Iris snapped. In an instant, her flames burst to life, bright and furious, licking at her skin with raw intensity. Without thinking, she summoned her power, condensing flames into her hands. “Fine! You want me to fight?!” she screamed.

  Her fiery aura surged, hotter and more dangerous than ever. With a swift motion, she hurled a blazing arrow straight at Charles. He barely had time to react, raising his telekinetic shield—but the flames clung stubbornly to his aura, searing through his protective barrier.

  Charles grunted, stumbling back as the fire scorched his shield. “What the—? Your flames are—”

  “Burning through your ability?!” Iris finished, her voice rising with fury. “Guess I’m not holding back anymore!”

  She launched another concentrated burst—a searing arrow of fire that carried not just heat, but every ounce of her pent-up sorrow and anger. Charles raised his hands again, his telekinetic shield flickering under the assault. But this wasn’t just a display of power—it was a tidal wave of raw emotion crashing into him.

  “Iris, calm down!” he shouted, his voice strained. Yet, she wouldn’t stop.

  “I won’t stop!” she screamed, advancing relentlessly as flames erupted around her. “You have no idea what it’s like to know all this—” Another fiery arrow streaked past, forcing Charles to dodge desperately. “—to carry it all alone!”

  Charles stumbled back, panting as he tried to reinforce his shield. “Then tell me, Iris! You don’t have to fight alone—”

  “I am alone!” she roared, her flames growing wilder, scorching every object he tried to hurl at her. Each burst of fire seemed to strip away the last vestiges of his telekinetic power, fueled by her agony.

  In that moment, Charles realized this wasn’t a battle against him—it was a battle against herself. Her flames were her desperate cry to burn away the pain and helplessness that had consumed her.

  “Iris, you’re not alone,” he pleaded, soft but insistent, stepping closer through the inferno. “I’m here for you. I’m here for you.”

  “Shut up!” she screamed, her voice raw as her flames surged uncontrollably. The gym walls sizzled as the roaring fire spread, engulfing everything in its path. Charles’s barrier faltered under the relentless assault.

  “Iris! Stop!” Charles shouted, but his words were drowned by the sound of the inferno. His telekinetic shield wavered as the wall of fire threatened to consume the entire gym.

  Iris stood at the center of the blaze, her body trembling with overwhelming emotion. Her eyes glowed with a fierce, desperate light as she fought to control the chaos inside her. But her flames, fueled by pain and isolation, had taken on a life of their own.

  Charles, sweat pouring down his face, struggled to create a protective dome around them. “Iris, focus!” he urged, stepping closer despite the searing heat. “You’re stronger than this! You can control it!”

  But her mind was a storm of anguish—fear, sorrow, and an unyielding sense of betrayal. Her flames roared in defiance, growing wilder with every moment, until the gym became a sea of fire, the air thick with smoke and despair.

  Realizing time was running out, Charles gathered the last of his strength. With a desperate lunge, he broke through the raging flames and grabbed her shoulders. “Iris! Listen to me!” he yelled, his voice slicing through the roar.

  For a brief, heart-stopping moment, their eyes locked—hers blazing with turbulent emotion, his filled with unwavering concern.

  “You are stronger than your ability! You control it—not the other way around!” Charles roared, shaking Iris as flames swirled around them. “I know it hurts, I know you're scared—but you can't let this destroy you!”

  Iris trembled, her ragged breaths barely carrying her whispered protest. “I… I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can!” Charles insisted, his tone fierce yet reassuring. “I’m right here, Iris! I believe in you!”

  For a heartbeat, something shifted inside her. The flames flickered, hesitating as if drawn to his words. With a shaky breath, she concentrated, slowly drawing the wild fire back toward herself, trying to contain the chaos. But the heat was relentless—the walls began to crumble, the ceiling groaned under the pressure.

  “Iris, please! You have to stop this before it’s too late!” Charles shouted, tightening his grip on her shoulders in desperation.

  Her eyes squeezed shut as she fought against the consuming blaze. “D-do you really think I can do it?” she cried, tears mingling with sweat.

  “Of course I do, you dummy,” Charles replied, a brief, warm smile breaking through his anger.

  Slowly, her furious flames began to obey. Inch by inch, they receded like a tide, until, with one final surge of effort, Iris pulled them into herself, leaving only a faint, cooling glow in their wake. The gym fell silent as the heat dissipated.

  Iris collapsed to her knees, panting from the exertion, her body still trembling with the near-loss of control. Charles knelt beside her, relief and concern etched on his face as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

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  “You did it, Iris,” he murmured, his voice tender and full of understanding.

  For a long moment, she said nothing—her mind still reeling, the echoes of her burning power a painful reminder of her inner torment. “Whatever’s going on, Iris… I’ll be here for you. You don’t have to carry this alone. Please count on me from now on,” he said softly.

  Iris’s voice was hoarse as she whispered, “Let’s just get out of here.”

  Charles nodded, pulling her to her feet. “Yeah, let’s leave before anyone notices the damage,” he said, lightening his tone with a half-smile. Hand in hand, they hurried out of the gym, leaving behind the charred remnants of their training session.

  Later, as they reached the familiar lounge—the one they’d trashed a week or two ago without getting caught—Iris managed a small, rueful laugh. “We really need to stop destroying rooms,” she said, a tentative smile tugging at her lips despite the lingering heaviness inside.

