Chapter 12: Power Out of Control
The air felt different.
Heavier.
Charged.
Meera stood in the middle of the empty ground, her breathing uneven.
Her eyes were fixed on her wrist.
The mark was glowing again.
Stronger than before.
"Again," Arjun said calmly.
Meera nodded slowly.
She closed her eyes.
Trying to focus.
Trying to control it.
Feel it…
Control it…
At first—
It worked.
The energy stayed calm.
Soft.
But then—
Something changed.
The warmth turned into heat.
The calm turned into chaos.
Meera's eyes snapped open.
"I… I can't control it!"
The glow suddenly intensified.
Brighter.
Stronger.
The ground beneath her feet trembled slightly.
Arjun's expression changed.
"Meera—stop it!"
"I'm trying!" she shouted.
But the energy wasn't listening.
It was growing.
Wild.
Unstable.
Pain shot through her arm.
"Ahhh—!"
She fell to her knees.
The mark burned like fire.
"I… I can't…!"
Arjun rushed toward her.
"Focus!" he said firmly.
"It's too much!"
The energy burst outward.
A strong wave pushed everything around her.
Dust flew into the air.
The ground cracked slightly.
Arjun stepped back, shielding himself.
"This is bad…" he muttered.
Meera clutched her wrist tightly.
Tears streamed down her face.
"It hurts… it hurts so much…"
The mark glowed darker now.
Almost like it was… consuming her.
Arjun realized something.
"…You're not controlling it," he said.
"It's controlling you."
Meera shook her head desperately.
"No… no, I don't want this!"
The energy surged again.
Stronger than before.
The air around her distorted.
"Meera! Listen to me!" Arjun shouted.
But her mind was slipping.
Everything felt blurry.
The pain.
The fear.
The power.
All mixing together.
"I can't… think…" she whispered.
Arjun clenched his fists.
There was no time.
He moved quickly.
Grabbing her shoulders firmly.
"LOOK AT ME!" he shouted.
Meera's eyes slowly focused on him.
"Breathe," he said.
Her breathing was chaotic.
"Slow down," he continued.
"Inhale…"
"…Exhale…"
Meera tried to follow.
Her breaths shaky at first.
But slowly—
They began to steady.
The energy flickered.
Still strong—
But less violent.
"Good…" Arjun said quietly.
"Now listen carefully," he continued.
"That power is yours."
"It doesn't own you."
Meera's eyes trembled.
"Say it," Arjun said.
"I… I can't…"
"Say it!"
"I…"
Her voice shook.
"…It's mine."
The energy flickered again.
"Weak," Arjun said.
"Say it like you mean it."
Meera clenched her fists.
Her fear was still there.
But now—
There was anger too.
"I said… it's mine!"
The glow suddenly changed.
From chaotic—
To controlled.
The energy slowly pulled back.
Returning to the mark.
Silence.
The air calmed.
The ground stopped shaking.
Meera collapsed forward—
Exhausted.
Arjun caught her before she hit the ground.
Her breathing was heavy.
But stable.
"…I did it…" she whispered.
Arjun looked at her.
"…You did."
For a moment—
Everything was quiet again.
But Arjun's expression didn't relax.
Because he knew something she didn't.
This wasn't just power.
It was something far more dangerous.
Something that could either—
Save her…
Or destroy her.
And far away—
In the darkness—
Someone felt it.
"…Interesting," a voice whispered.
"The power is awakening faster than expected…"
A faint smile appeared in the shadows.
"Bring her to me.