Being magically paralyzed in the middle of an escape attempt, surrounded by enemies, was bad. What came next didn't improve things.

They carried her back into the compound, the guards flanking her frozen form while the robed man kept up an amiable monologue, apparently unbothered by Pyra's silence. Something about higher purposes and necessary transformations and the glory of service. All kinds of nonsense she'd normally ignore.

But now, trussed up by whatever spell this jerk was weaving, every word pressed against her skin, oily and slick.

"Once you understand the scope of what we're accomplishing here," he was saying as they hauled her past the shattered main doors, "you'll see your former life as the meager thing it was. Oh, you may resist initially, feel a twinge of loss perhaps—but those sensations will pass. All discomfort fades with time and acclimation."

He smiled thinly. "I can make the acclimation effortless if you prefer. We have methods for... easing the transition."

She managed a glare through the magic. It was the best she could do.

At least they didn't have the others—just her. Everyone else had gotten away. They'd have time to rally, maybe try another rescue. Maybe not get paralyzed and dragged back into the dark heart of the enemy's lair this time, she thought bitterly. Always a silver lining.

Down they went. Down through the dim corridors, past scorch marks and scattered debris, until the air grew thick and close. Until the silence was broken only by the tread of boots against stone.

Eventually, they came to a set of heavy iron doors. Engraved sigils decorated the metal surface, symbols that seemed to crawl and slither even when Pyra looked away. A low hum reverberated from the room beyond.

Their escort exchanged quiet words, then unsealed the chamber. Hinges groaned. The air inside swam thick with power, like wading through invisible honey.

"This will do." Their captor gestured expansively, the movement casting strange shadows in the gloom. "A promising environment. Ready for integration."

Pyra was brought to the center of the space, where a stonework platform awaited.

In the center stood a crystalline structure pulsing with soft, internal light. It was shaped like a stalagmite, standing about seven feet high and topped with an intricate web of metallic strands woven around a glowing gemstone.

A tangle of lacquered reeds, braided gut-hose, and engraved copper piping fed into the crystal's base. Pale vapors moved sluggishly within the tubes, pooling in glass reservoirs that hung from the walls like obscene fruit.

"Here." He indicated a spot beside the column. "Prepare her. Integration will begin at once."

Hands seized her. Bound her with heavy iron shackles affixed to the column. They forced her to stand facing it. In her frozen state, the guards had no trouble locking her in place. The paralysis began to fade, but the metal bands around her wrists, ankles, and throat kept her from squirming free.

"There." The robed man studied her, nodding as the final restraint clicked. "Comfortable? No? A pity."

"Less talking," she croaked, ignoring the ache in her jaw, "more explaining." If she could get him to ramble on long enough, it'd at least delay whatever he was preparing. She tested her bonds, seeking a way to pry herself loose.

But the robed figure just laughed. A soft chuckle filled with genuine amusement, as if she'd told a particularly funny joke. "Direct to the point, even in captivity."

"I'm a direct kind of person." She strained against her fetters. Maybe a concentrated flame could warp the metal, create slack. But her fire wasn't exactly formidable at the moment.

"To be lecturing you on your new circumstances." He clicked his tongue disapprovingly, as though her question was absurd. "You are here because we are at a crucial moment in this facility's development. A nexus, as my colleagues put it. The point where our ambitions move from the realm of theoreticals to practicality." That thin-lipped smile widened.

"So glad I could be here for it," Pyra ground out.

"Yes." A thoughtful pause, then the figure continued. "To facilitate this, certain... resources are required. You are one such resource, albeit a highly specialized case."

"Lucky me." She kept trying to tug the restraints loose. Something had to give eventually. Anything.

He chuckled again at her sarcasm, pacing closer to Pyra's restrained form. Reaching into his robe, he produced an amulet dangling from a fine chain. Its central gemstone shimmered violet-black in the shifting illumination.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Your lucky rock?"

Another laugh. He was far too amused by this for her liking.

"It is a convergence matrix." The robed man held up the device, his tone turning pedantic, lecturing. "A specially crafted gem imbued with the ability to bind disparate energies. It will anchor you, serve as a bridge between the essence you hold and the potentials we seek to access."

She stared at him. Blinked once, slowly. "What?"

That smile didn't waver. He pocketed the amulet and leaned in closer. "You should be honored to become the vessel of an Ifrit, dear girl. Very few can support such a merging. No, perhaps you might be the only one."

