"Shit! Dammit!"

Declan is cursing non-stop as he runs down the smoke-filled hallway. Not a single window can be opened. What's more, he's on the top floor, which would make even an escape through the window impossible; the stone facade of the magic faculty is flat and offers no way to hold on from the outside.

But what is much worse for him is the fact that his fellow students are exposed to this very danger. He will find a way to save his own skin, but he doubts that most of the other students will be able to do so. Helping his classmates; protecting them from dangers like this fire is something Declan has always wanted to do. That's why he tried to make good connections with the student council. That's why he became Semi's running dog and beats up pathetic pebbles like Cyril Mulligan. It's a necessary evil so that Declan will one day have the power to protect other students.

Suddenly he stops: A wall of flame rises in front of Declan. To his left, another path leads deeper into the building. However, he can hear students shouting and whimpering behind the wall of flame.

Declan clicks his tongue.

“Damn, there are still students there!”

None of them could get past this sea of flames. So they're trapped.

“But...”

Maybe Declan could make it. If he's fast enough, the flames could do little to him. Maybe he could create a way out of the fire for these students. But how exactly will he do that once he's inside the burning complex?

"Thinking is useless now. I have to act!"

He wants to save them! He has to save her! Declan gets into position - ready to reach the highest speed his Lacrima will allow him. Ready for a sprint, he crouches down and fixes his eyes on the wall of flames in front of him, takes a deep breath, and then...

"「 ASTRAPHOBIA 」!"

The crack of a lightning strike sounds as his thunderous steps rush through the flames. The fire tries to grab at his clothes, his blond hair, and his face, but the rush of air and crackling lightning that accompany Declan keep the flames away from him.

“Ugh!”

After shooting past the flames, Declan throws himself on the ground.

Astraphobia is a Lacrima that allows the owner to store electrical energy in their body and release it later. After a few years, Declan realized that he could also use the electrical impulses to stimulate his own muscles, allowing him to perform incredibly fast movements. The downside of this, however, is the pain in his muscles. It is like an electric shock. In the worst case, overuse can stop his heart.

Declan stands up and looks at his clothes.

“I don't seem to have gotten anything...”

I guess it worked. Maybe he can use Astraphobia to reach other burning areas of the building.

“D-Declan?”

A student calls after him.

“Emma?!”

Declan recognizes his classmate among the flying ash.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh!”

He runs up to Emma to get a better picture of her condition. She appears to be unharmed. Her uniform looks slightly burnt, but her body doesn't seem to have suffered any damage. She looks visibly shaken.

“Y-yes, I'm fine...” The student replies.

“Are there any other people here?”

Declan wants to make sure all the students are in relative safety. He still has to think of an escape route in case the worst happens.

“I-I think there are a few more students in the storage rooms.”

Emma points to the corridor that leads deeper into the building. Its walls, ceilings, and floors are covered in burning wooden beams and flaming wallpaper.

Declan clicks his tongue again.

"So they're stuck in the heart of the building. That's bad..."

"Get to safety, Declan! You managed to get past the flames with your Lacrima, didn't you? Use it to escape again!"

“No, I'm not running away!”

Declan straightens up and looks down the burning hallway. Determination sparkles in his eyes.

“Are you crazy?” Emma shouts, "This is far too dangerous! Someone like you has to survive!"

“Someone like me?”

Emma may be right. Someone like him, a jewel, has to survive from the school's point of view:

His family, despite their small estates, has a great deal of influence in Sivaria. Declan Fulgria. He is the future ruler of these lands and the owner of Astraphobia, a powerful Lacrima.

And yet he doesn't understand.

He has to survive? What makes him more important than other students? What makes his life more valuable than other people's? Because of the land, its resources and cultural influence? No divine being has bestowed these things on his family. They have no value to Declan. These values are man-made. Artificial. In the end, every human life is equally valuable! No matter whether it's a jewel or a pebble!

Declan realized that when he came to this academy.

When he saw other students being harassed and bullied because they were not from the nobility. Because they were born the way they are; as pebbles.

“'Dammit...”

Declan wants to change all of that. Really all of it! His worth should not be determined by his origins. Every life is valuable, so he will save every life! He wants to let actions speak.

"「 ASTRAPHOBIA 」!"

If Emma tried to keep talking at him, he couldn't hear it anymore. He was already racing down the hallway at an inhuman speed.

He's going to save them all!

But he realizes that his muscles are still exhausted from the last use of his Lacrima. He can't build up the same speed as last time.

Damn, I can't do it!

As the effects of Astraphobia wear off, he is still in the burning hallway.

There must be a place where I'm safe!

He lands in the middle of the flames. The floor is full of debris and Declan can't find a firm foothold with his feet.

He stumbles and lands in the flames.

In his adrenaline rush, he rolls forward. At this moment, he cannot yet feel the fire on his body, but he knows that the burns will soon bring him great pain.

Thump!

Declan remains on the ground, moaning in pain.

He was able to extinguish the flames on his clothes by rolling. He seems to be reasonably safe. But he has no strength left.

The heat is unbearable.

His vision is clouded.

Declan can barely breathe.

Is this the end for me?

That's probably it. He will die here.

Did he overestimate the powers of his Lacrima?

Was he arrogant?

Was it naive to think he could save the others?

Damn, in the end I couldn't even get Emma out of here!

What was he thinking? He has known Emma for many years - even before they went to the Academy. He would already call her a friend. But he left her behind because he thought it would be possible to save more lives.

“Were you trying to be a hero or what?” Declan mutters to himself.

He couldn't even save a single life! If he burns miserably in the flames here, he probably deserved it!

I wanted to be a member of the student council. I wanted to become a Peacemaker... to create a peaceful school...

He remains motionless on the ground; he doesn't even have enough strength left to call for help.

But before his consciousness slips away completely, he sees a person standing in front of him. A female student. She crouches in front of Declan and looks deep into his face with raised eyebrows. She has black hair, dark skin and wears large round glasses. The flames are reflected in her magenta eyes.

Eventually she sighs and mumbles,

“Another student... I should probably get to work as soon as possible...”