"You're it first!"

I chase after Lukas, fire and blood roaring through my veins. I just spot him vanishing into the Treasure Hall, leaving the door wide open for me to burst through. He may have become a lot faster recently, but I've been using this fire to buff me for a lot longer than him.

Gaining on him quickly, I think he just realized that the Order Hall simply isn't big enough to have tag. I grin, already excited for what I'm going to do once I catch him.

The fire flowing to him fades as he slows, he doesn't have anywhere to go. I smile and push his shoulder before quickly turning around and racing the other way.

"You were right! You really do need practice!" The Treasure Halls blurs as I sprint to the library. If I can just get outside then we can really have some fun, and Lukas will never be able to catch me.

I don't slow down when I reach the stairs, preparing a small fireball for when I get into the library. Once I throw open the doors I shoot it at the button hidden there, a smile breaking free when the pistons activate and the netherack doesn't light.

The two blocks next to the button move to form a door behind the fireplace, why I'm glad the netherack didn't light on fire. I run into it, slightly hoping that Lukas slowed down in shock or something. This tunnel is narrow, I don't want to be caught here of all places.

A thrill blasts through me when I see the tunnel enter into the cave, and I don't hesitate to make a right. Already I can see the bright blue sky just outside of the cave. I think this may be the best game of tag I'll ever play. Granted, if nothing is set on fire.

Despite my pants, I really smile when I feel the grass beneath me. I quickly check to see where Lukas is, seeing him just come out of the tunnel. I smile again and dash off. Hopefully Lukas was only slow since he was confused, I really want a good game here!

Weaving through the trees, my heart fluttering in an excited panic as I hear twigs snapping behind me. They steadily get louder and louder, my fire whooshing throughout my body to keep me in the lead.

Not a second later though I feel Lukas pull more fire from me, and I make a quick turn around a tree. Smiling when I hear that he staggers and loses a bit of ground.

Adrenaline and flames energizing all my muscles, my bones feeling strong and light as I run through the trees. Hearing my own heart beat and feet pound against the ground at the same time, like mighty drums going off.

It's been so long since I've felt so empowered and not because I'm fighting something. I'm always so stressed when I'm at my strongest, but this is just excitement. Exhilarating excitement blasting all throughout me as I breathe in the fresh air.

I smile when I hear Lukas gain on me some more, and I veer slightly to the left. Since Lukas knows how to jump so well when panicked, let's find out if he can tap into the same ability across some ravines.

I'm pretty confident I'll be able to make the jump, I've jumped on ghasts before, I should be able to do this. This will probably even be easier than that, since I'm all fire enhanced and everything.

The ravine comes into sight and my fire rushes to my legs. A breathless laugh flies out of me as I jump up, clearing the landing easily. I quick peek behind me shows a smirking Lukas was able to as well.

I shoot off towards the left, if he wants a challenge then he's going to get one. There should be a lake around these parts, the perfect place to test how far he can jump before he gets all wet.

Once I see it, I race towards a bank. Kicking up sand and dirt at Lukas as my ears strain to hear how far behind me he is. He's pretty close, but I'm not going to let him catch me.

I turn and jump at the corner, too easy. I know he made that one, he's probably even laughing at me. A grin though sparks up when I prepare to jump again, this will be quite a bit farther.

My fire swells as I leap across it and not a second later it flows into Lukas. This time though I only had a bit of wiggle room to mess up, too bad I didn't check how much Lukas had. Because I want him to fall into the water, not me.

With my heart beating wildly and my flames flooding my legs, I leap across the bank. Up long enough for my legs to cycle through the air, ready to start running the moment solid ground is back under my feet.

My heels land in the water and I scramble for my balance, desperate to continue running when I hear the splash behind me. Stopping and whipping around, I smirk at Lukas. Waist high in water with his shirt all wet, how unfortunate for him.

"Didn't quite make the jump?" I laugh breathlessly, my heart thumping crazily in my chest.