"A... what now?"

"An Ifrit. A being of pure flame, once revered as demigods by lesser cultures. We're uncertain whether these entities retain their awareness upon being bonded with a host, but it's a minor concern. The power they provide outweighs such academic considerations."

"Sounds great." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "But no thanks. Allergic to being vessels." She rattled her shackles pointedly. "Now, how about letting me go? I'll head right out those nice doors. No fuss. Promise."

He shook his head ruefully. "Again, always to the point." He gestured at the guards, the motion dismissive. "Make certain she doesn't wander off."

"Right away, Maledictus." They saluted in unison.

The robed man—'Maledictus' apparently, which she doubted was a birth name any more than her moniker was hers—watched Pyra squirm and thrash and make absolutely no progress loosening her bonds for several minutes. She was considering spitting flame in his stupid face just for good measure when he started speaking again.

"I suppose I've been rather harsh," he mused, stroking the edge of the crystalline structure that dominated the center of the chamber. The gesture was almost... affectionate. Weird. "This integration process will undoubtedly be—ah, disconcerting for you."

That damnable thin smile was back.

"Noted." She jerked at her restraints again. Muscle stood out on her arms as she strained against them. "Let's skip it, shall we?"

"But before we begin, do allow me to explain the importance of your contribution." He started pacing a slow circuit around her. "What is taking shape here goes far beyond my colleagues and I. Far beyond the boundaries of this mundane plane, in fact."

She glanced at the guards. They stood impassively at attention.

"The Silent Hand has dedicated decades to rediscovering the techniques needed to shatter the barriers between realms," he went on, eyes gleaming with fervor. "The veils separating us from greater powers have thinned. Now, we are poised to sunder those membranes completely. To pierce the infinite, and forge a conduit between planes of existence. An aperture into the vast and powerful expanses beyond."

"So glad you're finding fulfillment in the multiverse."

He chuckled, stopping back in front of Pyra and the strange device. "You jest, of course. The full scope eludes those uninitiated to the higher mysteries. But no matter."

His hand came to rest on her shoulder, like an uncle consoling a child after a skinned knee. "Once the bonding process begins, you may feel pain, disorientation, loss of identity. Such is the cost of transformation. The woman you are will cease to be. In her place shall rise the vessel of an Ifrit, its primal fury tempered within mortal flesh."

"And you think this Ifrit is just going to let you, what, control it? Use it as a battery?" She shook his hand off and glared at him.

"We take precautions." A dismissive flick of his wrist. "Safeguards have been incorporated into the bonding apparatus. The entity's capabilities are harnessed for our purposes. It is simply a reservoir of power once merged with its host and integrated here."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Pyra was really starting to dislike this guy, and she'd never liked this kind of guy to begin with. He was just missing the goatee.

She was about to offer some creative feedback on his plan, when he turned away and approached the crystalline array. Placing his hands upon the surface, Maledictus seemed to fall into a deep state of focus, the air around him crackling faintly.

"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded small in the cavernous chamber. She hated that. Sounded scared. Weak. Not the person she needed to be.

"Preparing the matrix for your integration." Without looking at her, he made another gesture, the symbols stitched onto his robes shimmering eerily. "Ensuring all potential pathways align properly for the transition to occur under controlled conditions."

Pyra struggled fruitlessly once more against the cold metal encircling her limbs. The edges bit into her skin, drawing blood that dripped sluggishly down her arms. She tried calling up her flames, anything to get free. But her fire refused to come, either because of some magic or her own frayed, fragile nerves.

The crystal device pulsed. Violet light swam through it.

"This will be your first glimpse into that greater expanse we seek to bridge." Maledictus' fingers danced over runes carved into the stone. "Don't be alarmed by the spectacle. Few mortals have looked directly upon the Elemental Planes and retained their sanity. I assure you—any discomfort is merely a side effect of such unprecedented exposure."

"Thanks for the reassurance."

"Quite welcome." He didn't appear to catch her sarcasm this time, which she counted as a tiny, precious victory. "Now, attend carefully. The initial breach may be... unsettling."

With that ominous warning lingering in the air, he began manipulating the device. Pyra watched helplessly as the crystal pulsed faster, brighter, the patterns shifting within its depths. It seemed almost alive beneath his touch.

Arcane power gathered around him. Strange, discordant energies swam in the air. Pyra felt the pressure in her chest, a sensation like plunging deep underwater.