  “Nah, where’s the fun in that?” Charles grinned, settling onto the couch. Then, more seriously, he added, “But really, Iris… stop being a dummy and talk to me.”

  Iris sighed, her smile fading as reality came crashing back. “Fine… but you might want to sit down for this.”

  Charles raised an eyebrow, still trying to keep things light. “How bad could it be?”

  Iris met his eyes, her face serious. “I know the future,” she said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. “And in that future… everyone in our class dies.”

  Charles blinked, his grin fading instantly. He stared at her, his mind struggling to process the weight of her words. “What?” he asked, his voice barely audible. He swallowed hard, forcing a laugh, though it sounded hollow. “You were right… I should sit down for this.”

  He sank into a nearby chair, his legs weak as the magnitude of what she said hit him. Iris sat across from him, her hands trembling in her lap, the room falling into a heavy silence.

  “Charles… I’ve been getting these letters from my future self. Letters that… explain everything. Everything that’s going to happen. And it’s bad. It’s awful,” Iris continued, her voice shaking.

  Charles stared at her, his expression frozen somewhere between disbelief and shock. “Letters? From the future?” he repeated, trying to wrap his mind around it.

  Iris nodded. “Yeah… letters warning me about what’s coming. And in that future, everyone in our class dies. Everyone, Charles. And I’ve been trying to find a way to change it, but I—I don’t know if I can.”

  Charles leaned forward, his face pale. “That can’t be true… there’s no way. There has to be something we can do to stop it, right?”

  “I hope so,” Iris whispered. “But it’s not just the deaths. It’s everything leading up to it. The lies, the betrayals… the things that are going to happen to us. To all of us.”

  Charles ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why have you been carrying this all on your own?”

  “I couldn’t, Charles. I can’t just tell people about the future like that. It would change everything. And honestly, I didn’t know how to handle it. I still don’t,” Iris admitted, her voice cracking.

  Charles’s eyes softened, and he reached out, taking her hand in his. “Iris, you don’t have to figure this out alone. We’ll find a way to change it. Whatever happens… we’ll face it together. I swear it.”

  Iris looked at him, her heart heavy with the weight of his words. “But what if we can’t change it? What if everything I do just leads to the same ending?”

  Charles squeezed her hand tighter, his gaze unwavering. “Then we’ll fight to the very end. We’re not going down without a fight. I don’t care what the future says. We make our own fate.”

  Iris wanted to believe him, to hold on to the hope in his words, but the future she had seen was filled with nothing but loss and pain. Still, the warmth of Charles’s hand in hers gave her a sliver of strength.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “We’ll fight. Together.”

  For the first time in days, Iris felt like there was a glimmer of hope, a chance they might defy the future looming over them. But deep down, she understood that the battles ahead wouldn’t just test their strength—they would test their hearts, their loyalty, and their very souls.

  “Tell me what your future self has told you,” Charles asked, his voice steady, though there was an intensity in his eyes that betrayed his concern.

  Iris hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. But after everything they’d just been through, she knew Charles deserved to know as much as she could tell him. So she began to recount the details—the warnings from her future self, the fates of their classmates, the looming dangers, though she carefully omitted the parts about the romantic things her future self had said, as well as the exact details of Charles’s eventual death. Instead, she focused on the key wishes of their classmates and the broader threats ahead.

  Charles listened intently, his expression growing darker with every word.

  “So Alice is the first we need to worry about,” he said once she finished. “While it sounds like the rest of us aren’t in immediate danger until we’re official agents, the clock is ticking for her. We need to keep her safe.” He paused, then added with a teasing smirk, “No offense, but your future self isn’t exactly helpful. They’re hiding a lot of details. Guess some things never change.”

  Iris managed a small laugh, though the weight of it all still pressed on her. “The first letter said they made a deal with a devil. Maybe the devil is only allowing them to reveal things in small pieces. It feels like a game to that devil—like they’re just toying with me.”

  Charles leaned back, frowning in thought. “I can believe that. Devils are known for toying with humans. But we’ll beat them at their game. Is there anything else that stands out? Anything more suspicious?”

  Iris’s expression darkened. “Anya. She’s not a real member of our class. Everyone’s memories were altered to think she was. The only ones who weren’t affected are Markus, Alice, and me.”

  Charles’s gaze sharpened. “I see. That explains why Markus didn’t remember her at first. I’ll help keep an eye on her. While it’s hard to argue with my own memories… I trust you fully.”

  His words hit Iris with a warmth she hadn’t expected. Despite everything—the chaos, the fear, the uncertainty—Charles’s unwavering trust made her feel lighter, as if she wasn’t carrying this burden entirely on her own anymore.

  “Thank you,” Iris said, her voice soft as a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips.

  Charles grinned, but there was a seriousness in his eyes as he looked at her. “We’re in this together, Iris. No more going through this alone.”

  Iris nodded, feeling the flicker of something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. But as they sat there in the quiet of the lounge, the weight of what was coming loomed over them both. They had a fragile future to rewrite, enemies lurking in the shadows, and memories that could betray them at any moment.

  And though they were ready to face it together, Iris knew in her heart that the worst was yet to come.