inferno. w/ @runeink. ( amidst fire and smoke. )
from a distance, a voice shouted okju’s name. or at least that’s what she thought she heard. it was hard to make sense of things with oppressive black smoke filling her lungs, scattered ash blurring her vision, and the flames that ravaged the forest around her. not far from where she stood, another tree fell and made the ground tremble. she felt stifled. why was magic not working? mere moments ago she was casting every spell and ward in her repertory to protect the surrounding forest, not only to prevent the fire from spreading towards the school but to keep every plant life safe. surely there was another way. another spell. a hex. an enchantment that could stop this rabid hellscape. before she could go any further into the burning canopy to give it another try, something — someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in the opposite direction. another teacher, she thought. perhaps a student. someone’s familiar? she swore she cried out in protest. that there was more to be done. that she can save everything still. but nothing came out of her mouth.
back in the safety of the school, she could see perfectly through the windows how the forest was set ablaze, and there was nothing she could do. it was the first time in her life she had felt powerless. when she realized that the hand holding her had let go, she knew it would only hurt more if she were to stay and watch. so she blinked back tears and strode down the hallway.
adrenaline gradually wore off and it’s only now that she was alone in one of the washrooms she realized just how much pain she was in. she felt it. all of it. the same way the leaves and the trees and the soil felt the flames devour them. hotter and hotter she felt, it’s as if every sinew and muscle beneath the skin transfigured themselves into coals and the fire had begun to feed on marrow instead of wood. heat gathered in the pit of her chest, swelling until breath came brittle and each inhale tasted of ash and smoke. somewhere beyond sight, a bark cracked and every fracture siphoned through her nerves, igniting a new kind of pain across her spine. a whimpering noise forced its way out of her throat, the sound closer to a wounded animal than anything human as fingers fumbled blindly for the faucet. the metal turned with a sharp twist and water rushed forth in a frantic stream that splashed against heated flesh, hoping to smother the fever gnawing at her bones.