She looked around wildly for anything, any avenue of escape or sabotage.

One of the lacquered tubes—the ones snaking between the contraption and the hanging glass reservoirs. One was near her right foot. Maybe she could break one. Clog the system. Slow it down if nothing else.

Okay, she thought, adrenaline kicking in. Time to do something really stupid.

As Maledictus worked his whatever-magic this was, Pyra angled her right foot and stomped down hard against her boot's heel. A thin blade snapped out of the sole.

She hooked the blade's tip under the lacquered hose where it connected to a metal fitting. Applied pressure. Nothing. Adjusted the angle. Pressed harder.

With a soft hiss, the lacquered surface split. Vapor hissed out, expanding into smoky wisps as it hit the open air.

The crystal's steady pulse faltered. Stuttered. Purple light flickered wildly within its depths.

"What—" The guard finally noticed. "Stop her!"

Maledictus turned from the device, his expression shifting from concentration to fury in an instant. "You insolent—"

Too late. With a final desperate wrench of her blade, Pyra severed the hose completely. It ripped away from the fitting with a crackling sound, spewing more vapors and spraying some kind of viscous fluid onto the stone floor. The crystal went dark, then blazed with violent purple light before settling into a sullen, ominous throb.

"Seal it!" Maledictus yelled at the guards. "The convergence matrix is destabilizing!"

Chaos erupted as guards scrambled to contain the breach, while Pyra smiled grimly at her small victory. Then her smile slowly died.

It wasn't going to blow up... was it—

A a wild burst of magic exploded outward from the disrupted crystal, catching everyone—including Pyra—in the ensuing blast.

Rather than being thrown backward like everyone else, Pyra found herself yanked forward violently, breaking her restraints and slamming her against the crystal. It flared, sending off bursts of light and heat as she made contact with its surface. Energy lanced through her—

And then she was in.

Or rather, she became an element within the great expanse of elemental fire, her mind joining a sea of roaring flames. There was no direction, no orientation, simply the sensation of endless burning surrounding her. But even as panic surged inside her, something deep within the elemental plane took notice. And reacted.

Fire, but something more.

A primordial presence, all flame and hunger and power, reached out to her. No, through her. Like her being was a window, a crack in the door that led to... elsewhere.

"Human," it hissed inside her mind, a voice that was all crackling flames and roaring conflagration. "Open. Open to me!"

Pyra didn't have time to formulate an elegant reply.

As the Ifrit entity's essence surged into her, Pyra struggled to anchor herself to something. Anything. Memories, emotions, the sound of laughter, the warmth of a hug...

Cinder. Ember. Kindle. Ash.

All of them in a big group hug, piled together in a heap around Spark. Just being themselves, just existing in that single snapshot of joy and chaos.

Did she screw up again? Was Thaddeus feeding Spark properly? Did Spark miss her? Oh, how she missed the happy face he made when he ate his food, that little curl of contentment in his tail—

Her stomach grumbled, and for a second, it was like she could taste the delightful flavors of grilled meat in her mouth. Yes, that'd be good. A nice, well-grilled, juicy steak, with those lovely charring marks on top and—

She caught a whiff of the smell. It wasn't quite the aroma of perfectly seared meat, but it was close enough. Her stomach rumbled again, loudly, drowning out the Ifrit's insistent demand that she yield her body to its essence. The hunger flared like someone poured gasoline into her guts and struck a match.

And then all Pyra could see, think, taste, and feel, was fire.

She opened her mouth, teeth gleaming in the harsh light, and bit into the flames of primordial fire lapping against her face.

It tasted delicious.

Salty. Tangy. Fatty, meaty, smoky, spicy, earthy. She could even taste the grill char, like a perfectly prepared slab of marinated steak, sizzling over an open flame. Her jaw moved, chewing, grinding the living flames between her teeth. They crackled, popped, fizzed in her mouth.

She swallowed.

More. She needed more!

With gusto, she bit into the river of fire again. And again. Gnashing her teeth in blissful culinary euphoria, Pyra tore, masticated, and consumed. One mouthful after another, gorging on fire with reckless abandon. Reveling in every delectable morsel of heat, each gulp of the inferno's essence.

"Stop!" the Ifrit hissed in her mind. "Stop this madness!"

"Mmmmm," she hummed out loud, barely audible over the crackling conflagration surrounding her, "just five more bites, pleassssse..."

