I stumbled after Lyra, my mind still reeling from Seraphina's fiery insanity. Every step we took through the jagged, glowing terrain felt like it could be my last.
"Where the hell are we going?" I asked, barely managing to keep up.
"Somewhere safe," Lyra replied curtly.
"Define 'safe,' because so far this world's definition of that word seems wildly different from mine."
"Safe means less chance of being cooked alive by a psycho ex."
"Fair point," I muttered.
System, of course, couldn't resist. "Aw, come on, Alex. She just wanted to express her eternal love—by turning you into a human barbecue."
"Shut up," I snapped.
Lyra gave me a curious glance but said nothing. We pressed on, the rocky path narrowing until we came to a small, sheltered cave.
"Here," she said, ducking inside.
I followed, collapsing onto the floor with a groan. My body ached from head to toe, and I could still feel the lingering heat from Seraphina's flames.
"This is a nightmare," I muttered.
"Welcome to reality," Lyra said, leaning her staff against the cave wall. "If you've got people like her chasing you, you're in for a rough time."
"You don't say."
System chimed in. "Better stock up on running shoes. Maybe invest in flame-retardant underwear."
"I will find a mute button for you."
Lyra arched an eyebrow. "You… talk to yourself a lot?"
"It's a long story."
"Long stories usually mean big problems."
"Congratulations, you've got me figured out."
---
Seraphina's Wrath
Far above us, Seraphina paced the edge of the cliff, her flames casting long shadows across the jagged rocks.
"He escaped," she muttered, fury burning behind her eyes.
Her mind raced with plans, each more twisted than the last. There was no way Alex would stay hidden for long.
"I'll find you," she whispered. "And when I do, you'll never leave me again."
A nearby tree burst into flames, reduced to ash in seconds.
---
Back to the Cave
Lyra sat cross-legged across from me, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "So, who is she? The fire girl."
"My ex," I said flatly.
Lyra blinked. "Your ex? And she's trying to kill you?"
"It's… complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"Complicated as in 'psychopathic yandere who doesn't understand the concept of boundaries.'"
Lyra's expression darkened. "Yanderes are dangerous. Obsession like that warps their minds. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want."
"Yeah, I figured that out the hard way."
System added, "To be fair, you do have a track record of attracting lunatics."
"Thank you for your completely useless input."
"Anytime."
Lyra leaned forward. "If she's that obsessed, you'll need more than fire tricks to stay alive. You need a plan."
I sighed. "My plan so far has been 'run and don't die.'"
"Solid start. Needs work."
---
Training Begins
Over the next few hours, Lyra put me through a crash course in survival. Apparently, she had no patience for weakness.
"Again," she ordered as I tried to conjure a flame.
I groaned, sweat dripping down my face. "I've done this a hundred times!"
"And it still looks pathetic. Bigger!"
"I'm trying!"
"You're not trying hard enough."
System, as always, was there to help. "Maybe if you stopped whining like a baby, you'd get somewhere."
"I swear, one day I'm going to throw you into a lake."
"Promises, promises."
Lyra crossed her arms. "Focus, Alex. Channel your frustration. Use it."
Frustration? Oh, I had plenty of that. I closed my eyes, thinking of every annoying thing that had happened since I'd entered this world—the yanderes, the danger, the constant running.
Heat surged through me. My hands ignited, flames roaring to life with a ferocity I hadn't felt before.
"There we go," Lyra said, impressed.
I grinned. "I'm not as hopeless as you thought."
"You're still hopeless. Just slightly less so."
"Gee, thanks."
---
Unwanted Visitors
Our brief moment of peace was shattered by the sound of footsteps outside the cave.
"Shit," Lyra hissed. "Stay quiet."
We pressed ourselves against the wall as shadows flickered near the entrance.
"Alex…" a familiar voice called, sickly sweet.
My blood froze. "No. No, no, no."
Seraphina stepped into view, her eyes glowing with madness. "You can't hide from me forever."
Lyra glanced at me. "Options?"
"Running sounds good."
"Running it is."
We bolted for the back of the cave, scrambling through a narrow tunnel just as flames erupted behind us.
"Come back, Alex!" Seraphina's voice echoed through the cavern. "We're meant to be together!"
"Over my dead body!"
"That can be arranged!"
System cackled. "Ah, young love."
"Shut up!"
---
The Chase Continues
We burst out of the tunnel and into the open air, the night sky stretching above us. The only problem? We were on the edge of another cliff.
"Why is it always cliffs?" I groaned.
Seraphina emerged from the tunnel, flames dancing around her. "End of the line, Alex."
"Not today."
Without thinking, I grabbed Lyra's hand and jumped.
The wind howled around us as we plummeted into the darkness below.
---
To Be Continued...