Chapter 40 The Emberborn's Gambit

• The night was heavy with tension as Ava stood on the high balcony overlooking the Academy grounds. The moonlight bathed the landscape in a pale glow, but beneath its serenity, she could feel the rising storm of conflict that was slowly brewing. Since emerging from the Inferno, Ava had felt the change in herself—an undeniable shift in her connection to fire, an almost eerie attunement that both empowered and unsettled her.
• But more than that, she could sense the others watching her. The whispers in the halls, the uneasy glances from her fellow students. The Inferno had marked her as something different, something more, and not everyone was willing to accept that.
• Behind her, she heard the soft rustle of fabric, the quiet footfalls of someone approaching. Without turning, Ava spoke.