Romania did not go back to work the next day.
She told herself she was sick, but the truth was she was scared. Her hands still felt warm. When she washed them, the heat did not go away. She kept remembering the way the lights flickered when she touched that man.
She walked home late that night. The streetlights were weak, and the city felt too quiet. Her footsteps echoed behind her.
Then she heard another sound.
Footsteps that were not hers.
She stopped walking.
The sound stopped too.
Romania's heart started beating fast. She turned around, but the street was empty. No people. No cars. Just shadows between buildings.
"Hello?" she said softly.
No answer.
She kept walking, faster now. Her breath came out in short bursts. The sound of footsteps followed her again.
She turned into a narrow alley to take a shortcut.
Bad idea.
The alley was dark. Trash bags lined the walls. The smell was strong. Romania took only a few steps before she felt it.
The air grew hot.
Not normal heat. Heavy heat. The kind that made her skin prickle.
Something moved in the darkness.
Two red eyes opened.
Romania froze.
A tall shape stepped forward. It looked like a man, but wrong. Its body was thin, like smoke made into skin. Its mouth was too wide. When it smiled, she saw sharp teeth.
"You are awake now," the thing said. Its voice sounded like burning wood. "We felt you."
Romania backed away. Her back hit the wall.
"I don't know what you are," she said. "Leave me alone."
The thing laughed.
"You are marked by the flames," it said. "You belong to the fire below."
Romania's chest burned. Fear filled her, but anger followed right after. She did not want to belong to anything like this.
"Go away!" she shouted.
The heat in her hands grew stronger. Pain shot through her palms. The air around her shook.
The creature stepped closer.
"You cannot run from what you are."
Romania raised her hands without thinking.
Fire burst out.
It was not normal fire. It was dark red, almost black, and it moved like it was alive. The flames hit the wall beside the creature. The bricks cracked. The trash bags caught fire.
The creature screamed.
The sound was sharp and loud. It jumped back into the shadows, its red eyes fading into the dark.
The alley went silent.
Romania stood there, shaking. Her hands were burning, but when she looked at them, there were no burns on her skin.
"What am I?" she whispered.
Sirens sounded far away.
Romania ran.
She did not look back.
That night, she locked her door and slid down to the floor. Her whole body shook. She pressed her hands to her chest, trying to calm her breathing.
She knew one thing now.
Whatever her powers were…
something from below knew about her.
And it was not done with her yet.