CHAPTER 8: INFERNO RISING
Scene 1: The Aftermath
Smoke curled into the night sky as Maya stood on top of the ridge, watching the remnants of the Ember facility burn. The mission had been a success—another site destroyed, more prisoners freed. But it had come at a cost.
Lucas sat on the ground, clutching his injured leg. Nadia helped him, pressing a bandage against the wound. The others gathered nearby, with exhaustion written across their faces.
Hawthorne approached Maya, with a rifle slung over his shoulder. “We have hit them hard, but Wallace won’t take this lying down.”
Maya’s hands curled into fists. “Good, let him come.”
Hawthorne studied her. “You know this isn’t just about him anymore, right? Ember’s bigger than Wallace. You’re not just fighting one man—you’re fighting an entire system.”
Maya turned to him, fire flickering in her eyes. “Then we burn the system down.”
Scene 2: The Road to the Next Battle
They piled into the stolen transport truck, as the rescued test subjects packed tightly in the back. The road stretched dark and empty ahead of them.
Nadia sat beside Maya. “Where do we go now?”
Hawthorne checked his map. “There’s an old airstrip a few miles from here. If Ember doesn’t know about it, we might have a shot at getting out of Texas unnoticed.”
Maya exhaled, looking at the people around her, they were running on fumes—physically and emotionally. But stopping wasn’t an option.
“We keep moving,” she said. “We don’t stop until Ember is gone.”
Scene 3: The Trap
The safe haven turned out to be anything but.
As they approached the airstrip, the headlights caught the glint of metal—spikes laid across the road.
“Shit!” Hawthorne swerved, but the tires blew out. The truck skidded sideways, slamming into a ditch.
Before they could recover, floodlights snapped on, blinding them. A dozen Ember operatives emerged from the treeline, with weapons raised.
Maya’s breath caught. Wallace was waiting for them.
A familiar voice crackled through a speaker. “You didn’t really think you would get this far without me noticing, did you?”
Wallace.
Scene 4: Captured
Maya fought back, flames surging around her—but something was wrong. The moment she tried to ignite, pain shot through her skull.
A dampener field. Ember had developed technology to suppress her abilities.
Hawthorne reached for his gun, but a guard slammed a rifle into his ribs, forcing him down. The others were dragged from the truck, too weak to resist.
Wallace stepped into view, wearing his ever-present smirk. “You’ve been quite the problem, Maya.”
She glared at him. “And you’re running out of ways to stop me.”
Wallace chuckled. “Oh, I disagree.” He gestured to his men. “Bring her.”
Scene 5: The Ember Stronghold
They were transported to an underground Ember facility, the air there was thick with sterilized metal and power.
Maya was separated from the others, placed on shackles and dragged through a series of cold corridors.
Wallace walked beside her. “You should be honored. You’re about to witness the final phase of the Phoenix Protocol.”
She yanked at her restraints. “You mean more torture? More experiments?”
Wallace’s smile widened. “No. Evolution.”
A heavy door hissed open, revealing a massive chamber lined with glowing containment pods. Inside them—more pyrokinetics, their bodies suspended in some kind of energy field.
Maya’s stomach twisted. He’s been creating more.
Wallace leaned in. “You’re not just a test subject anymore, Maya. You’re the key.”
Scene 6: The Offer
Wallace paced in front of her, arms behind his back. “Do you know why you survived where others failed?”
Maya’s jaw clenched. “Because I’m stronger than you think.”
Wallace chuckled. “No, because you’re different. Your fire isn’t just an ability—it’s a connection.” He turned to the pods. “You can stabilize them, just like you did before. Help them control the fire instead of being consumed by it.”
Maya’s pulse quickened.
Wallace’s eyes gleamed. “Join me, Maya. Together, we can shape the future.”
She spat at his feet. “I’d rather burn this place to the ground.”
Wallace sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.” He signaled to a nearby guard. “Prepare the final test.”
Scene 7: The Final Test
Maya was strapped into a vertical containment pod, the restraints searing cold against her skin. Electrodes pulsed with energy, designed to force her fire to the surface.
Pain lanced through her.
She screamed as the machine pulled at her flames, trying to extract something deeper. Her vision blurred, the room warping around her.
And then—she saw them.
The other test subjects, still trapped in their pods. Their fire flickered weakly, unstable, barely clinging to them.
Wallace’s voice echoed. “Save them, Maya. Or watch them burn.”
Scene 8: Breaking the Chains
Maya gritted her teeth, the fire inside her raged against the machine’s pull.
But this time, she didn’t fight it.
Instead, she reached into the fire, not just hers—but theirs.
She felt every ember, every heartbeat, every flicker of pain. And in that moment, she understood—she wasn’t just one of them.
She was their spark.
With a final scream, she let go.
The pod shattered.
Scene 9: Uprising
Flames erupted across the chamber as the containment pods burst open. The test subjects, once prisoners, now burned with new life.
Wallace staggered back, eyes wide. “Impossible.”
Maya stepped forward, fire coiling around her like a living entity. “You wanted evolution?” She raised a hand. “Here it is.”
The room exploded.
Scene 10: Escape and War
The Ember facility burned as Maya led the survivors through the chaos. Alarms blared, guards fell, and the fire consumed everything in its path.
Hawthorne met her at the exit, eyes wide. “What the hell happened in there?”
Maya’s flames dimmed as she turned back to look at the inferno.
“No more running,” she said. “No more hiding.”
She looked at the people behind her, no longer test subjects, but something more.
“We’ve taken Ember down.”
Hawthorne smirked. “Now that’s a plan.”
Maya came forward, fire blazing in her wake.
The war had truly begun.