Lily Starfire Pov [ ULTIMATE × 2024 ]

"The truth," I said, finally standing up. The fire rose with me, a column of gold and rage that stretched twice as high as a man before I forced it back down with a flick of my wrist. Kael flinched. Good.

The flames behind me bowed low, as if in farewell. Then they snuffed themselves out, leaving Kael alone in the sudden, absolute dark. lily starfire pov

"Looking at the campfire like it owes you rent." "The truth," I said, finally standing up

"Doing what?" I kept my eyes on the flames. A tendril of heat curled toward my outstretched palm, not burning, just tasting . "Looking at the campfire like it owes you rent

A laugh escaped me, low and smoky. He wasn't wrong. Fire owed me everything. Last winter, when the blizzard had buried the passes and the other scouts were losing toes to frostbite, it was my heat that kept us alive. Not a blanket. Not a spell from the soft-handed mages in their towers. Just me, Lily Starfire, pulling a core of warmth from a single damp twig until it roared loud enough to scare the wolves away.

I watched them spiral upward, each orange spark a tiny sun born from a log I’d chosen, a flame I’d whispered to. The others saw fire. I saw a language. The crackle wasn't random noise; it was the pop of a secret shared between me and the deep, molten heart of the world.