I woke up looking at a blue sky. All I could hear was a weak breeze, lightly caressing the grass leaves with its thousands of hands. Suddenly, I got a headache. My hand darted to my temple, slowly massaging it, as my eyes started seeing stars.

Something happened... To my sister, I think. No... I remember she was fine... Something happened to me... I remember feeling warm... and then… feeling pain...

I shuddered, brushing those thoughts away.

Where am I? - I slowly sat up, looking around.

I was in the middle of a green plain, covered with tall grass that went a little past my knee. Not far away from here, there is a little cottage on a hill. A tight red brick road leads there, the other end of the road goes as far as I can see…

Huh... How odd… I don't remember being in a field... I was in school and...

"AHHHH!" The headache suddenly got stronger.

Shit, am I having a stroke?!

I got up and started limping towards the house, holding my head in my hands. My sight was blurry.

After what felt like a few minutes, I reached the porch. I slumped onto the door and tried knocking. It half worked, as I just hit my arm against it a few times.

"Hello? Can anyone help me? Is anyone there?!"

I heard some hurried steps and soon, the door opened. I lost my hold, and while falling, I blacked out again.

[...]

My eyes slowly opened up. I was in a comfortable bed, looking at the white wood ceiling of a room. A ceiling fan slowly spun, taking its time creating a slow and gentle breeze in the room.

Still confused, I looked around. It was a small guest room; my bed had green sheets, decorated with crisscrossed yellow stripes.

To my left, through a half-open door, I could see a small hallway. Slowly sitting on the bed, I started to remember, the headache and falling into the arms of someone...

What happened? - I started trying to remember, only to be met with pressure inside my mind, like something was blocked.

"You don't want to do that, dear!" An old woman's voice came from a curve in the corridor.

"Huh? Hello? Is there anyone there"

A woman came walking hurriedly; she wore a yellow apron, lightly stained with flour. She had white hair and was a little chubby. She was like... The stereotypical image of a grandma.

She hurried to me and put a hand on my forehead as if she was trying to feel my temperature.

"Good, you stopped. You suffered a lot, dear, you shouldn't dwell in those memories, your soul is on the verge of collapsing, already."

Uh... What? That was what I was going to say, but she just took my silence for granted, turned around, and left from where she came, down the hallway.

"Wha..." I started mumbling

"You should rest, honey. You are in a safe place now. When your condition gets better, I will explain to you what happened."

She didn't seem to be asking. Her tone was as demanding as an old grandma can be, so I just ended up complying. Whenever I would try to think about what happened I felt a block in my mind, followed by the grandma telling me to stop and just rest. That went on for a few minutes... That turned into hours... Between sleeping, resting, and eating what the grandma brought me, the hours soon turned into days, that turned into weeks and, when I saw, almost a year had passed, while I lived with the old woman, who I now called "Grandma".

[...]

One day I was sitting on the porch, looking at Grandma's yard, where yellow flowers grew. They were cute, and sometimes I swear I could see little wisps of yellow light flying through them. When I commented about it with grandma, she just chuckled: "It's just the fairies, dear. They love my little goldies. When they get used to you, you'll see them by the dozens."

At first, I didn't think much of it; fairies weren't real, were they? But then, just as grandma said, after some time more started to appear. Now, a few months later, dozens of wisps were going through the flowers.

I sat there, silently looking at them, swirling around one another.

"Dear, could you come here in the kitchen, for just a second?" Grandma sounded... Concerned? I haven't ever heard that tone from her before.

I walked to the dining room and she was sitting there, in one of the chairs. Looking out the window with a distant gaze.

"Did something happen, Grandma?" I pulled a chair and sat down, wondering what was bothering her.

She looked at me, almost as if she was sorrowful.

"I..." She started, her voice seemed heavy. " I'm not sure how to tell you this without making you sad, little bird."

That was what she called me. I couldn't remember my name, trying to brought the headaches back... So, one day, I was outside walking on the red brick path, after going out for a bit. Grandma came to the porch to call me for dinner when a small red bird landed on my head. That day, she chuckled, saying: "Little bird, hurry up, your dinner is getting cold already. Bring in your friend! I have some seeds he might like!” The nickname just stuck, I guess.

A strange feeling started swelling inside me. I felt like I knew what she was going to say. I had this feeling the past few weeks that just... wouldn't go away. Now, as she starts speaking, a sorrowful determination in her eyes... I know the words that will follow.

"Little bird... The time for you to go... Has finally come. And I have to tell you a few things." She looked down, digesting her own words.

Even though I knew it would happen, even though I tried not thinking about it... I knew. These wonderful days with Grandma would end. I didn't remember what happened before, I could only remember one name: "Cristine". I didn't know who this person was, or who she was to me. I didn't know what happened to her, and I could even less explain the feeling of concern I had for her safety. I knew something to do with her was tied to me being here, and I deeply felt that I was... different. Sometimes I would just feel like I didn't belong here, some nights I would dream about floating in endless darkness, then flames would erupt all around me and I would wake up, crawling at my throat. Those nights, Grand would rush into my room and hold me... until I fell asleep again.

I knew I was different now. The explanation I wanted all this time had finally come to me and, at this moment. My mind anxiously screamed for me to run away, to not hear what she had to say. But I stayed...

She looked at me again.

"You are... different, my dear. This place is different. Deep inside you know it, and I can't hide it from you any longer."

"You died."

I felt like I had gone deaf. A familiar high-pitched note screamed in my ears.

I knew it. I always knew something was wrong. I still felt the pain of the flames, deep inside, my soul was still burning... Yet I refused to accept it. I had died.

At that moment, a vortex of emotions slammed into the block of my mind, making me flinch on the table.

"It's happening." Grandma said with a worried tone."I cannot delay it any longer. Listen to me little bird, we are out of time."

My eyes, now blurry, darted back up to her face.

"Those flames that you saw, they are real. And they are coming. When I sensed you, it was already too late. You were devoured by them, broken apart and reformed back together. Your soul was reforged in those flames and you are the only one who can stop them. You are the first and last survivor."

My vision started being tunneled; I felt my consciousness slipping away as another barrage of flames slammed into the barrier protecting my mind.

She held my head up, a cool breeze washing the pain away.

"Listen to me, little bird. Our time is over, but this isn't the last time we will talk. Remember, when you reach the highest peak, when you overcome all your difficulties, standing above all others. When not even the sky can hold you back anymore, we will meet again. Did you hear me? You need to survive."

I couldn't speak, I felt weak and even with her care, I felt myself slipping away.

"It is time for you to go, sweetie. It will be hard, but only you can tame the flames, my dear Hestia. You are the daughter of the eternal flames. Go, and burn brighter than all others. I am waiting for you when you come back."

My eyes started closing, and the barrage finally broke, flooding my mind.

"A voice sounded in my head.

Remember...

Remember...

You are Hestia. The first and only heir of the eternal fire."