- A D A R A - K O N S D O T T I R -

     Lucas.

     A single hole sits right there, burrowed into the back of his skull. My friend - my one constant - executed in cold blood. I catch sight of Dom's drifting eyes, looking at the scene in surprise as his shattered back harness continues to spark. A woman steps into the room, looking at Lucas with a bit of regret poking through her hardened, cold face.

     Natalia.

     I can practically see the smoke exhaled from her handgun's barrel as she looks down at Lucas's lifeless body. My vision blurs as the pain from my abdomen seemingly disappears, allowing me only to focus on the red.

     The red pooling beneath Lucas.

     The red flame dancing through the castle.

     The red blood flooding my eyes.

     The sounds seem to fade as I bring my sniper rifle up, aiming straight for Natalia's pistol. Half of my thoughts shut down as cold precision mixes with the boiling anger - threatening to burn off my skin and eat the palace alive. I watch Natalia's eyes shift to me, fear etching into her face as everything slows to a crawl.

     Her arm moves towards me, a hint of hesitation surfacing before deciding to tie up Raleigh's loose ends. Not today. Not ever. My finger pulls on the trigger with conviction, not even the boom from the sniper interrupting the ringing in my ears. I watch as Natalia's handgun explodes, taking her trigger finger with it. Metal shards scatter and mix with blood as her mouth opens and her body flings away from me. I can't hear her, but I can see the horror on her face.

     My hand races up to the bolt, sliding it back with the precision of a grizzled veteran. Part of me wonders if I can even control myself, or if I've become a spectator to my own body as the bolt flies forward with a less-than-graceful slap. I open my mouth to scream, letting out a primal roar as Natalia ducks out of the room, terror driving her away from the scene of her loss of morality.

     This room is her graveyard, and I won't let her rest.

     Another round fires as the massive sniper round pierces the wall, plaster exploding from the wall as the bullet charges ahead. Torchlight pokes through from the hall, casting little rays of light through the dust and smoke. In my peripheral vision, I watch as Dom crawls out of the room, but I don't care anymore. Another round fires, and then another.

     The symphony of gunfire and the metal smack of the bolt fills my head as I watch flame begin to dance around the palace roof. Little wisps of smoke flutter about, seeming to come from some other area inside the palace. Another round fires. Then, I pull the trigger, and the lack of explosion warns me I've run out of ammo.

     Dropping the mag, I reach down for a fresh reload before buckling over with a yelp. The stubborn, searing pain in my abdomen reminds me of its presence, and I fall to one knee as I grit my teeth. Only the bed saves me from collapsing completely as I load a fresh magazine and close the chamber yet again. Fire again whirls outside, and I catch the sight of bright flame flooding the courtyard in the distance. Whatever.

     Another round fires. Another. Another.

     The wall ahead morphs into Swiss cheese as quickly as my adrenaline turns into exhaustion. I notice my rapid breathing and stagger towards the door, ready to pull the trigger again... but there's no one. I notice a small trail of blood painted onto the floor, leading away from the bedroom and into the hallway network. Either Dom's or Natalia's, surely.

     My knee gives out from under me as I collapse to the floor, doubling over as the stab wound makes me grimace. I cough as I land, my lungs feeling like cardboard as my throat suddenly feels raspy.

- K A L I - A L I -

     I stick behind my brother as we move down the hallway, tears blurring my vision. Dad... he took his eyes off the battle for a split second to see us. That was all it took to get him killed. I grit my teeth, my nails digging into my palm, and Adara's pistol shaking in my hand. Even after all of it, Suri's... wearing it.

     I didn't want him to do this. He never wanted to wear the Kamar, and now it's the only way we can survive. I look on as a massive burst of flame erupts from his hand, coating the hall ahead in char and smoke. I'd never seen the Kamar be this powerful before. Not even Dad managed to use it this intensely. Worry invades my mind as I watch Suri methodically march down the hall, a flurry of soldiers' bodies lined on the side.

