- Aliases: Called "Miss Cindercrest" by Dr. Pell — she corrects him: "Strife." Of the Cindercrest bloodline; Magnus Cindercrest is her cousin.
- Who: Team Halvek B's Mage. Top scorer of the entrance exams; "the most beautiful girl in our year"; 17 years old.
- Appearance/Personality: Cascade of crimson-red hair, hazel-red eyes, rigid posture; cold, sharp-tongued, no patience for suitors — secretly a frightened, vulnerable girl behind the mask (breaks down crying alone in Ch 28). Proud and prickly; denies Landen "rejected" her.
- Abilities: Fire mage. Flames: dark red, orange, and a third yellow flame ignited in Ch 36. Named skills: Red — Ignite!, Orange — Fire Ball, Orange, Red — Combustion Burst, Yellow — Solar Wall, Orange, Yellow — Volcanic Prison, Sun Spark (fourth skill; blinding golden flash). Reached Level 4 (Ch 36); Essence 3.5 → 5 stars (Ch 42); hair flares into literal fire when provoked.
- Relationships: Landen's hostile fixation turned reluctant partnership; Kessa Dawnmere's friend; Magnus's cousin (she flinches from him); target of the Ember Rejects and of Micah Rush's tripled bounty (alive or dead).
- First appearance: Ch 9. Status: Recovered from shattered ribs/broken arm/concussion (Ch 37–38); active.
Spoiler warning: this page contains spoilers for all published chapters.
Characters › Team Halvek B (Landen's team)