Chapter 2

2.

I turned my attention to the Fire Phoenix, who was curled into a shivering ball.

The poor thing was shaking uncontrollably from the moment he cracked his shell.

He only seemed to calm down slightly when he heard Shyla claim the serpent.

I didn't want to waste another second with Shyla or her pet snake, so I took the Phoenix's hand and walked out.

"Wynter... do you really want me?"

I reached out to pat his head, but he flinched violently, pulling away from my touch.

His eyes were wide with terror as he looked at me.

"I didn't mean to, Wynter. Please, please don't hit me."

He was trembling so hard he could barely stand, yet he forced himself to lean his head toward my hand.

"Ember, what's wrong? Why would I ever hit you?"

The realization hit me like a freight train.

Ember had been reborn, too.

"Ember, did Shyla... did she do something to you?"

"Don't say her name! Please, don't mention her!"

The mere mention of my sister triggered a breakdown.

He collapsed into a heap, his eyes welling with tears of blood.

Looking at his broken state, I knew Shyla must have been a monster to him in the previous life.

I pulled him into a tight embrace, gently stroking his golden wings.

"It's okay. You're safe now. I've got you."

Under my touch, his frantic breathing eventually slowed down.

"Ember, let's go home. My place is pretty far out in the suburbs, and I don't have a car. We'll have to walk."

I felt a pang of guilt.

I was nowhere near as wealthy as Shyla.

She had manipulated our parents into giving her everything for a luxury condo and a sports car.

I lived in a small, rented house on the edge of town.

Ember blinked his large, soulful eyes at me.

"Wynter, if you don't mind... I can take you home."

He knelt down, gesturing for me to climb onto his back.

I hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's okay, Wynter. Hop on. I'll fly you there."

He was so earnest that I couldn't refuse.

"Okay, Ember. I'll tell you which way to go."

"No need, Wynter. I already know exactly where you live."

I was confused and was about to ask how he knew when he spoke again.

"We're here, Wynter."

"Wait, already?"

I was stunned by his sheer speed.

"That was faster than a private jet."

"Jets are nothing compared to a Phoenix."

He lifted his chin with a hint of newfound pride.

This was the first time I really looked at him.

He looked so innocent, with the curious face of a young man.

He was nothing like Malakai, whose dark eyes were always filled with malice.

"Wynter, aren't you going to praise me?"

He looked at me with a shimmer of expectation in his eyes.

I sighed softly, feeling a wave of sympathy.

"Ember, you're so sweet. How could she have been so cruel to you?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I'd messed up.

The light in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a haunting darkness.

"I'm so sorry, Ember. I shouldn't have brought it up."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Ember... I like that name. Wynter, do you think I'm a useless Phoenix?"

Before I could answer, he continued.

"Shyla told me I was trash. She said I only made things hotter for her. She blamed me for everything that went wrong."

"She used to pluck my feathers one by one. She stabbed me with needles and used pliers to break my beak. In the end, she snapped my wings and threw me out to rot in the sun."

"Am I really that much worse than the Frost Serpent? Why did you bring me back, Wynter? I'm just a useless bird."

I knew she had mistreated him, but I never imagined such psychopathic cruelty.

She was the one who chose him, yet she blamed him for a global catastrophe no one could control.

"No, Ember. Listen to me. Everything she said was a lie. You are amazing. You are worth a thousand Malakais."

"You're just being nice, Wynter. But it's okay. I'm better now."

He forced a smile to stop me from worrying.

"I'm not just being nice. You really are better. And I'll tell you a secret... I'm reborn, too."