My girlfriend is trapped in my superpower

The gates of Ashthorne gave way with a thunderous crack, wood splintering like bone. Villagers screamed, scattering in every direction, torches toppling as the night filled with chaos.

And then they came.

Not one. Not two. A swarm. Hulking beasts with molten-red eyes and jagged maws, each no taller than me but faster, leaner, hungry like wolves. Their skin was charred black, smoke curling from their bodies as if they'd been born from fire itself. The air reeked of sulfur and rot as their claws scraped against the cobblestones.

"Hellhounds," Bram muttered, tightening his gauntlets. "Baby Devourers."

"Correction," Mira snapped, drawing her blade. "Death with teeth."

The pack fanned out, surrounding the square. Villagers cowered in doorways, too afraid to run. A hiss cut through the air, and the monsters froze.

That's when I saw him.

A figure, cloaked in shadow, stood just beyond the broken gates. His face was hidden, his hands buried in his sleeves. He didn't move, but the air bent around him, thick with a pressure that made my lungs ache. It was his hiss, his command, that stilled the creatures.

"Great," I muttered. "Because one Devourer wasn't enough."

A flicker of fire bloomed beside me, and Lyra stepped out of me, her form crystallizing like she'd been waiting for this exact moment. Her hair shimmered like molten silver, her smirk sharp enough to cut through stone.

"Well," she said, folding her arms. "Somebody's compensating. Who brings their pets to a massacre?"

Bram grinned despite the danger. "You never disappoint, Lyra."

But her smirk wavered. Just for a second. Her eyes weren't fixed on the hellhounds. They were locked on the cloaked figure, and her usual sarcasm slid into something tighter. Something I'd never heard from her before.

"Stay close," she murmured—quiet enough for only me to hear.

I frowned. "You're actually scared."

"Scared?" She scoffed. "Please. I'm terrified."

That shook me. Because Lyra feared nothing. Not the Devourer. Not even death.

And yet, the way her fiery glow dimmed as the cloaked figure raised his hand, snapping his fingers, sending the pack charging toward us—

I realized this fight wasn't just another battle. It was a warning. And whoever that man was, he wasn't here for Ashthorne.

He was here for me.

The hellhounds moved as one, their claws scraping stone, teeth bared, molten eyes locked on me. Every instinct screamed fight—I could already feel the fire stirring in my chest.

"Kael, brace!" Mira's sword came up, her stance firm. Bram cracked his knuckles, muttering, "Guess it's feeding time."

But the monsters didn't leap.

They stalked closer. Closer still. The heat of their bodies rolled over me in waves, smoke curling from their fangs. I tightened my fists, Lyra's glow flaring beside me.

And then— They dropped.

One by one, the hellhounds lowered their heads to the ground, spines arching in something that wasn't aggression. It looked like… reverence.

"What the—" Bram's voice cracked. "Are they bowing?"

Mira's jaw clenched, her blade frozen mid-swing. "That's… impossible."

Even Lyra—sarcastic, fiery, fearless Lyra—had no joke this time. Her eyes widened, the smirk gone from her lips. "They are kneeling… for you."

The air shifted. A low chuckle bled out from the figure beyond the gate. My blood iced over.

The cloaked man raised his hand, slow and deliberate, like a puppeteer tugging invisible strings. His voice, distorted and layered, crawled over my skin.

"Not yet."

That was all he said. Two words.

The hellhounds rose in unison, turned, and padded back into the night like soldiers obeying command. The cloaked man followed, his form dissolving into the shadows until the broken gate stood empty once more.

And then, silence.

I exhaled, only now realizing I'd been holding my breath. My legs trembled. Lyra hovered at my side, her glow dimmed, her voice low. "I… don't know what that was."

If she didn't know, then we might be in deeper trouble than I thought. I needed answers. Selene.

Bram broke the silence, scratching the back of his head. "Well… I was ready for a fight. Not a worship service."

Mira lowered her blade, eyes narrowing at me. "Kael… there's more to you than you're telling us."

I opened my mouth—then shut it again. She was right. But I didn't have answers, only questions that gnawed at me like fire under skin. I thought about sneaking away again, about finding truth alone. But before I could speak, Bram clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't even think about ditching us." His voice was lighter than usual, but there was steel in it. "You're not walking this road by yourself."

Mira nodded, softer but firm. "If you're searching for answers, then we're searching with you. Not as guildmates. As family."

Lyra tilted her head, smirk slowly crawling back. "Huh. Look at that. Teamwork. Cute. Almost makes me want to vomit."

But I saw it—the flicker in her eyes, the part of her that didn't hate it. But agin she never hated me atleast what I know.

For the first time, the fire inside me didn't feel like a curse. It felt like the start of something bigger.

We didn't sleep that night. None of us could. Even after the hellhounds vanished and the cloaked figure's words still rattled in my bones, the silence in Ashthorne felt heavier than the noise of battle.

Bram sat cross-legged on the floor of our quarters, tossing his knife up and catching it with restless fingers. Mira kept pacing, her boots striking the stone in a rhythm sharp enough to cut the air. Lyra, glowing faintly at my side, pretended to look bored—but I caught the flicker of unease in her eyes.

And me? I just stared at the packed satchel by my bed.

"We can't stay here," Mira finally said, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "Not after what happened tonight. Too many eyes. Too many questions."

Bram huffed a laugh. "So what? We ghost out before sunrise? Just like that?"

"Yes," Mira snapped, then softened. "Just like that."

I didn't argue. Because I wanted to run. To seek answers. Who am I?

So we moved quietly, careful not to wake the masters or the others lodged in the hall. One bag each, nothing more. The halls of Ashthorne felt colder than ever as we slipped through them.

By the time the first sliver of dawn touched the horizon, the three of us were already outside the city walls—packs on our backs, resolve in our steps, and the shadow of that cloaked figure still haunting the edge of my mind.

Lyra's voice curled through the silence, sly and sardonic as ever. "Well, Kael, congratulations. You've officially gone from 'rookie recruit' to 'wanted mystery boy on the run.' Hope you're ready for the sequel."

Bram chuckled under his breath, Mira shot us both a sharp look, and I—

I didn't look back.

Ashthorne was behind us now. Whatever waited ahead… it was ours to face together.