He trudges out of the water, shaking himself like some wet cat and flinging some water at me. I blink and pant harder when a big chuck of the fire flows into Lukas. Steam of coming off of him as he continues to shake some water off.

All the fire I've been using to run is called back, too much is flowing out of me compared to what I have. This really is exhausting, didn't I tell myself to be aware of it? I guess adrenaline really made me forget about that one. It's not terrible, but I think I might lay down.

"Already tired?" I glance up at Lukas, who has a cocked eyebrow and smirk. "I feel like I can go on forever."

I chuckle, walking up to him. "I would normally call that a runner's high. But..." I grab his shoulder, calling my fire back to me as his energy continues to relax me. "I think you're experiencing what I'm going to call a fire high."

"Whoa, yeah." Lukas shoulder's slump and he rakes his fingers through his hair. "I'm really feeling it now. No wonder you faint so often when you don't have your fire going."

Letting go of his shoulder, I lay down on the sand. His energy is nice and all, but I think I prefer to lay down right about now. Just breathing and letting my heart take care of my legs, which are pretty thankful to not be in use now.

"It could be worse." I close my eyes, smiling as I fully appreciate the sun. "You could still be wet."

I hear him sigh and lay down too. "I'm glad to be dry, but please don't say that. I feel like you're just asking for trouble when you say that."

"Even if it does get worse, it's great just to be out here and not worrying about roasting any of my friends."

Lukas chuckles, the sound making me smile. "You're adding to list of things other people can't relate to."

"Whaaaat?" A full on grin bursts up and I crack my eyes back open. "Other people haven't killed Wither Storms or destroyed super computers or have their identity taken away by an Admin?"

He laughs harder, my own chuckle bubbling out of my stomach. "Believe or not, most people don't save the world, or other worlds, as much as you."

"Man," I exaggerate a sigh, the smile never leaving. "People need to get out more these days."

Lukas actually snorts, that definitely pulls a laugh out of me. "Sure, people are definitely going to go out now. Not with..."

My eyes pop wide open as Lukas sharply inhales, the sentence hanging in the air but not needing to be finished. I snap up to a sitting position, scanning the area while climbing back to my feet. Not even bothering to pay attention to any stiffness that's in my legs.

I sigh when I see nothing, we're safe. Lukas mutters under his breath, running his hand through his hair again. Although if we are attacked, I don't have my sword and Lukas doesn't have any weapons either. My fire has recovered slightly, but I don't like our odds if any demon decides to show up. Especially if it targets Lukas first.

"How did we forget about the Suare?" Lukas's eyes feverishly snap around the area. "I can't believe we forgot about something so important."

"You and me both." I nudge his shoulder and start to walk back to Beacontown. "I'm glad we didn't run into any then, that would've been really bad."

"Oh yeah, that would definitely qualify as 'could be worse'."

Despite a blanket of fear wrapped around me, a quiet chuckle escapes me. "I guess I did jinx it then."

I don't bother to run back though, Ivor wasn't exactly wrong with what he said. The fire reacts on impulses, the first feelings I get. If I start to run and it hurts, then my fire will react. If we do come into contact with a Suare, I'll need all the firepower I can get.

"It was fun though right?" I raise an eyebrow at Lukas, who has a smile despite the danger we could be in at any moment. "I at least certainly had fun."

I roll my eyes, feeling my pulse pick up. Everything on edge. "It was great, and we better do it again when this whole thing is sorted out. Although how did you do the steam thing?"

Lukas looks over at me, his beautiful eyes piercing my fear. His overall face just pleasing and relaxing to look at. "I was practicing earlier, it kinda feels like soaking in a sauna or something."

A wave of heat flows from my chest, and I quickly look away from Lukas. Scanning the area in slight frustration, these are not the types of thoughts or emotions I should have when we're in potential danger.

"But how did you do it? What was it like to get the fire to do that?"

"Oh well..." Another pang of frustration hits me when I hear the sudden drop in his voice. "It's just like sending heat into your skin, that's all."

