Emberly Marquez

Engulfed in Flames

“Well, it seems as if things have gotten a bit out of hand then, haven’t they?” Ascelin treaded through a city that was once born of stone, and was now created of fire. Ghosts of what the city once was clouded her vision; flashes of her child-like self grinning as she was handed gelato quickly broken by the reverberation of the ice cream shop’s foundation falling to the floor. She saw herself with her best friend, Kaen, dancing through the park that was now reduced to rubble in the city square. She stood silently in the middle of the street, a node in the chaotic branches of calamity upon the city. A tingle of heat worked its way up her spine, and she smiled. The scent of burning wood filled her lungs as she inhaled deeply, raising her arms as she embraced the flames that were slowly growing in size. Screams filled her ears, and yet her mind was silent. When was the last time that ever happened? Despite the peacefulness of the moment, in the eye of the storm, she knew that she still had one more stop she needed to complete.