Fighting my brother

I stood there. My mind raced, replaying the decision I had just made. Fighting Galen, my older brother, was undeniably one of the worst ideas I had ever had.

I wasn't trained with a sword. I had never used magic. The idea of squaring off against him someone who could wield both was laughable, and yet, here I was.

What had possessed me to agree to this?

I glanced over at Galen, who stood across from me with an infuriating smirk on his face. His confidence was obvious, and I could tell he thought this was going to be easy. His cockiness only made me more determined to prove him wrong, even if I knew deep down that I was probably about to embarrass myself in front of everyone. 

"Are you sure about this, little sister?" Galen's voice broke through my thoughts, dripping with amusement. He spun his wooden sword in his hand effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing at all. "You look like you're going to faint."

I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the flutter of nerves in my stomach. "I'm fine. Let's just get this over with."

The knight who was overseeing the sparring session stepped forward, holding out two wooden swords. He had a serious look on his face, but I could see the slight twinkle in his eyes. Even he didn't think I stood a chance. He handed Galen his sword, then offered me mine.

The moment I held it, relief washed over me. At least it wasn't as heavy as I feared. I gave it a few experimental swings, getting a feel for the weight.

It was light, easy to maneuver. Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. I mean, how hard could it be to wield a wooden sword?

The knight cleared his throat, snapping us both to attention. "Take your positions."

I walked over to the starting line, trying not to show my hesitation. The dirt under my feet felt cool, and I could smell the faint scent of grass and sweat in the air.

The sun beat down, making everything feel hotter than it was. I could hear Galen snickering from his side of the field. My grip tightened on the hilt of the sword.

"Don't worry, Ren," he called out mockingly. "I'll go easy on you. I wouldn't want to make you cry in front of everyone."

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to push out the sound of his voice. This was just like basketball, right? Back when I used to play, I was always good at reading people's movements. If I could anticipate where Galen was going to strike, maybe I had a chance to defend myself.

"Ready?" the knight's voice boomed. "Begin!"

I snapped my eyes open, just in time to see Galen charging toward me, his sword raised. He was fast faster than I expected but something strange happened.

I could see the movement before it happened, almost like I knew where his sword was going to land. Instinctively, I raised my sword to block, the wooden swords colliding with a sharp crack. 

I'd done it. I'd blocked his attack. 

For a moment, I felt a surge of hope. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

But then Galen smirked again, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He twisted his body, swinging his sword down toward my other side. I saw it coming again, almost like slow motion but my body just wasn't fast enough to keep up. His sword smacked against my arm, making me wince. 

"Too slow," Galen taunted, stepping back to give me space.

I gritted my teeth, trying to shake off the pain. It wasn't over yet. I had to focus. Galen was already preparing for another strike, and this time, I could see the way his feet were positioned, the way his muscles tensed. He was going for a high strike. I lifted my sword, ready to block again.

Crack. The wooden swords collided, and I managed to hold my ground. I could feel the vibrations traveling up my arms, but I held firm. Galen wasn't giving me any time to recover, though. He spun around, going for a low strike this time. I managed to block it barely but it left me off balance. 

"You're getting tired already?" Galen teased, circling me like a predator. "Maybe you should stick to reading books."

I swung my sword at him, but he easily sidestepped the attack, laughing as he did so. My frustration was building. He was toying with me, making me look like a fool, and I hated it.

I planted my feet, trying to steady myself. I had to focus. I could still see his movements before they happened, but my body was just too slow to react in time. I needed something more. 

Suddenly, Galen's sword ignited with flames. They flickered around the blade, bright and hot, dancing in the air like they were alive. My heart sank. Of course, he had to start using magic.

The flames didn't hurt him; instead, they seemed to make his movements faster, sharper. Every swing of his sword was accompanied by a flash of fire, and the heat was intense. I could feel it even from several feet away.

This was bad.

I blocked his attacks again and again, but each time, the flames made it harder to hold my ground. My arms ached from the effort, and sweat dripped down my forehead. Galen's smirk never faltered, and I could tell he was enjoying every second of this.

It was going to be over soon. I could feel it. 

In a moment of desperation, I closed my eyes and focused. There had to be something I could do. Magic was real here, and I had seen Galen use it like it was nothing. Maybe if I just concentrated hard enough, I could tap into it too. 

Come on. Magic can't be that hard, right?

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, wishing for something anything to happen. I could feel the heat of Galen's fire getting closer, and I knew I didn't have much time.

I focused harder, willing myself to summon magic, to make something happen.

And then, I felt it.

A warmth started in my chest, spreading through my body. It was hot, but not in an uncomfortable way. It felt powerful, like something was waking up inside me. I clung to that feeling, focusing all my energy on it.

Before I knew it, flames erupted from my body. But these weren't like Galen's flames. They were red deep, intense, and wild. The fire surged out of me, uncontrollable, burning everything in its path.

Galen stumbled back, his eyes wide in shock. "Ren, what the—?"

I couldn't stop it. The flames kept coming, consuming the grass, the training equipment, and even the knight had to scramble to get out of the way.

My heart raced as I realized I had no idea how to control it. The fire wasn't listening to me. It was doing whatever it wanted.

"Stop!" I shouted, but the flames didn't stop. If anything, they grew hotter, stronger.

Galen was yelling something, but I couldn't hear him over the roaring fire. Panic rose in my chest as I watched the red flames spread, burning through everything in sight. 

This was bad. This was really, really bad.

And I had no idea how to make it stop.