     They'd tried to escape the flame - they were too close.

     I want to scream, to stop Suri. If he stops, though, the two of us die. Barr had managed to flee slightly, but he wasn't getting away. Not tonight, not with the ferocity we're putting on display. I watch as a soldier opens fire at Suri, and the bullets seemingly melt mid-air before hitting their target. This is one of the most elite military teams on Earth, apparently.

     Suri fires a fresh blast, hitting the man in his chest and blowing him over the balcony railing behind him. I look away, unable to stomach the look on him as his gear melts from the energy. Suri grunts, ducking behind a pillar and pulling me with him. It catches me by surprise, as I not-so-gracefully fall into the cover.

     "I never-" Suri gasps, breathless as he lies against the pillar. His eyes close, struggling to stay upright. "I never knew it's this exhausting to use it."

     "Are you okay?" I ask, panic in my voice as he slows his breathing.

     "Yeah," he sighs, getting back on his feet. He offers a hand, pulling me up with surprising force.

     "Suri, please," I plead, praying he'll listen. "Don't... let that thing change you."

     He looks surprised by my request, his eyes darting away from me and towards the hall where some of the soldiers lie dead. He blinks a few times before the glow returns to his eyes. His face strains, beads of sweat dropping from his forehead as if he were exercising by using it.

     "I won't," he tells me, nodding in reassurance. "Barr is trying to take this country and our lives. He can't get out."

     The mix of acceptance and anger in his voice concerns me, but I don't voice it before he comes around the pillar and begins charging forward. I follow behind him, the pistol at my side taunting me with every step. Another fireball flies from his hand, the torches along the wall bending towards it as it flies and splits. I hear yelps as the fire floods the halls ahead of us.

     I realize, the farther we make it, that they're running out of room to flee. We're pushing them towards the war room, and once they're in there, there's no real escape. The gunfire only increases as they seem to realize this as well. "Get us an evac now!" I hear a man shout down the hall, not visible around the corner but catching Suri's attention anyway.

     "You're not walking out of this one, Barr!" Suri screams, and I watch in awe as the flames from the torches fly towards Suri. The extinguished torches cast the halls into darkness, the only light in the palm of Suri's hand. I catch sight of his arms, the orange glow flowing through like lava. I'd always imagined I would be the one to wear it - watching my brother do it is surreal.

     "You're killing your people!" Barr exclaims, his voice echoing towards us through the darkness as we continue walking forward. "They'll never accept you, an exile, as their king! Not without our help! Not without me!"

     Suri stops momentarily, huffing as the glow increases in intensity. "You think so little of the people here," he growls, the flame in his hand fluttering.

     "I think they're real," he retorts with a pained cough. "I've watched this happen before. You'll be overthrown in a week."

     Suri scoffs, his hand clenching as he nods. The heatwaves distort the shadows ahead as the flame grows. "Watch us."

     Just like that, he tosses the fireball with a sort of intensity I'd never seen. Fire hugs the walls, blasting down and around the corner to the war room relentlessly. I hear screaming as the flame catches them, Barr's voice in particular giving me chills. This is the man who tried to turn Suri against me, against everybody...

     Anger burns inside me as the two of us walk forward. The image of Dad flashes through my mind as everything I've lost in the last week crystallizes in my head. Nothing will ever be the same, not for me, not for Suri, not for anyone... and all he wants is a slice of power.

     We turn the corner, and I see all but one of the men dead. Half of Barr's tactical gear sits charred beyond repair, and I look into his eyes as he lies on the ground. He stares at us, a mix of hate, fear, and... regret... in his eyes. Red creeps into my vision as the fury wells up deep in my bones.

     Before I realize what I'm doing, my arm is raised, and the pistol - Adara's - points squarely at Barr. I hesitate for a moment, feeling an overwhelming calm come over me in the moment.

     Bang.

     His head falls back, the life escaping his body as Suri looks at me in shock.

     "For Dad," I declare, lowering my arm with a deep breath.