The instant her flames roared to life, Irina could feel the shift in the air. The oppressive suppression field that had weighed her down was gone, replaced by the crackling energy of her awakened fire. The flames coiled around her arms like serpents ready to strike, their heat rolling off her in waves. She flexed her fingers, embers dancing between them, her hazel eyes locked on the two immobilized attackers.
Their fear was evident now—the subtle tremble in the spearman's hands, the tightness in the swordsman's jaw as he struggled against the binding force. It sent a thrill through her, a vindication of the anger simmering within her chest.
'They thought they could take me,' she thought, her lips curling into a smirk. 'Threaten me, mock me, and expect to get away with it.'