A Blaze of Ice

"Argh!" Lyra groaned as she fell to the ground, knocked back by her out-of-control Spark spell. She was trying to help the village by lighting a torch on the outskirts using her newfound fire magic, but every time she attempted to start a fire, it either failed to ignite or burned wildly out of control.Lyra was already on her fifth piece of charcoal after accidentally burning the others while trying to light the torch. She had promised the village chief to help light around twenty more torches. As she demonstrated her new fire magic to her friends and the chief, the fear of returning with no results loomed over her. Lyra recognized her potential to become a fire mage, one of the most lucrative jobs in the Capital. However, she was terrified that her lack of control over her flames might harm others. The thought of unintentionally endangering her village or loved ones filled her with immense grief and rooted her feet to the ground in fear.As Lyra walked back into the village, she felt the tension in the air, the stares of the other villagers prickling against her back. Dragging her feet toward the village chief, she was reluctant to report her failure. Behind her, she heard murmurs from the villagers: "I don't understand why she hasn't been sent away for training. What if she loses control during the harvest? Fire is dangerous when it's wild." "I know she means well, but there's no place for someone like her here. It's only a matter of time before the fire consumes her. Or maybe even all of us!" Even the little boy she had cared for as a baby muttered to his friend, "I heard Ms. Lyra can burn anything she touches, even the air. I bet she will set the world on fire one day."Lyra understood that magic users were rare and not fully understood in her rural village, so most villagers were wary and even afraid of her. They could easily lose their life possessions with their houses made of wood if a fire broke out. Although she knew some villagers viewed her powers as a blessing, she couldn't help but feel more like a weapon than a person. To cope, she learned to build a wall around her emotions, striving to maintain her joyful, fiery, and enthusiastic demeanour. Lyra understood that the villagers meant no harm; they were unsure how to act around her.Lyra believes she has the potential to become stronger and despises herself for feeling weak. A fire burns within her heart, driving her toward perfection, even when it seems out of reach. When she was young, a travelling magician visited her village to gather supplies and entertained the village children with magic tricks, including juggling fireballs. Instead of inspiring her to use her magic for entertainment, this experience motivated her to innovate and change the world. She often reminds herself never to admit how much her magic scares her because she knows she can always trust herself, even when no one else does.While standing in the village square, Lyra hears the village elder mention an old prophecy, a tale about a fire mage who rocked the entire kingdom with their power. Lyra dismisses it, having heard the story countless times during her childhood, and considers it a legend. Little does she know, however, that the seed of that thought has already taken root in her mind.