Short Story: Into the game – Act 1
Chapter 6: Hot and cold
First thing that hit Clare was the heat, which made her stagged in shock.
Fire started to grow in size until you could no longer see him inside it. It turned into a fireball, spinning around him, growing larger and larger. Hotter and hotter. Smoke formed as it hit the cold air and damp stone. The cobblestone beneath began to glow and melt from the extreme heat.
The dragon’s jaws closed, but the fireball still existed as if Daniel was holding it in place. Then it began to spread outward, shaping into wings with the ball at the centre. Soon it stretched taller, a head forming above it. The shape solidified into a fire dragon, Daniel trapped at its core.
Dragon: “What sort of magic is this?”
It swung its tail at the fireball but recoiled instantly from the heat. The fire dragon roared back and opened its jaws, unleashing a torrent of flames toward its creator. Both dragons opened their jaws together, locking themselves into a duel of fire.
Claire was already climbing onto the rooftops. Guards stood nearby, watching the display in stunned silence. Embers flicked off the dragons and scattered across the buildings. She knew something dangerous was happening, but she didn’t know how to help him. She only knew the heat was rising fast, and things were beginning to scorch and burn.
She watched as the flames spiralled out of control tails swinging, embers striking wooden and tiled roofs. The dragons crashed into buildings, and somehow the fire dragon was physical; when it hit something, it moved, real and heavy. Guards beside her panicked. Before they could escape, they were struck and turned to ash. Buildings around her caught fire. She could no longer see Daniel, but somehow she remained untouched, protected by something she didn’t understand. More guards vanished in the chaos; some escaped, others didn’t.
Daniel was sweating, struggling to contain it. Claire finally caught his eyes barely but it was enough. He teleported to her. One hand controlled the fire, the other blocked incoming arrows and fireballs aimed at her. Water bubbles formed around them, deflecting attacks. Air waves fanned the flames away. She could see him tiring, trying to do too much at once. He was powerful, but he still had limits.
The roof beneath them began to give way. Tiles cracked and slid. With a spin of his wrist, she was lifted by an air wave and dropped safely into the church’s clock tower. She watched as his loss of focus sent him slipping into the courtyard below. He hit the ground hard, then lifted his hand, creating a water bubble around the tower, trapping Claire inside. Smoke hid everything; the heat was unbearable.
His cloak flew toward her, his rucksack with it, and every loose item he had all thrown into the bubble for safety. Outside, Daniel tried to contain the flames, which were now spreading into a great roaring fire.
He and the dragon locked eyes.
It lunged to kill him, taking a massive blast of flame directly to its belly. Daniel counter‑attacked, but the fireball swallowed him whole, trapping him in the centre. He couldn’t control it. The dragon screamed as it was overwhelmed first, jaws open, molten fire spilling everywhere.
The flames were out of control.
Claire watched as Daniel raised his hands above his head, pulling all the heat, all the fire, everything toward himself. The dragon wounded, confused, not dead yet stared in horror.
Daniel’s body shifted into pure, blinding flame. He engulfed the entire square, then pointed both hands at the dragon, turning it into ash and dust. It wasn’t controlled. It wasn’t enough. It was too late. He was using magic just to stay alive long enough to finish the job.
A massive explosive fire wave burst from him, destroying everything. The bell tower beneath Claire vanished along with the surrounding buildings. She watched as Daniel collapsed to his knees and turned into ash, leaving only a scorched mark where he had stood. He looked toward her, completely spent, no energy or life left, and faded into a pile of ash that dissolved into colourful rainbow pixels.
Claire’s bubble the last piece of the bell tower began to fall. She jumped out and ran toward him, only to watch him disappear entirely. In his place lay a golden, burning‑hot egg with strange white words floating above it. She grabbed it and tucked it away.
Around her, the buildings began to glitch back into existence, slowly reappearing. She ran, slipping on the scorched ground, until she found herself in a strange alley. The guards weren’t looking for her anymore. She slipped away, heading toward the dark forest, panicking and running as fast as she could.
Next chapter