After a day of successful water magic practice, Briar was feeling cautiously optimistic. Her connection with the elements was growing stronger, and for the first time, she felt like she was in control—well, mostly in control. But there was still one element she hadn’t fully faced yet. One element that, if she was honest with herself, scared her more than the others.

Fire.

Myrtle, naturally, had picked up on this and was all too eager to push Briar toward her next challenge.

"You can’t avoid it forever, Briar," Myrtle said, grinning as they walked back to the clearing the next morning. "Fire magic is part of the whole elemental package. You’ve already handled earth, air, and water. Fire’s just the next step!"

Briar sighed, glancing at the small bundle of sticks and dry leaves Myrtle had brought along to serve as kindling. "I don’t know, Myrtle. Fire magic is dangerous. What if I lose control again?"

"You won’t," Myrtle said confidently, giving her a reassuring smile. "You’re getting better every day. Besides, I’ll be here to make sure you don’t set the whole forest on fire."

Briar laughed nervously. "I appreciate that, but I’m still not convinced."

Myrtle plopped down on a nearby rock, setting up the bundle of sticks in front of them. "Fire magic is all about focus. You can’t treat it like the other elements. It’s wild, yeah, but if you respect it, it’ll respect you back."

Briar nodded, though she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled in her chest. Fire was unpredictable, destructive. It wasn’t like the steady earth or the flowing water. It could consume everything in its path if she wasn’t careful.

But Briar knew she couldn’t avoid it forever. If she wanted to master elemental magic, she had to face the fire. With a deep breath, she knelt down next to the kindling and closed her eyes, reaching for the magic inside her.

"Alright," Briar muttered. "Let’s do this."

She focused on the small pile of sticks, feeling for the heat, the spark of magic that she knew was buried deep inside. At first, she felt nothing—just the cool breeze rustling the leaves and the warmth of the sun on her skin. But as she concentrated harder, she began to sense the fire’s energy. It was different from the other elements—hot, intense, like a spark waiting to ignite.

Briar’s fingers twitched as she willed the magic to flow, focusing on the dry leaves in front of her. Slowly, she felt the heat building, a soft warmth that spread through her chest and down her arms.

And then, with a tiny crack, a flame flickered to life.

Briar opened her eyes, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the small flame dance across the kindling. It was small, delicate, but undeniably there.

"I did it," Briar whispered, her voice full of awe.

Myrtle beamed. "I knew you could!"

But before Briar could celebrate her success, the flame began to grow. It licked higher, spreading across the sticks with surprising speed. Briar’s eyes widened as the fire flared, growing larger and hotter by the second.

"Myrtle," Briar said, her voice tight with alarm. "It’s getting out of control!"

"Calm down!" Myrtle said quickly. "You’ve got this. Just focus and pull the magic back like you did with the water."

Briar’s heart raced as the fire crackled and popped, sending sparks flying into the air. She could feel the heat radiating from the flames, and panic surged through her. She tried to pull the magic back, but the fire wasn’t like the other elements. It didn’t want to be controlled.

The flames grew higher, leaping from the kindling to the nearby leaves. Briar’s stomach twisted with fear as the fire spread, threatening to engulf the entire clearing.

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"I can’t stop it!" Briar shouted, her voice rising with panic.

Myrtle sprang into action, grabbing a nearby bucket of water and dousing the flames before they could spread any further. The fire hissed and sputtered as the water hit it, and within moments, the flames were extinguished, leaving only a charred pile of sticks and a thin plume of smoke.

Briar collapsed onto the ground, her hands shaking as she stared at the smoldering remains of the fire. "I couldn’t stop it," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I lost control again."

Myrtle knelt down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it’s okay. You stopped it before it got too bad."

"But what if you hadn’t been here?" Briar said, her voice tight with frustration. "What if I had set the whole forest on fire?"

"You didn’t," Myrtle said firmly. "You’re learning, Briar. And learning means making mistakes. You’re not supposed to be perfect at this."

