Flames (Book 3)

Chapter 8: Viviana

A/N: I'm sorry, everyone, but I will no longer be able to update as frequently as I have been for two reasons. School is starting, and I will be involved in lots of very time-consuming activities including marching band, and Glitches is currently undergoing extensive edits to prepare it for publication.

However, please stick with me. This series is my life, and I wouldn't abandon it for anything. It WILL be finished, just maybe not as soon as we'd all like.

To thank you for your patience, I'm releasing a book trailer! It's not great, but it's the best I could do. I hope you like it!

Sorry for the long Author's Note. Now, to the story!

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I walked into the gym with purposeful strides, determined to make the most of my final day at Flame headquarters. I had arrived at 2:00 in the morning, to ensure that I would not be seen by any of the Aura warriors. Kelly, who had insisted on being brought along, followed a few steps behind me.

"Do your magic!" she exclaimed as I positioned myself in front of an obstacle course. "I want to see you do your magic!"

"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate!" I snapped, but immediately regretted my harshness toward the poor girl. "Just sit over there; I don't want you to get hurt." I motioned to one of the few spots in the room that didn't house some piece of potentially deadly equipment.

Nodding obediently, she plopped down on the ground and crossed her legs. Her eyes rose to meet mine, wide with childish anticipation.

"Okay, here goes nothing..." Sensing my Aura, the course set itself into motion. The floor in front of me slid away, revealing a chasm that was about three feet deep. I jumped over it, aided by Aural springs under my heels, landing on a moving square platform. Before I could even stop to catch my breath, a hammer swung at me and I was forced to do an awkward back bend to move out of its path.

Kelly's enthusiastic cheers faded into the background as I focused on each of the course's attacks as they came, picturing each as an angry Iceheart. Running through a shower of Aural icicles, I dove into a long slide lined with flashing lights. Since this was the first and only respite in the course's continuous bombardment, I assumed that I had reached the end.

I was wrong.

As I unsuspectingly poked my head out of the end of the slide, an Aural disk about the size of my face flew out from nowhere, slamming me in the stomach and knocking me right off the course.

I groaned as I skidded to a stop on the ground, the cool metal of the gym floor pressed against my warm cheek.

"Failed," an automated voice droned. The obstacle course neatly packed itself back into the ground.

"Viviana! Are you okay?" I turned my head in the direction of the voice to see Aron standing over me in baggy shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

"How did you get here?" I squeezed my eyes shut, my cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Uh...this is my gym. I'm supposed to inspect it once in a while." he gave me a confused look. "I should be the one asking you that question."

"I just thought I needed to practice," I sighed. "It was a stupid idea."

"You? Practice in the middle of the night?" Aron frowned. "But...you're Princess Viviana! You're an Aural legend!"

"Aron, there's something I have to tell you." I folded my hands in my lap and sat up on my knees, trying to slow my rapid breathing as I contemplated my situation.

Telling him the truth would get a huge weight off my shoulders, but would cause him to potentially lose all respect for me and interest in being my friend.

But, then again, I had done nothing to deserve the friendship of a Flame leader in the first place.

"Yes?" Aron pressed on. "It's alright, whatever it is. We all do embarrassing stuff sometimes. And, besides, it's super dark in here at night. I could've tripped, too, and I know this place like the back of my hand."

"I didn't trip," I said through gritted teeth. "I fell off an obstacle course."

"What, that one?" Aron scoffed, pointing at the course to my left. "That's, like, the easiest one in here! There's no way you screwed up on there."

Let's just get this over with.

"Aron, I'm surprised that I even survived that course. I'm not an Aural legend- I'm not even an Aura warrior. The only person I've ever battled was a Code," I blurted as fast as I could, my face radiating shame.

Aron involuntarily stepped away, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Everything they told you about me is a lie!" I screamed. "I'm not your savior! Actually, it would be really nice if someone came and saved me right about now. I'm not the girl on that poster that's up in front of your main hall! I can't be that! I'm just a random kid who was raised by humans. And I'm probably just as useful as a human, too!"

I paused at the end of my revelation, turning away from Aron. The only sound in the room was my heavy breathing.

"Vivi..." He finally said softly after a long, ominous silence. "I'm really, really disappointed."

Here it comes.

"But I'm also really impressed," he added, unexpectedly. "I can't even imagine the kind of pressure you must be under. To continue to strive for excellence despite odds like that is admirable. Do you want to know the truth, Viv?"

A few seconds later, I turned back around and stood up, inches from the leader of the FAWD.

"Yes."

"You're not the legend we expected. At all," he blew a sharp jet of air to get the hair out of his eye.

"But you might just be the miracle we need."