Ice and Fire - by Mariam Akorede

Chapter Seven Breaking Point The world was unraveling at the edges. Storms of ash swept through summer skies. Rivers froze mid-flow. The Hollow Flame was no longer hiding. It whispered openly now, promising peace through silence, and control through surrender. And the sisters, still apart, began to falter. --- Kaelara – The Edge of Surrender The frost in Kaelara’s veins began to ache. Every time she called her power, the cold turned inward. Her hands went numb. Her thoughts blurred. The monks, once her guides, now watched from a distance—uncertain whether to help or to fear. And then, she stopped dreaming. No vision of Seren. No warmth. Only black ice. One night, she collapsed beneath the stars, frost spiraling outward as if to shield her from the world. She pressed her palm to the ground, but the ice did not respond. She whispered, “I can’t do this alone…” And in that breath, she felt the void watching. Waiting. “Then don’t,” it whispered. For a moment, Kaelara considered it—laying down her burden. Letting go. Dissolving into stillness. But in the very silence of surrender, a memory stirred. A hand. Not cold. Not hot. Just… steady. Seren. A sister she had never touched—but always known. Kaelara stood again. Shaking. But standing. --- Seren – The Flame Breaks Seren burned too brightly. Her power had begun to spiral out of control. The ground cracked beneath her with every step. Trees near the Ember Keep withered in her wake. The elders no longer called her champion. They called her cursed. One night, during training, her flame lashed out and scorched a friend. She saw fear in their eyes—fear of her. It broke something inside her. She ran into the stormy cliffs beyond the Keep, collapsing beneath lightning and rain, fire steaming from her skin. “Why did you make me this?” she screamed at the sky. No answer came. Only the Hollow Flame’s voice, curling into her bones: “Because the world burns, and only fire can rule the ashes.” She almost gave in. Almost. But just before she fell into that voice completely, she heard something else. Faint. But real. A whisper like snow on stone. “Seren…” Kaelara’s voice. In her mind. Calling her back. --- Two sisters. Both almost broken. Both still breathing. And now, both were done waiting. The journey to meet—their first true meeting since birth—had begun.

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