My arms twitch, my chest aching after listening to the disinterest words and the sadden voice. I glance back at Lukas, the sight just like a punch to my chest. A shadow has been casted over his face, making it so dark. His magnificent ocean eyes almost gray looking.

A flash of anger runs through my mind, scowling at me for being so worried about that. I can fret over Lukas later, we need to get back to the Order Hall. I have to be paying attention that we're going the right way to the cave. I can ask him about it later.

The sudden frustration dies away, a wave of worry washing it away. I should be making sure Lukas is okay now, that's the most important thing. Because if we aren't attacked, it will be better that I did it sooner. If we are, I'll be relying on him to be at the top of his game.

Another rise of anger but I push it away with a rapidly bubbling frustration. Muttering angrily at myself as I rescan the area. Just a few more minutes and we'll be back, I can be an emotional storm then. Just not now.

But shouldn't I make sure Lukas is okay before I totally lose my steam? I growl at the question, not wanting anymore of these unexplainable and really unwanted emotions. This would actually be a good time for fear to kick everything out. But alas, I have none despite the danger.

"Lukas." My chest burns at how brutal that sounds, sending my anger into a fury. "Are you feeling any emotions totally out of the blue and out of content?"

"From you or from me?" Again, the lack of life in his voice just attacks my heart. I even have to grit me teeth to keep myself scanning the area.

"Yours, I'm fed up with mine."

"Well, I'm somehow not exactly scared." Now my heart does this strange fluttering thing, making it even harder to stay focused. These emotions need to stop! "Which is weird considering the danger we could be in at any moment."

"Right?" That was a growl, I didn't mean for it to be a growl but everything's really pushing my buttons. "Out of all the times to be unable to focus."

Thankfully some part of my mind was rational enough to guide us back to the cave though. Despite my chest going from aching to building pressure. I know I really shouldn't be addressing Lukas like that, but I really just need to get back home first.

"It really doesn't make any sense though." I so desperately try to force frustration out of my voice, but it comes out painfully obvious. "These guys are designed to hunt us, and I don't feel a drop of fear."

I hop down into the cave, completely torn between wanting to turn to Lukas or just ploughing through and getting inside. I begrudgingly force my feet back into the tunnel, my chest burning more and more as the pressure bubbles rapidly.

"Nothing that happens to us makes sense anymore." I wince at his sharp tone, that could put any angsty teenager to shame. Part grunt and part sarcastic snap, my chest swelled to even greater pain at my own words. That burning heat even leaking further.

We walk back into the library, and I close the tunnel while Lukas instantly flops onto the couch with a sigh. "Then there's the other stuff like that is just making me feel..."

My heart cries at me to pay attention, so I turn to him. Laser focused on every word Lukas says as I stare at him, his eyes fluttering close.

"...worthless."

The amount of pain that blasts into my chest and the sheer panic that flies out of my heart by that one word is indescribable. It literally froze my mind as I tried to comprehend that, only the searing heat in my heart exploding across my chest anchoring me in reality.

Lukas sighs, which sparks back life into my frozen mind, and mutters something I couldn't quite hear. It doesn't matter though, because in the next moment I burst over right next to Lukas on the couch. Only an enderman could've gotten there faster than me.

I grab onto his shoulders, not noticing how tight my grip is. "Lukas, you are the complete and exact opposite from worthless. I would have, literally and figuratively, blown up if I was trying to handle everything without you. Never ever think you're worthless, ever."

I would've continued, I would've nonstop talked about how great he is if he didn't hold a finger up to shush me.

"Look, I get that you're probably angry at other things right now. So the worthless feeling is irrelevant. Besides, what's way more confusing is why I would feel that way."

The flood of words ready to shower praise to Lukas somehow manages to stay inside to let him continue. "When I first felt your anger, I just immediately thought it was because of me. Then I tried to tell myself no, but it just wouldn't go away."

