The forest is still in ruins.

The ground is scorched and cracked, the air thick with the scent of earth and burned wood. The remnants of my storm swirl around me like an angry memory, twisting the branches and leaves as if they're still moving to my will. But the magic is no longer here, no longer crackling under my skin. It's gone.

For now.

I can still feel it, though—lingering beneath the surface, like an itch that I can't scratch. The storm I unleashed won't just fade away. Not this time. I know it. I can feel the pull of it, tugging at me, calling me back.

But something else tugs at me too.

A voice.

"Nice job," Raven sneers.

I freeze, my blood turning cold at the sound. I know that voice.

"Shut up," I snap without thinking, my hands curling into fists. My throat is tight. I don't need him right now. I don't need his bitterness.

Raven hisses from my wrist, his body coiling tighter around my arm as if he's preparing to strike. "I didn't say it was a good job. I'm just stating facts. Look at what you've done, Emerald."

I grit my teeth, forcing my anger down, forcing myself to breathe. "You don't know what I'm going through," I growl.

"Oh, don't I?" Raven laughs bitterly, his voice an ugly rasp. "You think you're the only one with power, the only one with secrets? You're just like them. Just another tribute with delusions of grandeur. Another little spark of fire waiting to be snuffed out by someone stronger."

I can feel the weight of his words, the venom in his voice. His bitterness cuts deeper than I care to admit. I swallow, trying to keep control, trying to fight back the storm of emotions inside me. But Raven isn't done.

"You think you control your powers, but you're just a puppet," he continues, his body stiffening in disgust. "You think you're special because you can make things break and bend and tear apart? Maybe you're the one who needs to be controlled. Maybe you're just a little disaster waiting to implode."

My heart pounds in my chest. His words hit too close to home. Too many times, I've felt like I'm just a pawn in some cruel game. Too many times, I've wondered if I even deserve the powers I've been given.

I open my mouth, ready to bite back, but then—silence.

A shift in the air. A crackling sound, almost imperceptible. The kind of noise you hear just before a storm. My instincts flare, my senses sharpen, and I realize what it is.

There's someone else here.

I glance at Xander, his face pale, his eyes scanning the trees warily. He's noticed it too.

"They're close," he whispers, his voice urgent. "We need to move."

I nod, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. But as we turn to leave, I hear Raven again, his voice, still sharp with bitterness.

"You really think you're going to outrun them?" he sneers. "Look at you, just running from the inevitable. Running from yourself."

"Enough," I snap. I reach up, grabbing the small serpent around my wrist, pulling him close to my face. "We're leaving. And you're going to stop with the damn attitude, Raven."

But Raven only hisses in response, his tongue flicking out like a snake ready to strike. "You don't understand. I do know what's coming. They're coming for you. And you won't be able to hide from them forever."

His words echo in my mind as we begin to move again. The forest seems to close in around us, the trees pressing in on all sides, their twisted limbs like hands reaching out for us. The path is uneven, the ground still quivering from the rift I created. We're heading toward the hills—toward higher ground, where the dense trees might offer some cover. But the distance feels endless.

And Raven's voice won't stop. It's in my head now, a steady, biting whisper.

"You think you're safe, don't you? That somehow, you can outrun your fate. But fate's always waiting, Emerald. And you… You're going to fail."

I try to push his voice out of my head. But it sticks there like tar, suffocating me, making it harder to breathe. The guilt is a weight in my chest, suffocating me with every step.

"Just keep going," I mutter under my breath. "Just keep moving."

Xander looks over at me, concern etched on his face, but he doesn't say anything. He knows better than to ask about Raven. He knows how close I am to losing control.

And then, just as I think we might be free of the shadows that stalk us, I hear it again. A rustling sound, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Soft, careful, deliberate.

We stop.

Xander's hand finds mine in an instant, his grip tight. His eyes scan the trees, the brush around us.

"They're here," he whispers. "The tributes."

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of the danger closing in on us. But it's not just them I'm afraid of. It's the power that's still inside me, still churning.

I hear Raven's voice again, sharp as a blade. "Run. Run, if you can. But you'll never be fast enough. They'll catch you. And when they do, there won't be anything left of you to save."

I flinch, his words piercing me like an icy blade. I know he's right. But that doesn't mean I'll stop fighting.

I turn to Xander, my eyes hard. "We can't stay here."

He doesn't hesitate. He nods, pulling me by the hand again as we start to move quickly, dodging behind trees and rocks, trying to put distance between us and the hunters. The sound of footsteps behind us grows louder, more persistent.

But as we run, I feel it again.

The storm.

The power inside me, pulling, tugging. Hungry.

I try to hold it back. I try to keep it contained. But it's like trying to hold back the tide with my bare hands.

The storm is coming.