The fierce warrior - the fire controller
Teresa struggled to find peace in her sleep the night before, her mind plagued by the haunting image of the mystical centaur. Questions swirled around her: What had really happened to Tristan? How had he managed to recover so quickly? Was he merely acting, or was he hiding something? And what about the centaur?
As she walked through the school hallway, lost in thought, she unexpectedly bumped into Maria, nearly causing herself to lose balance. "Ara, Teresa! You're thinking so deep! What's on your mind?" Maria exclaimed, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Teresa sighed, shaking her head. "Mary… no! I almost fell…" Maria's concern shifted as she examined Teresa's face. "Oh… hey, something's not right with you. You have bags under your eyes!"
"Oh… yeah… I didn't sleep well last night," Teresa admitted. "Why?" Maria pressed, her interest piqued. But before Teresa could delve into her thoughts, a commotion erupted from a building located to the right of Bais City Academy. The wail of a siren pierced the morning air as a fire truck rolled in, its firefighters rushing to position a water hose against the massive flames engulfing the building's second floor.
It was only 7:16 AM, and the students, gathered for the flag ceremony, were thrown into chaos at the unexpected incident. Some dared to approach the burning structure, ignoring the firefighters' frantic shouts to stay back. Then a voice rang out, cutting through the panic: "The principal, Ma'am Venus, is inside her office!" A wave of dread washed over the crowd. Everyone knew that their principal always arrived at school early, and with the fire raging, anxiety mounted as they feared for her safety, their hearts heavy with the unknown fate of Mrs. Venus trapped inside.
"Ma'am Venus! Ma'am Venus!" The cries echoed through the chaos, but Mrs. Venus, their beloved principal, seemed to be the only unfortunate soul trapped inside the inferno.
Despite the firefighters' assurances that they would save her, despair crept in as they realized the situation was dire. The thought of letting their principal be consumed by flames without any attempt to help was unbearable. "Teresa, let's go inside! We have to rescue Mrs. Venus!" Maria urged, her voice rising with urgency. Teresa hesitated, unsure. "Sure, but I don't think we can - " "Let's go, or else it'll be too late! Mrs. Venus will die!" Maria's determination ignited a spark in Teresa, and they sprinted toward the building, but were quickly halted by firefighters who warned them of the dangers ahead. "We need to help, sir!" Teresa pleaded, desperation lacing her voice. "I'm sorry, young ladies, but we can't allow you to go in," the firefighter replied firmly.
Surrounded by authorities and the throng of terrified students, Maria and Teresa felt the weight of the crowd bearing down on them. But fueled by adrenaline and the fierce need to save their principal, they summoned every ounce of strength to break free and rush up to the second floor. As they reached the principal's office, the scene was unrecognizable; the heat was oppressive, and debris littered the ground, remnants of the building's structure crumbling around them. Thick smoke enveloped the room, making it difficult to breathe or see. "Cough! Cough! It's… it's so hot!" Maria gasped, her eyes stinging. "Cough! Cough! We won't give up!" Teresa declared, her resolve unyielding despite the suffocating heat and chaos.
As Teresa and Maria fought through the smoke and chaos, a broken pillar from the building teetered dangerously overhead, threatening to crash down on Maria. In a swift motion, Teresa leaped into action, preventing the pillar from falling on her friend just in time. In that moment of urgency, the Onyx jewel glimmered to life, flooding Teresa with an overwhelming surge of strength. The realization hit them both: they could harness the power of their jewels. But just as they were about to act, an unknown figure suddenly grabbed them, yanking them away from the perilous scene.
"H-hey… What the - ?" Teresa gasped, bewildered. "No… But… Mrs. Venus… She needs our help!" Maria cried out, panic evident in her voice. The stranger, either an ordinary person or someone endowed with extraordinary strength, offered a calm assurance, "It's dangerous for you ladies. Leave this to me." With that, they were rushed down the hallway toward the safety of the first floor.
"T-thank you, but please assure us that you'll save Mrs. Venus," Teresa pleaded, fear creeping into her tone. However, before they could turn back to catch a glimpse of their rescuer, the figure vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Teresa and Maria staring in disbelief. "Who was that?" Maria whispered, her brow furrowed in confusion. "It's… strange. How could that person leave like that so fast?" Teresa replied, still processing the whirlwind of events.
Back at the gathering area, where firefighters and anxious students awaited updates, a triumphant shout pierced through the air, prompting Teresa and Maria to rush forward to see what was happening. "Mission accomplished! The fire is out!" The announcement left them stunned. How could this be? The firefighters hadn't been able to blast enough water to extinguish the flames. Questions flooded their minds: Was Mrs. Venus saved? Was she still alive?
As they watched from a distance, two figures emerged from the charred remnants of the office on the second floor. One of them was carrying someone, the crowd gasping as realization struck. "Mrs. Venus! Mrs. Venus! She is saved! Hooray!" Maria and Teresa breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Mrs. Venus had been successfully rescued and that their help hadn't been necessary. Could it be the same person who had whisked them away from danger earlier?