"No. You defy nature itself, you gluttonous, abnormal creature!"

"Come on," Pyra continued, taking a moment from her feisty repast of fire, her face a picture of absolute ecstasy and joy at this banquet of flames, "it's so delish... You'd understand if you tasted it..."

"Stop this instant, or I shall destroy your pathetic mortal mind and feast on the remains! I will scorch the world to ashes and cinders and—" The voice of the elemental faded, as though startled by something.

Pyra smacked her lips and said, "Uh... you okay in there?"

A pause, almost sheepish, before the Ifrit's voice returned. "Why... why are your thoughts full of grilled meat?"

Her reply was immediate. "You're tasty, duh. Can you stay like that? Or at least stop being loud in my head? There's still so much more to eat..."

"What is happening?" Panic now. A note of fear in the ever-burning bonfire that was the primordial entity seeking to possess her body and mind. "What are you doing?!"

Instead of answering, Pyra just kept chewing happily. So good!

Fire by fire, flame by flame, bite by bite, Pyra's stomach filled and her body feasted on the nourishing, life-affirming energy that was an otherworldly spirit of primordial flame. Each mouthful was an explosion of flavor, each swallow a wave of revitalizing heat coursing through her veins.

She ate, and ate, and ate, until, eventually, there was no more of the otherworldly inferno to devour.

Sated and replete, Pyra looked up with a smile of total contentment, licking her lips. "Wow. Best meal ever. What's for dessert?"

The structure lay shattered into glittering, crystalline dust at her feet.

Around Pyra, the chamber lay in ruins. Maledictus hunched behind a magical barrier, his remaining guards cowering or unconscious around him. Cracks ran across the stone, and scorch marks blackened every surface.

Maledictus emerged from his shield, blinking at her in stunned silence.

For a moment, they stared at one another, Pyra standing in the wreckage she'd inadvertently caused and the man, clearly shocked at this unexpected turn of events.

"Th-that's... impossible..." he sputtered finally. "You... you can't have... Where did it go?! What did you do?!"

She grinned at him, showing her teeth, feeling the lingering embers of fire smolder in the depths of her eyes. She could feel her power roaring back to life within her like a furnace finally stoked.

Then she let out a loud, prolonged burp. Unladylike as ever.

Pyra rubbed her belly. It gave off a faint glow that pulsed through her clothing, like a miniature sun dwelled inside. It felt hot too. All that delicious energy, swirling about in her belly, as though she'd gulped down a thermos of piping-hot coffee.

"I might have eaten your fancy fire spirit," she said with a wink and a cheeky grin, patting her belly. "All gone. Nom nom nom. Very tasty. Did not, however, expect this." Her hand pressed down on her stomach, trying to discern what exactly she'd just done.

"You ate it?! HOW?! It was meant to bind with your essence! To use your mortal form to tether itself to this plane of existence!" His fingers scrabbled through the wreckage, searching for some trace of his plan. "This... this doesn't make any sense! How could you have possibly consumed its essence?!"

"Oops. My bad."

She scratched her cheek sheepishly. Somehow, she'd completely devoured the primordial power that was the Ifrit. In a way, it was similar to what Spark usually did—only with a heck ton more gobbling down of otherworldly energy involved.

She patted her belly again, marveling at how the fiery power was being steadily absorbed into her body, spreading, suffusing her every cell with renewed strength. Whatever her little stunt did, it had certainly supercharged her pyromantic battery.

She didn't feel possessed or controlled. Just really good. Almost jittery, like that time she had four spiced chocolate drafts back when Ash was in a particularly philosophical mood and trying to convince Pyra about the nature of existence and whatnot.

Those were some deep conversations, for sure.

Wait... Did this mean she had her full powers back?

Pyra looked at her hands, and then concentrated, letting a tiny bit of that fiery energy within emerge. A small fireball flared to life, swirling around her right palm.

She then compressed it into a tiny blue ember the size of her pinkie nail. It floated in her hand, a flickering pinpoint of intense heat and light.

Maledictus frantiacally uttered an incantation. Pyra felt her body stiffen again, just like the first time they had confronted each other in the forest. But this time...

Her skin shimmered red-hot. Like a character out of an old-school video game entering an invincibility mode, fire engulfed Pyra's form.

The magical constriction shattered like glass around her body.

A toothy grin stretched across her visage. "Hey, guys. Guess what I can do now."

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