The walk home had always been my time to relax and unwind after a long day at school. But today was different. The distant wail of sirens pulled me out of my thoughts, making me pause mid-step. I glanced toward the sound, my stomach twisting as the noise grew louder, closer.
When I turned the corner and saw the black smoke rising into the sky, my heart dropped into my stomach.
No.
I threw my bag off my shoulder and broke into a full sprint. My legs moved on instinct, carrying me toward the chaos.
By the time I got there, the scene was pure pandemonium. Fire trucks lined the street, their lights flashing in a frantic rhythm. Firefighters scrambled to unroll hoses while low-ranking heroes darted in and out of the burning building. A small crowd of neighbors had gathered on the sidewalk, murmuring in hushed voices.
But it wasn't just the fire trucks or the heroes that caught my attention.
Standing in the middle of it all, commanding the scene with an air of authority, was a single figure.
The Chief of Elites.
---
Sora Cloud stood tall, his uniform immaculate and dark against the blinding light of the fire. His piercing yellow eyes scanned the chaos around him with a sharp, almost predatory gaze. He wasn't running into the building like the other heroes. He was simply watching, waiting for something.
But there was no time to think about him. No time to question why he was there.
Mom...
"Mom!" I screamed, my voice breaking through the noise.
A firefighter stepped in front of me, his hand firmly placed on my shoulder. "You can't go in there, kid!"
"But my mom's inside!" I cried, panic rising in my chest. "You have to get her out!"
"She's with the heroes. They'll save her." His tone was firm, but I wasn't hearing him. I pushed him aside and bolted toward the burning building.
The smoke stung my eyes, but I couldn't care. I had to find her.
I ran through the perimeter, weaving between firefighters and low-ranking heroes who were moving quickly and carefully through the fire. I ignored the calls from the onlookers urging me to stop, but nothing could hold me back.
Mom! I thought desperately.
And then, I saw her.
She was collapsed against a wall, her face streaked with ash, her clothes singed and torn. Her once vibrant blue eyes were now clouded with exhaustion, but she was alive.
"Mom!" I cried, rushing to her side. I knelt down beside her, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her up. "We need to get out of here, please! We can't stay!"
But my mother's hand reached up, stopping me.
"Akari..." Her voice was weak, but there was strength in it. Her hand cupped my cheek, and she smiled, though her expression was filled with sorrow. "You have to stay strong... become the brightest light in everyone's sky."
Her words hit me like a hammer. My heart felt as if it had cracked in two, and I couldn't hold back my sobs. The tears flowed freely, my entire body shaking with grief. My mother was telling me to leave her behind, to keep going even though I didn't want to.
"Don't go, Mom," I whispered desperately, choking on my tears. "Please... I can't do this without you."
But her smile never wavered. "You can," she whispered, voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. "You will."
---
Suddenly, I felt something inside me stir, a surge of energy I had never felt before. My whole body shook, and a pulse of warmth spread through me.
I looked down at my hands, my vision blurred by the tears, and then it happened.
A burst of blue light erupted from me, bright and overwhelming. It felt like it was coming from deep inside me, from a place I didn't even know existed. The air around me seemed to hum with power, the flames that had been licking at the building suddenly retreating as if they feared the light I was giving off.
Then, with a deafening crash, the entire house exploded in a burst of blue energy. The shockwave pushed me to the ground, but the heat was gone.
Everything was silent.