As they slowly descended the stairs, Mrs. Venus and her rescuer were greeted by a wave of eager faces. The brave soul who had saved the principal turned out to be a mere young lady, a fellow student of Bais City Academy. "Ingrid? Oh, Ingrid!" Maria exclaimed, her eyes widening in recognition. It was none other than Ingrid May Defensor, the President of the Supreme Student Government. She is impossible to miss with her striking long, curly dark pink hair that cascades down her back like a flowing lava. The lively color reflects her bold personality and sets her apart in any crowd. Her hair often frames her face, accentuating her expressive eyes that shine with determination and intelligence. Her strong features, including high cheekbones and a confident chin, give her an air of authority and charisma.
The crowd erupted in applause, honoring her for her selfless act of bravery and the risks she took to save their principal, despite the chaos that had unfolded. "Ingrid! Amazing! How brave she is!" Teresa exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "So it was her who also saved us, wasn't she?" Maria said, glancing at Teresa in awe.
As Ingrid approached the school's medical team, supporting the unconscious principal, she suddenly fainted and collapsed to the ground. Thankfully, the medical team was quick to respond, catching both Mrs. Venus and Ingrid before they could hit the ground. Both were swiftly rushed to the clinic for first aid. While Mrs. Venus was nearly suffocated and bore third-degree burns on her legs and back, Ingrid appeared relatively unscathed, only covered in soot with no visible injuries.
Outside the clinic, a queue of local reporters waited eagerly for their chance to interview both Mrs. Venus and Ingrid about the terrifying incident. Some reporters were already setting up their introductory scenes, which were automatically aired on local TV and radio stations. While Ingrid remained in the school clinic, seemingly fine, Mrs. Venus was transported to East Bay Hospital for further treatment and recovery.
The Academy's Assistant Principal, Mr. Peter, quickly assembled his staff to address the damage in the Principal's office and a few affected classrooms. He contacted assistants from known experts to investigate the cause of the fire incident. Meanwhile, in the school clinic, Ingrid lay on the bed, now cleaned up and dressed in a hospital gown, her soot-stained school uniform discarded. Though physically unharmed, a heavy guilt washed over her, clouding her mind.
"I…I… can't believe what I have done… What's wrong with me?" she murmured, tears welling in her eyes as she grappled with the thought that her actions might have led to disastrous consequences for Mrs. Venus. A haunting flashback gripped her thoughts.
Being the school leader, Ingrid arrived every day around 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. to ensure students were prepared, especially for the daily flag ceremony. Alongside her subordinates, she also checked classrooms for cleanliness before classes began. Around 7:00 a.m., Mrs. Venus had called her into the office, anger and humiliation evident in her voice. The principal was upset about a social media post Ingrid had made just hours before, criticizing her for allegedly having an illicit affair with Mr. Peter, the assistant principal. It was a disrespectful post, naming them both and hinting at scandalous proof without any images, only a narrative that needed verification. The shocking content of the post had sent ripples through the school, overshadowed only by the recent fire incident.
"Ingrid, I have screenshotted your post. How shameless of you to disclose my name without any proof at all?" Mrs. Venus demanded, her tone sharp and accusing. "Post? What post, Mrs. Venus?" Ingrid replied, confusion mingling with fear as she realized the gravity of the situation. Mrs. Venus glared at Ingrid, her finger jabbing at the screen of her phone. "Here!" she snapped, the accusation heavy in the air between them.
Ingrid's eyes widened as she read the damning post. "W-what? How? B-but… Yes, it's my account, but I swear, Mrs. Venus, I had no idea someone posted those rumors!" The words spilled out in a rush, her heart racing with panic.
"Then how can I be sure you're not the one responsible for this? After reprimanding your organization for being late to an important meeting yesterday, is this what you consider revenge?" Mrs. Venus's tone dripped with disbelief, her voice sharp as a whip. "Mrs. Venus, please, calm down! I believe my account was hacked! I would never do that, especially to you!" Ingrid pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice. "I swear!"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Mrs. Venus snapped, her eyes blazing with anger. Ingrid's throat tightened, frustration boiling over. "Mrs. Venus… I'm so sorry for the trouble this has caused! I'll prove to you that someone is behind this!"
"Prove? There's no need! No need to bring you to the guidance counselor, no need to talk to your parents… No need to prove anything! You are expelled from this institution!"
The finality of Mrs. Venus's words struck Ingrid like a thunderclap. Devastation crashed over her, drowning out the chaos that had erupted in her mind. The gravity of the situation left her reeling. This was not how it was supposed to end.
Mrs. Venus was strict and resolute, a woman held in high esteem. No one dared to humiliate or offend her, yet here she was, ready to cast Ingrid aside without a second thought. A mix of embarrassment, sadness, surprise, and anger swirled within her, igniting a storm she couldn't contain.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth spreading from her hand. Glancing down, she gasped as flames flickered to life, dancing wildly around her fingers. Panic surged through her. What is happening?
As her emotions spiraled, so did the fire, growing larger and more uncontrollable. Ingrid could only watch in horror as it spread, licking at the edges of the room. Mrs. Venus screamed, fear etched across her face, but in her panic, she didn't even realize where the fire had originated. She assumed it was a short circuit, a freak accident.
The chaos erupted, the screams of students mingling with the crackling flames, as Ingrid's nightmare unfolded before her eyes. In that moment, she understood the connection between her emotions and the fire.
As the flames finally receded from her mind, reality came crashing back. She lay in the clinic, heart racing, aware that she needed answers. "I must seek help!" A determined glint ignited in her eyes. "Who the hell was that person who stole my account?"
---