I was too late.

Just as Daphne had reached to take our savior, fire dived down from the sky and hit the unsung hero. A howling roar lunged out of my long throat as the golden hero combust into flames and bled molten light out of her eyes, taken over by a force that made her body uncontrollably shudder. No! No, it can’t be! I watched, helpless and horrified of what the flaming bird had done.

Then, the spasm, the light – they were all gone after what seemed to have been an eternity. The hero opened her eyes – normal-looking eyes and smiled inspecting her hand as though she was gazing at a prized possession. I was relieved, but my concern was still too thick for me to be optimistic about things. The hero sank to her knees. I wished I had been in my human form to catch her before she fell.

I walked backward to give the two space. When I was a good distance away, I reverted back to human form. A flash of light later, I emerged, running, out of the gushing steam quickly dissipating into the air to check on the unnamed hero. My heart was pounding; I was worried that when I had turned to look away for a second, the hero was besieged again by suffering.

I dropped down to my knees beside the hero, holding her shoulder and arm. I never noticed the flower crown still on my head.

“I got you,” I whispered gently and squeezed her arm.

MARIA + daphne