Briar shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "But I want to be. I want to be in control of my magic, and every time I try, something goes wrong."

Myrtle squeezed her shoulder. "That’s because you’re fighting it. Fire isn’t something you can force. It’s wild, sure, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work with it. You just have to trust yourself—and trust the magic."

Briar wiped her eyes, feeling a surge of frustration and doubt. She wanted to believe Myrtle, but after everything that had happened, it was hard to shake the fear that her magic would always be out of control.

But as she sat there, staring at the smoldering remains of the fire, something Myrtle had said stuck with her. You’re fighting it.

Maybe that was the problem. She had been trying so hard to control the fire, to make it do what she wanted, that she hadn’t stopped to think about what the fire itself wanted. Magic, especially elemental magic, wasn’t something to be forced. It was something to be worked with, something to be respected.

Taking a deep breath, Briar stood up and faced the charred kindling once more. "Let me try again."

Myrtle’s eyes widened with surprise. "Are you sure?"

Briar nodded, her heart racing. "Yeah. I’m sure."

Myrtle smiled, stepping back to give Briar space. "You’ve got this, Briar. I know you do."

With a renewed sense of determination, Briar knelt down next to the kindling, her hands hovering over the charred remains. This time, she didn’t try to force the magic. She didn’t push or pull. She just… let it flow.

She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the fire inside her, the spark of magic that was always there. Slowly, carefully, she willed the fire to return—but only as much as it wanted to. She didn’t demand anything from the magic. She simply invited it to come.

And to her surprise, the flame returned.

It flickered softly at first, small and gentle, like the flame of a candle. Briar smiled, her heart swelling with pride as she watched the fire dance across the kindling. It wasn’t wild or out of control this time. It was calm, steady.

"That’s it," Myrtle whispered, her voice full of awe. "You’re doing it."

Briar’s smile widened as she watched the fire burn. She could feel the magic flowing through her, light and free, just like the flame itself. For the first time, she wasn’t afraid of losing control. She wasn’t afraid of the fire.

She trusted it. And it trusted her back.

As the flame continued to burn, Briar felt a sense of peace settle over her. She had done it. She had faced the fire, and this time, she had won.

After a few moments, Briar willed the flame to flicker out, watching as the fire slowly died down, leaving only a soft curl of smoke in its wake. She let out a long breath, her heart still racing with excitement.

Myrtle rushed over, grinning from ear to ear. "That was incredible, Briar! You did it!"

Briar beamed, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment unlike anything she had felt before. "I did, didn’t I?"

Myrtle threw her arms around Briar in a tight hug. "You’re amazing! You’ve mastered fire magic!"

Briar laughed, hugging her back. "I wouldn’t say mastered. But I think I’m getting the hang of it."

As they stood there, basking in the glow of their success, Briar couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Fire magic had been the one element that had truly scared her, the one that had always felt beyond her control. But now, she realized that it wasn’t about controlling the fire—it was about working with it.

And that, she realized, was the key to all elemental magic. It wasn’t about forcing the elements to bend to her will. It was about understanding them, respecting them, and trusting herself enough to let the magic flow naturally.

"Come on," Myrtle said, pulling back and giving Briar a playful nudge. "Let’s head back to the village. We’ve got to celebrate your success."

Briar grinned, feeling lighter than she had in days. "You and your celebrations."

"Hey," Myrtle said with a wink, "if we don’t celebrate the little victories, how are we going to appreciate the big ones?"

Briar laughed, shaking her head. "Alright. But no more pumpkin pie."

Myrtle gasped in mock offense. "How dare you!"

Together, they made their way back to the village, their laughter echoing through the trees. Briar’s heart felt full, her worries pushed to the back of her mind. She had faced the fire, and though there had been challenges, she had come out stronger.

And for the first time, Briar truly believed that she was capable of mastering her magic—no matter how wild or unpredictable it might be.