Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 85: "Flame Against Steel"
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The forest erupted.
A streak of fire sliced through the first drone before it could lock on target. The second tried to evade, but the girl moved faster — not with speed, but with sheer will. She raised her hand, and the drone's circuits fried mid-air, crashing in a plume of smoke.
The third hovered just long enough to capture her face.
Her glowing eyes turned to it.
And then — boom.
She didn't touch it.
She simply looked.
And the drone shattered.
Birds scattered into the sky as silence fell. The girl lowered her hands, staring at the trail of destruction behind her. Her breathing slowed, controlled. She wasn't afraid of what she had done.
She was afraid of how natural it felt.
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Resistance Van — En Route to Outskirts
Tires screeched on muddy roads as Kara, Adrian, Nemesis, and Tessa sped toward the last known location.
"She took down Lazarus tech like it was made of paper," Tessa muttered, scrolling through the latest footage. "That's not just power. That's control. Precision."
Kara stared out the window, tension etched into her face. "She's been asleep for years… and still remembers how to fight."
Nemesis leaned forward. "What's our play when we find her? Talk? Or take her in?"
"We don't take her," Kara said firmly. "We convince her she's not alone."
Adrian glanced at her. "And if she's not interested in joining us?"
Kara's jaw tightened. "Then we remind her of the enemy we share."
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Ruins — Subject X's Trail
They arrived minutes later. Trees were blackened, the ground scorched in a perfect radius. Kara stepped onto the path, her boots crunching against ash.
"She's not far," she said, eyes scanning.
Suddenly — a pulse of heat.
Not just heat.
Energy.
Kara's hands twitched instinctively, her own flame stirring. "She knows we're here."
From the trees, the girl emerged.
No fear.
No questions.
Just golden eyes locking with Kara's.
"You came," the girl said softly.
Kara stepped forward. "Do you know me?"
The girl tilted her head. "I feel you. Like a memory I don't have... yet."
Kara's voice dropped. "We're the same."
The girl shook her head slowly. "No. You were made from me. You're the copy. I'm the origin."
The words hit hard — not as accusation, but fact.
And then the girl raised her hand.
Adrian moved to draw his weapon.
"Wait," Kara snapped. "Don't!"
But the flame was already building in the girl's palm.
Until Kara stepped closer.
And extended her own hand.
Their flames reached out like tendrils — not to fight, but to connect. As their fingers neared, a blinding flash surged between them.
Memories flooded Kara's mind — images of the girl in a lab, connected to machines, whispering names she didn't know but somehow loved. A past filled with loss, betrayal, and experiments.
Then — silence.
Both girls staggered back.
Kara gasped. "I saw it. Your pain… your loneliness."
The girl blinked fast. "I didn't want to destroy you. I just wanted to know."
Adrian lowered his weapon.
Nemesis still stood ready.
Tessa spoke carefully. "If you really are Subject X… do you have a name?"
The girl hesitated.
Then whispered, "My name was... Seraphina."
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Underground — Lazarus Surveillance Bunker
Dr. Vane stood in front of the burning screens. "Seraphina. Of course she would remember."
An aide approached. "She's made contact with Subject Kara."
Vane turned slowly. "Good. Let her taste connection. It will make breaking her that much more satisfying."
"Shall we send reinforcements?"
He shook his head. "No. Send Subject Zero."
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Back in the Forest
Seraphina stood beside Kara now, her walls slowly lowering.
"I don't remember much," she admitted. "Only pieces. And pain."
Kara placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then let's find the truth. Together."
Adrian, Tessa, and Nemesis exchanged glances.
For the first time, the Resistance had a chance.
But deep beneath them, in the shadows of Lazarus, a darker flame was awakening.
One without mercy.
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To be continued…
🔥 Seraphina's past is no longer buried
— but something worse is rising. Prepare for war, rebirth, and betrayal.
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The fire never dies.