The air is still heavy with dust, and the smell of earth lingers in the air. My chest is tight, my breath shallow as I stare at the aftermath of the storm I've created. The trees are bent in unnatural ways, their branches snapped like brittle bones. The ground beneath me is cracked open in jagged lines, as if the earth itself had been clawed at from the inside.

And yet, everything is eerily quiet now. Almost too quiet.

I stand there, frozen, eyes wide as I take it all in. The forest is in ruins, and it's my fault.

"Emerald, we have to go," Xander says, his voice low, his tone urgent. He's crouched beside a fallen tree, looking around warily. "They could be close. The tributes—"

I shake my head, still dizzy from the chaos I just unleashed. My hands are trembling, my legs unsteady beneath me. The magic inside me is restless, still alive, but I don't know how to control it. I feel its presence at the back of my mind, pulsing with power, but I can't touch it. I can't pull it back in.

Xander reaches for me, his expression softening. "Hey," he says quietly. "You're okay. We'll figure this out. But we can't stay here. They're coming."

I try to nod, but the weight of the moment settles on me like a stone in my stomach. What if I can't control it? What if this happens again? What if I can't protect us, or worse, hurt someone else?

The wind picks up again, but it's gentle this time, like a whisper, not the violent storm I just summoned. It brushes against my skin, teasing my hair.

I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing, willing it to settle. I need to get a grip on this. I have to.

I feel it again—the magic, twisting just under the surface. But this time, it's more… contained, more familiar. Like a heartbeat. It's there, and I can feel its rhythm.

I exhale slowly.

"Focus, Emerald. Focus," I whisper to myself, my voice barely audible over the sound of my breathing.

"Are you okay?" Xander asks again, his voice full of concern. "You've gone quiet."

"I'm fine," I say, forcing my voice steady. But it's not true. I'm anything but fine.

I glance over at him, trying to push aside the panic clawing at the back of my mind. "We need to keep moving. But I don't know where to go."

Xander stands up, brushing dirt from his hands. "We'll figure it out. Together."

But even as I nod, something deep inside me tells me that we're running out of time. The tributes could be close, and they're not the only danger we face. The magic inside me—my powers—they're growing. And I have no idea how to handle them.

I take one last look at the destruction I caused. The forest is scarred, the once-thriving trees now bent and broken, like they've been ravaged by a hurricane. And I know that this is only the beginning. There's something bigger, something darker about all of this, and I'm not sure I can control it.

We need to move. Fast.

"I'll lead," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Stay close."

Xander doesn't argue. He falls into step beside me, Raven hissing softly at my wrist, sensing the change in the air.

We move through the wreckage of the forest, keeping to the shadows, trying to stay as quiet as possible. My senses are heightened, sharper than they've ever been. Every sound, every movement feels magnified. I can hear the slightest rustle of leaves, the faintest snap of a twig beneath someone's feet. I could swear I feel the pulse of every living thing around us—animals, insects, even the trees themselves.

And then, I hear it.

Footsteps.

Not far behind.

I freeze, my body tensing, my senses flaring. The tributes. They're close. Too close.

I glance at Xander, but he's already looking at me. His eyes are wide with alarm.

"They found us," he whispers.

I nod slowly. We can't outrun them anymore. We have no choice but to fight, or to hide.

I don't have the luxury of time. I feel the magic thrumming beneath my skin again, and for a split second, I wonder if I can control it enough to use it, to protect us.

I close my eyes, feeling the pulse of the magic. The wind brushes my face, like it's asking me to listen, to command it. I focus. I want to call it to me.

And this time, the magic responds. But it's not like before.

Instead of the storm I've summoned, the ground beneath me shifts in a gentler way. The air thickens around us, a barrier of sorts. I feel the earth below my feet harden, solidifying beneath me like a shield. A faint glow pulses around me, green and blue, the color of the forest.

I open my eyes, surprised by the calm that's settled over me. The magic doesn't feel like it's escaping anymore—it feels like it's working with me.

"Xander…" I breathe, my voice full of awe.

He looks at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You did that?"

I nod, feeling the magic still swirling around me, but this time, it's contained. "I think I can control it. Just… not fully."

The footsteps grow louder. They're closing in fast. We have seconds, not minutes. I need to make a decision.

I press my hands to the ground, feeling the pulse of the magic flow into the earth. The shield around us solidifies. It's not perfect, not as strong as I want it to be, but it's enough to buy us time.

Xander looks at me, his jaw clenched. "How long can you keep this up?"

I don't know. Not long.

But it's our only chance.