Lukas makes frustrated jabs at the air. "I don't know what it is! Feeling good or feeling unworthy about the protection you emit. How safe I am next to you. I feel like I just need to do something and it's killing me that I haven't yet!"

Any words ready to fly out of my mouth vanish as a groan leaks out, against my will, my chest on absolute fire right now. Regrettably, it hurts enough to pull my attention away from Lukas and I rub my heart.

"Something wrong with your mark?" Lukas's frustration is hardly evident with the concern flowing from his words. I weakly shrug, stamping out another groan trying to gurgle its way out of my mouth.

"Well come on then," Lukas reaches out and brushes the suspenders off my shoulders. "You'll have to take off shirt."

Grunting lightly, I rub my chest one more time before reaching back and pulling my shirt off. The fabric quite slick in my hands, I didn't even realize my palms were sweaty at all.

"Oh my..." Lukas's head recoils back with wide eyes. I glance down, and feel my own eyes threatening to pop out.

The flames mark is glowing, yes, but that's not the real shocker. It's that the flames, the tattoo like marking, is moving. The flames on my chest wildly snapping back and forth across my chest, radiating a deep dark green.

Then it goes back to hurting, a lot. My hands instinctually raise and grip onto the base of the flickering flames, as if trying to hold it still. I need to ask Lukas to start jotting down all the crazy and insane stuff, I really think I'm going to forget some parts despite how insane they are.

"Oh my gosh!" Lukas shakes his head, spurring into action and raising his hand up to the mark. "Let me-"

The precise second his fingertips touch the mark I lose all feeling in my body. The only thing I can comprehend is this swirling rush of heat spinning around me excitedly. As if I'm bathing in strength potions by just standing here. Disorientating logical completely. 

Almost as an after thought I realize it's my fire. I already thought it was really powerful and huge, but it just grows inside of me. Becoming hotter, growing larger, burning more intensely as the flames circle me.

I do not feel any fear towards them though. I should be, I should be afraid of the fire that has nearly killed my friends is becoming stronger, but I'm not. All I can feel is this delight running rampant alongside with the dancing flames, this intoxication that begs for more.

Without even so much as a thought, I let the flames run into me. Wild excitement burning through me as all the heat, all the strength, flows right inside of me. It's great, purely awesome with such ecstatic energy blazing all throughout my mind.

My eyes pop back open, and I notice my lips are already fully extended in a huge smile. I raise my head, stretching out my back. Every muscle in my body rejuvenated and every joint ready for anything.

"Did you feel that?" Lukas immediately slaps his forehead, still keeping one on my mark. "Of course you did, I know you did."

I chuckle, my heart settling into this light happy rhythm. How can I feel anything expect happiness right now? "I'm assuming all those worthless feelings you had have been totally annihilated."

Lukas huffs, smirking. "Oh yeah, it's probably from you, but I'm feeling pretty strengthened right about now."

I just smile, just smile and smile as I every worry and fear just slips away from me. Leaving me weightless and just happy and everything feels so absolutely great right now. I guess having fresh powerful fire burning inside me while Lukas touches my mark is purely amazing.

"Jesse..." Lukas's fingers trail up, sending my heart into a flurry. "Your mark is huge now!"

Blinking, I glance down. Gasping when almost my entire chest is covered in shades of emerald green, the flames of the mark hugging underneath my shoulder and one rebellious wisp almost reaching up onto my neck.

However, my smile is quick to grow just as large as it was a moment ago. Lukas raises an eyebrow, a smile of his own growing before he tries, and fails, to keep a straight face.

"You should be worried about this."

I shrug, neither of our smiles faltering. "I know."

"I should also be worried about this."

"You should."

Lukas sighs, letting his smile be free. "But we're not."

"Nope!" On an impulse, my hand rises and ruffles Lukas's silky hair. "And I'm completely content if it stays like that."

Lukas's eyes glimmer spectacularly as he gazes at me. He opens his mouth-

"JESSE!"

-right as Olivia absolutely terrified scream flies into the library. Shattering peace.