the price of power

The fire was a mere smoldering heap of embers, its warm glow now nothing more than a faint shimmer in the dark. The forest around them was still, silent, save for the occasional rustle of the trees in the gentle night breeze. Lira's heart, still racing from the intensity of the battle, gradually began to slow, but her mind was a whirlwind. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had only just begun to scratch the surface of the power that was awakening inside her. And that terrified her.

Thorne stood a few paces away, his sword still drawn, scanning the surrounding woods for any signs of movement. His eyes flicked toward her, his expression unreadable. But Lira could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he gripped the hilt of his weapon, ready for another attack, even though the immediate danger had passed.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low and careful, like he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Lira nodded, though she wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. "Yeah," she replied, her voice unsteady. "I'm fine. Just… I didn't expect it to feel like that."

Thorne raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The magic?"

Lira glanced down at her hands, the palms still tingling with the residual energy she had unleashed. "Yeah," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "It's like it's always been there, just waiting to explode. I couldn't control it. I'm not sure I ever will."

Thorne's gaze softened, and for the first time, Lira saw a flicker of something in his eyes—compassion, maybe? Or was it pity? She couldn't tell. "You don't need to control it overnight," he said. "But you do need to understand it. You're not just any sorceress, Lira. You're the Sungod. The power inside you is ancient, and it's not something you can just push away. It's a part of you now."

Lira closed her eyes, feeling a wave of unease wash over her. She didn't know if she was ready for this responsibility. She hadn't asked for any of it. All she wanted was to be free, to be herself—not some weapon of destruction, some godly force that was beyond her comprehension. The weight of it all was suffocating, and for a moment, she wished she could just wake up from this nightmare.

"You're not alone in this, Lira," Thorne continued, his voice steady. "I'm here. I'll help you learn to control it, but it won't be easy. The price of power is never simple."

Lira turned her gaze to him, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean, the price?"

Thorne hesitated, his jaw tightening as if he were considering whether to say more. He looked at the remains of the wraiths, now nothing but scattered dust on the forest floor. "Power like yours comes with consequences. The more you use it, the more it takes from you. And when you call upon it, when you let it out… you risk losing yourself. Your humanity. Your soul. There's a reason the Sungod's power is feared."

Lira felt a chill creep up her spine at his words. She had never considered the possibility of losing herself—of becoming something inhuman. But now that Thorne had mentioned it, the idea lodged itself firmly in her mind. Was she already on the path to becoming something else? A creature of pure magic, something cold and distant from the world she had known?

"You don't just lose control of your magic," Thorne continued, his voice dropping even lower. "You lose the very thing that makes you who you are. Your emotions, your choices. The magic takes. It feeds off of your willpower, your essence. It's a dangerous path to walk."

Lira swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over her like a dark cloud. "So, what—every time I use this power, I'm in danger of losing myself?"

Thorne nodded grimly. "Yes. That's why you need to learn to control it, to understand it. If you don't, you could become like the wraiths we just fought—corrupted, empty. A shell of what you were."

A shell. The thought sent a ripple of panic through Lira's chest. She couldn't allow that to happen. She wouldn't. But how could she control something she barely understood? How could she wield this power without succumbing to it?

"I don't know if I can do this," Lira admitted, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to remain composed. "I don't know if I can be the person you want me to be. The person the world needs me to be."

Thorne was silent for a long moment. Lira's eyes flicked to him, her breath catching as she watched him struggle with something unsaid. Finally, he spoke, his voice softer than before, but still firm.

"I don't want you to be anything other than who you are, Lira. But you have to understand something: this world doesn't give us a choice. Not anymore. There's a war coming, and the stakes are higher than either of us realize. The Sunpriests aren't the only ones who want your power."

Lira's mind whirled at the mention of the Sunpriests. She had almost forgotten about them in the aftermath of the attack, but the reminder brought it all rushing back. They were out there, waiting, watching. And they would stop at nothing to claim her power. She could feel it—like a shadow at the edge of her mind, constantly lurking, just out of reach. But they were patient. And in the end, they would come for her. They would come for everything she was.

"How do we stop them?" Lira asked, her voice steady now, but the fear still lingered beneath the surface.

"We don't stop them," Thorne replied, his eyes hardening. "Not by ourselves. Not yet. But we can try to weaken them. We can find allies. People who still have the courage to fight. People who still believe in something worth saving."

Lira clenched her fists, the anger bubbling inside her. She wasn't going to sit back and wait. Not anymore. "What do we do next?"

Thorne stepped closer, his hand resting briefly on her shoulder. "We need to find the Order of the Silver Dawn. They're the only ones who might have answers—ancient texts, old prophecies, something that can help you control your power. And maybe, just maybe, they'll have a way to stop the Sunpriests."

Lira nodded, a fire igniting within her. The Silver Dawn. She had heard whispers of them in the shadows, a secretive group who guarded knowledge long thought lost to time. If there was any hope of understanding the magic coursing through her veins, it was with them.

But she couldn't afford to be naive. The path ahead was dangerous. The Sunpriests were relentless, and the wraiths were only the beginning. Every step she took brought her closer to the storm that was coming. But Lira refused to be afraid. She couldn't afford to be.

"We leave at dawn," Lira said, her voice fierce with resolve. "We find them. We stop the Sunpriests. And we figure out what's happening to me."

Thorne gave a small, approving nod, his lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "That's the spirit. We'll face whatever comes next, together."

Lira glanced around the quiet forest one last time, her mind already focused on the journey ahead. She wasn't sure if she was ready for what lay in store, but she couldn't stop now. Not when everything she cared about was on the line.

"Together," she repeated softly, her gaze meeting Thorne's.

And with that, they turned away from the smoldering remains of the wraiths, the path ahead uncertain but filled with purpose.

The dawn would bring answers. And with it, the first steps toward the fight that would change everything.

No turning back.