Elementals are dangerous. They are too powerful. They don't conform to any laws. And they destroy society. Or so everyone says. Reia Drey didn't believe them. Because she knew there was something different about her. When the arsonist's lab exploded...
I was sitting in the boiler room of Zexon, a robot invading the small town. It was hot and stuffy because of a leak in the pressure tank, which kept spewing hot mist across the room. I would have run, but I was chained to the wall. The enemy had found me trying to infiltrate Zexon and trapped me in here. Now, this stupid robot would explode, and I would be blown to bits with it.
The world was perfect. Right up until one of that crazy arsonist, Professor Claude Ahnder,'s experiments finally failed. Why would anyone destroy the world? Why would anyone kill perfection? It was the question I had asked myself ever since that arsonist's lab blew up.
He was a complete pyromaniac, and it was his downfall. He got what he wanted though. The world is ablaze. Nothing we do helps. It just gets worse. Flame engulfing every part of the life I once loved. I wanted to be brave. But I'm a coward. A coward that runs from never-ending fire. A coward that never even fought to stay. I hate fire. I can't stand being around it.
The people who saved me said they would teach me to control water, said I could help them save the world. They lied to me. I can't do anything. I can't even stay in one place for more than a week without being forced to run away. I am weak. I am useless. I am a coward with no hope. And nothing will ever change that.
The AI said I was smart, I would be great, that if I put my mind to it, I could control anything. That I was special. Look where that landed me. Inside a robot, about to get blown up. Yeah. Really special. Well, at least the chains aren't too uncomfortable.
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"Reia? Reia? Reia, can you hear me?" My best friend Allise's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. She was walking through the thick mist that shrouded the prison room. But I knew the room was too big.
She wouldn't find me. The mist would just keep pouring out of that stupid pressure tank. I was going to die in here. I would never save the world, never stop the fire, and I would never see Ezra again.
Ezra. He was amazing. I never noticed how helpful he was. If he were here now, he'd help me up, unchain me. We'd escape together. I snapped out of my fantasies. I had to get out of here.
"Allise..." I tried to call. I came out as a muffled, Ahhheeeesssse, noise. It sounded kind of like her name, and, in my defense, there was a big gag in my mouth. "Reia, is that you?!?!" Allise cried. I heard her footsteps getting closer. "Reia, come on! We need to go! Where are you!?!?!" She screamed desperately.
I didn't think I could make a loud enough noise to indicate my position unless... I scraped my soaked shoe across the floor and got the result I needed. A loud, wet, squelch filled my ears.
"Reia? Is that you?" Allise yelled. She finally found me. "Reia, are you okay? We need to go." She tried to help me to my feet before I could tell her... "Ow!" I cried, falling back on my hands and knees. "Allise, I'm chained up!" I told her.
Allise threw her hands up in frustration. "We're dead! Reia! Why couldn't you listen to orders?!?! I'm dead! You're dead! They will kill us all!" She stopped, squinting in concentration. The metal of the wall melted off, letting me walk. Great.
"Come on! We have to hurry! You know, if I go back without you, I think there's a good chance that my mom, my dad, Ezra, and everyone else at Trex will kill me." Also, yes. Our leaders named the main base Trex. As in, T-rex. Aren't they hilarious? We ran toward the door and I fumbled with the lock.
"Come on, open, open, open!" I screamed, pushing in the passcode the guard so arrogantly showed me. "Let's go!" I called as the door clicked open, trying desperately to levitate myself. Eventually, my feet left the ground.
Allise was right behind me and we managed to make it out of Zexon alive. She was hugging herself and rocking on her toes. I remembered that she had claustrophobia. That must have been scary for her. "Reia, listen to me," Allise said, looking me in the eye. "Promise me you never, ever, go against orders and enter a giant, pyromaniac robot. Ever again."
I put my chin on my fist in an exaggerated thinking position. "Hmmmmm... What if I have a really good reason?" Allise glared at me angrily. "This isn't funny, Reia. You could have gotten me killed." I returned her dirty look. "What if I do have a reason? Did? I don't know!" Allise looked surprised. "You had a reason? What could it possibly be?!?!" I crossed her arms, not meeting my friend's eye.
