The bookcase lands with a heavy thud on Spera, who bursts in a flash of light. Suddenly, I feel control return to my body—and then my face meets the floor.
Groaning, I push myself up and stretch. "Woof… I can talk again." I glance at the fallen bookcase and press a hand over my heart. "See you later, Spera…"
I turn to leave, but something makes me stop. At the far end of the cabin, past all the flames and wreckage, is a door I can't abandon.
I take a deep breath. "I… I can't leave without them." I look back down the hallway. The fire's on the floor now, closing in, but there's still some distance.
"I—!" I force myself to stay calm. "There's still time. Don't come back just yet, Spera… I need this moment. Please."
With a final look back, I sprint toward the back of the cabin, charging through the flames. Whatever waits behind that door, I'm ready—even if it's the last thing I do.