The Handmaid’s Tale
3
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Natalia could smell the bitter smoke stinging her nostrils. Heat scorched her skin as the crackling flames roared in her ears, drowning out everything else. There was no place to run.
“RUN, SIS!”
She heard her brother’s urgent call, yet she stayed paralyzed, crying helplessly.
"Brother, I… I didn't do it. It wasn't me." She stammered, lying. Mommy and daddy would kill her if they found out what she did.
"Nat, c’mon!” Lionel’s voice was now desperate.
Through the haze, Natalia spotted him. Lionel's normally composed features was streaked with charcoal and sweat as he pushed through the burning beams and debris. Relief flooded over her when he finally reached her and wrapped them both in a wet towel.
He scooped her small form in his strong arm. "You're safe. You're with me, sis, you're safe."
His face lightened up as they reached the door, just then, the ceiling beam fell down with a deafening crash.
A sharp gasp escaped Natalia's lips as her eyes snapped open, cold sweat slicking her skin. A dream! It was just a dream—a terrifying memory she desperately tried to bury.
She sat up in her bed, her hospital gown clinging damply to her trembling form. Her eyes darted towards the window where a figure stood bathed in the violet glow of the setting sun. Piercing amber eyes, even through a layer of Eydis's thick glasses, locked into hers.
"Bad dream?" Eydis asked gently. She remained by the window, making no move towards the bed.
Natalia glanced around the room. "Yeah," she mumbled, picking at the corner of the white sheet. "Thanks for keeping things quiet with Colette and Birgit.”
Eydis offered a small, knowing smile. "Never crossed my mind to gossip. Besides, those messaging apps are a chore." Her voice softened. "You alright, Natalia?"
Natalia forced a weak chuckle, the sound strained. "Yeah, sure. Physically, I mean. Mentally... well, Tiffany's back. And with powers this time."
The brunette's expression remained calm. "I see. But something else seems to be troubling you, Natalia. Not just Tiffany."
Natalia flinched, her eyes widening momentarily before darting away. "Aren't you worried? What if she…"
Eydis cut her off gently. "We'll deal with Tiffany later, Natalia. Right now, I want you to focus. What is it you truly want to tell me?"
Natalia opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again. Finally, she confessed shakily, "There's something else, Eydis—something I haven’t been completely honest about. I-I’m not sure if you’ll understand, but…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I just need to tell someone."
Eydis's voice was warm and reassuring. "I'm still here, am I not?"
Natalia chuckled bitterly. "I may not have been completely honest about why I kept my abilities hidden..."
The brunette nodded, signalling Natalia to continue.
Taking a deep breath, Natalia plunged into the past. "This power wasn't a gift, but a curse. It manifested when I was eight... He saved me, but the flames..."
"They took everything," Natalia said softly. "His football career, his scholarship..."
"I never wanted this power.” Her voice cracked, tears streamed down her face as the weight of her guilt became a crushing burden. "I just wanted everyone I cared about to be happy. But I… I destroyed his life."
Eydis moved closer. With a gentle thumb, she wiped away a tear. "Family love. Such curious concepts for one such as myself. Yet, from a purely logical standpoint, he chose you."
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Natalia's voice trembled. "But what if I lose control again? What if I hurt someone I love…again?"
"Then you learn to control it, embrace it. It is a fundamental part of you, as essential as your breath or your heartbeat. To reject it is to deny yourself.” Eydis lightly flicked Natalia’s forehead, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"But what if... this power defines me?" Natalia felt a lump form in her throat. "What if I'm nothing more than the fires that have taken over my life?"
"Fire? You are that, Natalia," Eydis agreed, a wistful smile flitting across her face. It vanished as quickly as it appeared. She hesitated, then spoke.
"Do you understand, truly understand, what magic means?" Her amber eyes seemed to hold the secrets of the universe.
Natalia shook her head. All this time, hate had blinded her to any deeper understanding. Could she have been so wrong?
"Magic," Eydis explained with a serene smile, "isn't about bloodlines or some grand destiny. It's not a reward for the good or a punishment for the wicked. It's a reflection, Natalia, a mirror held up to the very essence of your being. It's you.” A playful glint returned to her eyes. "At least, according to Tweeter."
Natalia felt a lightness bloom in her chest, the first genuine laugh in days bubbling up. "So you're saying..."
"It reflects a soul of fierce passion and unwavering loyalty. Sound familiar?"
