Chapter 4: The Fire Within

Chapter 4: The Fire Within

Silvia's POV

Silvia's chest heaved as she pulled her magic back under control, sweat trailing down her forehead. The battlefield was chaos—lightning crackled through the sky, illuminating the dark forms of the Hunters lunging toward them.

Dragon was a blur of shadow and fury, cutting through the creatures with precision. His massive panther form moved with effortless grace, his claws raking through flesh as if it were nothing more than paper.

Silvia dodged a lunging Hunter, spinning on her heel and releasing a blast of fire toward it. The creature shrieked as the flames engulfed its body, writhing before collapsing into a pile of ash. She barely had time to register her victory before another one charged at her from the side.

Instinct kicked in. Without thinking, she threw up a barrier of raw energy, and the monster rebounded off it, momentarily stunned. Silvia's fingers tingled from the force of her magic, the power within her surging stronger than ever. It was exhilarating, overwhelming, and terrifying all at once.

Dragon landed beside her, his golden eyes flashing in the dim light. "Not bad," he admitted, his voice edged with approval. "You learning fast, sweetheart."

Silvia ignored the way her stomach flipped at the nickname. "You still think I need to stay behind you?"

Dragon let out a low chuckle. "Let's see if you can keep up."

He turned, leaping back into the fray, his form shifting between human and beast in fluid bursts. Silvia exhaled sharply, steeling herself. The connection between them buzzed like a live wire, making her hyper-aware of his movements, his energy, his very presence.

And she hated how natural it felt.

The ground trembled again as a larger Hunter emerged from the shadows. This one was different—bulkier, its form covered in jagged obsidian-like armor. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light, and when it opened its mouth, Silvia could see rows of gleaming, venom-coated fangs.

"Oh, that's new," she muttered.

Dragon landed beside her, his eyes narrowing. "That one's an Alpha."

"Great. Any bright ideas?"

"Yeah. Don't die."

Silvia shot him a glare. "Real helpful."

Before either of them could react, the Alpha Hunter let out an ear-splitting screech and charged. Silvia barely managed to sidestep as it swung a massive claw toward her. Dragon lunged at its flank, sinking his teeth into its armor, but the creature threw him off with a violent shake, sending him crashing into a boulder.

Silvia's heart lurched. "Dragon!"

He groaned, shifting slightly. "Still alive… barely."

The Alpha turned its glowing eyes toward her. A low growl rumbled from its throat as it crouched, ready to attack.

Silvia clenched her fists, raw power crackling at her fingertips. She wasn't going to wait to be saved.

She took a step forward, planting her feet firmly. The moment the creature lunged, Silvia released a surge of energy unlike anything she'd ever done before.

The explosion of light and fire lit up the battlefield like a second sun. The Alpha was thrown backward, slamming into the earth with a ground-shaking impact. Smoke curled around Silvia's fingers as she lowered her hands, her entire body buzzing from the sheer magnitude of power she had just unleashed.

Dragon, now in his human form, staggered to his feet, his golden eyes wide. "Okay… that was impressive."

Silvia swallowed hard, looking down at her hands. "What… what the hell was that?"

"You tell me."

The Alpha let out a low, guttural growl as it tried to rise, but its body gave out, collapsing back onto the ground. Within moments, the creature turned to dust, dissolving into the wind.

The battle was over. They had won.

But before Silvia could take a breath, more distant howls echoed from beyond the hills. Her stomach clenched. They had drawn attention.

Dragon stiffened beside her. "We can't stay here."

Silvia turned to him, her fingers still trembling. "What was that, Dragon? That power—I've never felt anything like it."

His expression darkened. "I have."

Silvia frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Dragon took a slow step toward her, lowering his voice. "That wasn't just your magic. That was the bond."

Silvia tensed. "The bond?"

Dragon's golden eyes locked onto hers, filled with something unreadable. "When I healed you, when I saved your life… our energies merged. Your power is growing because of me."

A lump formed in Silvia's throat. "You mean… this isn't even my real magic?"

Dragon exhaled sharply. "It is and it isn't. You had magic before, but now it's been… amplified. Because of what we are to each other."

Silvia shook her head. "No. No, this can't—"

"You feel it, don't you?" Dragon interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. "The connection. The way you knew exactly where I was in the fight. How you knew to dodge before the Alpha even moved."

Silvia's pulse pounded in her ears. She did feel it. She had been trying to ignore it, but it was undeniable now. Every part of her was attuned to him in a way that shouldn't have been possible.

Dragon sighed. "Silvia… we need to talk."

Silvia exhaled, her mind still spinning. "Yeah. We do."

She wasn't sure what scared her more—the fact that her magic was evolving beyond her control, or the realization that she wasn't fighting alone anymore.

And worse?

She wasn't sure she wanted to.

Silvia turned her gaze back to the battlefield, where the remains of the creatures were already fading into dust. Her fingers clenched at her sides. If she was changing, she needed to understand how far it would go.

Dragon sighed and rolled his shoulders, the tension in his stance impossible to ignore. "We should move before more show up."

Silvia hesitated, but nodded. "Agreed. But this conversation isn't over."

A slow, knowing smirk crossed Dragon's face. "Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart."

She ignored the way her stomach twisted at his words. They had bigger problems to deal with.

For now.