Ep.25 Trial by Fire Part 4

Maya Pov

I stood my ground as the Mutt's massive form towered over me, its shadow swallowing me whole. The beast's corrupt mana pressed against my senses like a physical weight, making my stomach churn, but I refused to show weakness. All those months of training with Ms. Vera hadn't been for nothing—I knew how to channel this rage now, how to turn it into something useful.

"For everyone you took from me," I whispered, surprised by the steadiness in my own voice.

The first fireball erupted from my palm with a force that surprised even me, bathing the forest in brilliant orange light. The Mutt moved with impossible speed for something its size, leaving my attack to obliterate an ancient tree instead. The sound of splintering wood and crackling flames filled the air.

I didn't let up. Couldn't let up. One fireball after another launched from my hands, each more powerful than the last. The forest around us transformed into an inferno, trees falling as my attacks missed their mark. But I wasn't just attacking blindly—each blast was calculated, herding the beast exactly where I wanted it.

My heart leaped when the Mutt's back hit a burning trunk. For just a moment, I saw something like surprise flash in those terrible eyes.

Got you.

I poured everything I had into one final attack, condensing my mana into a sphere of pure destruction. The heat was so intense it scorched the grass beneath my feet, and sweat poured down my face. With a scream that carried all my fury, all my pain, I let it fly—

Then watched in horror as the beast opened its massive jaws and swallowed my attack whole.

Its throat glowed like molten metal for a moment before it threw back its head and howled. The sound carried something that made my blood run cold—amusement. All this time, it had just been playing with me.

"No," I whispered, stumbling backward on trembling legs. "That's impossible—"

The Mutt moved faster than my eyes could track. One moment it stood twenty feet away, the next its claws were slashing toward my face. I barely managed to throw up a barrier of flames, but the impact still sent me flying. Pain exploded across my back as I slammed into a tree, the world spinning as I crumpled to the ground.

Through vision that wouldn't stop blurring, I watched the monster approach. Each step was slow, deliberate—it was savoring the moment. I tried to stand but my legs wouldn't listen. After everything, after all my training and preparation, I was going to die here alone.

"MAYA!"

Two voices cut through the roar of flames—voices that made my heart stop. No. Please, no. Not them.

Kai and Rowan burst through the burning undergrowth, their faces streaked with soot and terror. The Mutt's head snapped toward them, its terrible grin growing wider.

"RUN!" I screamed, forcing myself upright through sheer desperation. Every muscle screamed in protest. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

But they didn't run. Of course they didn't run—they never did, these stupid, brave boys I called family. Instead, they charged forward together, Kai with nothing but his wooden practice sword and Rowan using a wind spell to propel him towards me faster.

The Mutt's laugh-like growl made my skin crawl. It turned away from me, focusing its attention on them instead.

In that moment, clarity hit me like a bucket of ice water. What had I done? My selfish quest for revenge hadn't just put my own life at risk—it had endangered the only family I had left. The reality of my mistake crashed over me with devastating force.

As the beast tensed to spring, I gathered what little strength remained in my battered body. I couldn't let it end like this. I wouldn't.

This time, I had something more important than revenge to fight for.