Heat flooded Natalia's cheeks as the tension she hadn't realised she was carrying melted away from her shoulders, replaced by a fresh sense of hope. The tears returned, but they were now touched by a deep gratitude for Eydis’s words.
"Thank you," she whispered. Before she could think better of it, the next words tumbled out, "Can I hug you?" Her cheeks burned with a blush that mirrored the embers flickering in her heart. "Wait, no, forget it."
Eydis raised an eyebrow, her amusement evident. "Gratitude expressed, Natalia. However, physical affection is... inadvisable," she teased. "Praise doesn't flow freely from one such as myself, you see."
Natalia managed a weak giggle. "You and your words. Makes me wonder… are you… ancient?"
Eydis put on a mock pout. "Ancient? Now that's simply rude, wouldn't you agree? Etiquette lessons are clearly in order, my dear handmaiden. But for now, get some rest.”
“D-dear what?!” Her question hung unanswered as Eydis, with a final melodic chuckle, bolted out the door.
Left behind, Natalia felt a renewed inferno of determination burning in her chest. Sleep seemed pointless compared to the fire burning bright inside her.
Eydis was right. Suppressing her power was like plugging a volcano.
No more. Natalia wouldn't be a helpless victim again. Closing her eyes, she focused on the flames within, picturing them not as weapons of destruction, but as a reflection of her soul. A fierce passion, an unwavering loyalty — these would be the heart of her flames. And she would use it, not just to shield herself, but for those who mattered most.
A question danced in her mind. If Eydis was Gifted, what would her power manifest as?
Light. It had to be light, didn't it?
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Eydis flung open the door. Astra, deep in a silent strategising session with the wall, barely dodged a collision. Her crimson eyes widened in surprise, a hint of annoyance dancing across her perfect features.
"Didn't expect to find you practising your brooding warrior pose against the door." Eydis said playfully. "Though, I confess, didn't know you could swing it that way."
Astra furrowed her brows, unsure if scowling or complete bewilderment was the more appropriate response.
"Eydis. What. Are. You. Talking. About?" She deadpanned, the word dropping like a pebble into a bottomless pit of Eydis' obliviousness.
Eydis shrugged nonchalantly. “Your… sword. Is that not the term you use for… well, for deflecting dark energy with a wooden stick? Though come to think of it, a fly swatter might be more effective against that particular... gnat."
Astra stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment, then uncrossed her arms. Amusement, brief and unexpected, sparked in her crimson eyes. It was so fleeting it almost seemed a trick of the light, threatening to melt her ice princess persona.
Eydis blinked, surprised. The sight was... unsettling. Not unsettling in a bad way, but... disorienting.
"Has Natalia woken up?" Astra murmured softly. Clearing her throat, she quickly schooled her features back into their usual stoicism.
"Stable, but the healers say she needs rest." Eydis replied, watching tension visibly eased off from Astra. Despite the girl's icy demeanour, she did indeed care more about others than she let on. Defrosting that personality, though? Maybe an industrial-strength heat lamp and a lifetime supply of therapy hot chocolate wouldn't hurt.
"Doctors," Astra corrected automatically, the word bouncing harmlessly off Eydis' preoccupied mind.
Eydis’s gaze drifted back towards the infirmary glass door, where Natalia sat frozen. The soft beeping of machines filtered through the crack.
"Why did she push herself so hard?"
Astra, her crimson gaze unreadable, responded swiftly. "She cares about you. And the power Tiffany used, it felt..." She frowned.
"You recognised it?"
Astra hesitated before answering cryptically, "It’s... complicated." With that, she turned and vanished down the hallway. The scent of her perfume—a blend of sandalwood and spice—lingered long after she had gone.
Eydis inhaled sharply, forcing down the unease as memories of Tiffany’s duel resurfaced. A vivid image of the dark tendril lancing towards Natalia burned itself into her memory. Tiffany back already? About as surprising as a cockroach infestation in a bakery. At least roaches were easier to exterminate.
Human nature never ceased to be a fascinating case study for Eydis. Her investigation through social media wasn't just out of boredom. Sure, the puppy videos were tolerable, but it was the sheer volume of humblebragging and blissful ignorance that truly fascinated her.
This world, no matter how many AI filters they slapped on their reality, couldn’t hide the ugliness that mirrored her own. Same old human drama — the powerful stomping on the powerless, all while singing hymns of freedom and democracy. Cute.
Eydis wouldn't be hunted in this strange land. Tiffany craved a fight?
Fine. The game commenced. And it would end, on her terms.