Milly stepped into the empty training grounds, the familiar scent of dirt and burnt wood filling her nostrils. The moonlight cast long shadows across the ground, and the quiet only made the anticipation in her chest thrum louder.
She planted her feet firmly, raised her hands, and focused. This time… I'll control it…
A faint glow began to coil around her hands as the air hummed with power. Slowly, the unmistakable dragon-shaped aura appeared a brilliant red light forming a jagged, pulsating head beside her.
She opened her mouth to speak the command, but before she could, an unbearable pain shot through her body. Her vision blurred, her knees buckled, and her limbs froze.
No… not again… Milly's inner voice screamed silently. Her body betrayed her completely; from the mouth down, she couldn't move a muscle. She was paralyzed, trapped inside herself.
The dragon head beside her pulsed, seemingly alive, as if mocking her struggle. Sparks of energy flared uncontrollably, but she couldn't command them. Her chest heaved, trying to draw in air, but even her voice refused to cooperate.
Minutes or maybe seconds have passed, each stretching longer than the last. Milly's mind raced: Why is it worse this time? I… I thought I was ready…
Finally, the energy dissipated, leaving only the faint scent of ozone and scorched earth. Milly collapsed to the ground, panting silently, eyes wide with frustration and fear.
She looked down at her hands, faintly glowing red, trembling. I can't… I can't control it… not yet…
Tears pricked her eyes, not from pain, but from the helplessness of being trapped in her own body. For the first time in days, she let herself lie there, letting the cool night air brush against her face as she tried to calm the storm inside her mind.
Tomorrow… tomorrow I'll try again, she thought, determination flickering through the haze of defeat. I won't let it control me… I won't.