The Voice of Fire

Ezra barely had time to react as the professor lunged at him, the wild movements fueled by a mix of desperation and rage. The bottle in his hand swung dangerously close, and Ezra instinctively ducked, the sharp edge of the professor's attack grazing his shoulder.

"Die! Die!" the professor screamed, his voice a broken, distorted echo of the man Ezra had heard about in rumors.

Ezra stumbled back, his heart hammering in his chest, but the professor was relentless, staggering forward with a twisted grin on his face. The man was in a frenzy now, his movements erratic but somehow still dangerous, fueled by the madness in his eyes.

"Professor, stop!" Ezra shouted, his mind racing as he tried to find a way out of this situation. He had to keep his distance but couldn't risk angering him more. His body tensed, ready to react if the professor lunged again.

The man swung the bottle again, and this time Ezra was faster, dodging to the side just in time to avoid the heavy glass hitting his face. It shattered against a nearby rock, sending shards scattering into the dirt.

Ezra's adrenaline surged as he realized he couldn't keep dodging forever. The professor was unpredictable, erratic, and Ezra's escape route was blocked by the edge of the waterfall.

He conjured up the idea of using his flames but would the risk be worth it . Attacking a teacher would surely lead him to expulsion or even worse .

" I should have you killed you disgusting mutts from the beginning " 

Ezra's heart hammered in his chest as he was slowly forced back into the water, the relentless cascade of the waterfall crashing around him, the cold water soaking through his clothes. The professor advanced, his drunken steps slow but determined, like a predator closing in on its prey. Ezra's mind raced—he had to think of something, anything to get out of this situation.

His hands shot to the professor's wrist, desperately trying to pry his fingers away, but the grip was unyielding, stronger than anything he had felt before. 

"Tell me, why does she haunt me even after death?"

The professor's voice was hoarse, each word slurring with the intoxication that seemed to fuel his rage. Ezra could barely breathe as his vision started to fade, the pressure building in his chest.

"I don't know," Ezra gasped, his voice barely audible, his mind whirling in a haze of panic. What could he say? How could he make this stop?

The professor chuckled darkly, a bitter, hollow sound that echoed in the quiet of the forest. "I was hoping you'd give me an answer," he said, his grip tightening. "Maybe then I'd spare your life."

Ezra's pulse thundered in his ears as he struggled to breathe, the professor's hand tightening around his throat. Every inch of his body screamed for air, his vision narrowing as he fought against the overwhelming pressure.

The professor's grip was unyielding, his fingers like iron, squeezing the life out of him with a frightening ease.

The man's words were muffled, his breath a putrid mix of alcohol and rage. "You're a fool… just like the rest of them…"

Ezra's body grew heavier as the professor's grip tightened, each breath harder to take.

His hands clawed uselessly at the man's arm, his fingers slipping from the sweat-slick skin. The world around him began to close in, the rushing water sounding distant, muffled. His vision faded to black at the edges, and his chest constricted with every passing second.

Then, just as everything seemed to go dark, a voice—soft yet commanding—whispered through the haze. It was the same voice he had heard before, echoing in his mind, a strange but familiar presence.

"Let the power consume you, burn free like a star in the night."

The words sent a shiver down Ezra's spine, a rush of warmth flooding his chest, suffusing him with a strange sense of calm. It was as if the voice itself was coaxing him, encouraging him to let go, to embrace the flames within him.

As the last of the darkness crept toward his vision, Ezra's eyes glowed. His irises turned a brilliant gold, blazing with an intense light. His body surged with power, the flames within him intensifying and expanding.

The professor, unaware of the transformation, was still focused on tightening his grip. But the heat from Ezra's body began to sear through the air, suffusing everything around them with an intense, almost unbearable warmth.

The fire in Ezra's chest pulsed with life, and the gold in his eyes burned brighter, casting eerie reflections on the professor's horrified face.

Ezra's body shook with the intensity of the flames surrounding him, his hands trembling as the heat seared through his veins. The voice, that same haunting, whispering voice, urged him onward, pushing him to unleash the fire fully. But something inside him resisted.

"Burn," the voice whispered again, insistent and cold.