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rejecting the phoenix taming the dragon dailymotion #shortfilms #drama
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00:00I finally got the rarest magic core for you.
00:05You've worked hard.
00:19After rebirth, I abandoned the mighty Phoenix as my magical pet.
00:23Instead, chose an almost dead little black snake in my past life.
00:27I'd hunted rare ingredients for Phoenix, pouring every resource I had into his growth.
00:31He cheated with my sister behind my back.
00:33Finally, to make their little love story easier, they killed me together.
00:36This time around, I wanted to see how that perfect couple managed without me as their stepping stone.
00:41The same pact ceremony, the same standout, undeniably that golden Phoenix.
00:45Even caged with a suppression collar, he held his head high, like the rest of us were beneath him.
00:50As expected, the ceremony elder assigned him to me.
00:53The Phoenix tilted its head back and rolled its eyes, just like in its previous life, its face full of
00:58disdain.
00:59That was when my sister Evelyn walked in, cradling a limp little black snake in her palms, tears rolling down
01:04her cheeks.
01:05My sister was too weak. Phoenix fell in love with her pitiful appearance immediately,
01:09which made me look like the villain standing between them.
01:12The ceremony elder shifted awkwardly and turned on Evelyn.
01:14Your power isn't strong enough. Even if the Phoenix is drawn to you now, you won't be able to handle
01:20him.
01:21She didn't react, instead pretended to be scared by my gaze, bit her lip with tears down.
01:26Lila, I know I have no right to compete with you. It's just, I've never seen a golden Phoenix before.
01:31I didn't have the patience to listen to her feigned weakness.
01:34I reached out and lifted the limp black snake from her hands, smiled at the ceremony elder.
01:39I've taken a liking to this one. The Phoenix clearly doesn't want me. Why not let her have him? I'll
01:44take the snake.
01:45The others thought I'd lost my mind. They pulled me aside.
01:48You're the strongest here. This black snake has a mixed bloodline. He's basically worthless.
01:53But I knew the truth about that Phoenix. He was no prize.
01:56In my last life, in my past life, scene had played out exactly the same way.
02:01The Phoenix ignored me. I felt the sting of being rejected for the first time in my life.
02:05And instead of thinking clearly, I thought, he's so hard to get. I'm obsessed.
02:10As the Archmaster's student, I was supposed to be an example to the others.
02:13I told myself I had to tame the Phoenix, strengthen the Spirit Pact Academy.
02:18So I threw everything I had at him.
02:20Every student got a limited ration of elixirs.
02:22So I took assassin missions, hunting rogue creatures, the kind that had lost their minds and turned feral, to earn
02:28extra elixirs.
02:29I came back bleeding every time. The Phoenix pretended not to notice.
02:33He only came near me when I pulled out elixirs, took what he wanted, and walked away.
02:37Ten years. I spent ten years helping him break through his limits and take human form.
02:42When he finally did, he was stunning. Tall, sharp-featured. But the warmth stopped there.
02:47He always treated me like I was his errand girl. I told myself it was fine.
02:51Creatures with strong bloodlines had pride. One day he'd recognize what I'd given him.
02:55One day we'd fight side by side and I wouldn't have to face those feral creatures alone.
02:59Then one day, I saw him kissed my sister passionately. She was laughing, dancing around him.
03:05A fellow student rode past on her white tiger, saw them in the distance, and shook her head at me.
03:10Liar. You really need to stop asking Evelyn to look after the Phoenix when you go on contracts.
03:15When did I ever ask her that?
03:17She says it every time you leave.
03:19I saw stars. I'd been out there risking my life, and she was back here cheating with my things.
03:25Doesn't she have her own creature?
03:26That little black snake died in its second year.
03:30Then it clicked. I'd spent ten years sewing a wedding dress for someone else.
03:33I wasn't some gentle, forgiving heroine. Turned on Evelyn. It enraged the Phoenix.
03:38As punishment, he lured me to the back forest under false pretenses, then broke open the wards keeping it sealed.
03:43The creatures trapped inside started pouring out, and among them was one that had fallen into complete madness. A Leviathan.
03:50The Phoenix joined forces with my sister to shoot me down the cliff.
03:54In the end, I died in the beast head, and I could only watch Evelyn snuggle up beside it.
03:58So this time around, I wasn't going to be anyone's sacrifice.
04:01I just wanted to see what this couple would do next.
04:03The Phoenix held onto Evelyn tightly, refusing to let go.
04:07The elder sighed, and spirit-packed academy'd the pact circle drawn.
04:10Once a creature bonded with someone, they were bound to that person's commands.
04:14Harmed the bonded partner, and the creature suffered for it.
04:17The bonding ritual's energy agitated the black snake.
04:20He wound himself around my arm with everything he had.
04:23Evelyn got the Phoenix, and was clearly thrilled.
04:25Then she looked at the snake clinging to me.
04:27You and that serpent really do seem meant for each other, Lyra.
04:30She was very smug. Had she also been reborn?
04:32Watch your tongue, Evelyn! If Lyra hadn't stepped in for you, you'd never have gotten the Phoenix!
04:38If I were you, I'd be on my knees thanking her.
04:40Oh, stop. She's crying again. Always crying.
04:43You'd think she was the tragic one.
04:45The Phoenix paced anxiously while Evelyn sniffled.
04:47Anxious didn't help him. Evelyn had almost no power at this stage.
04:51The creatures shared energy with their bonded partners, but Evelyn's reserves were basically empty.
04:57Probably the first time in either life that the Phoenix had been on the losing side of the situation.
05:02Good. He'd adjust. This was the consequence of choosing weakness and cheating.
05:08The black snake, finally convinced I wasn't abandoning him, went limp and passed out in my arms.
05:14Back home, I finally got a good look at the snake. He was tiny. Couldn't have been more than a
05:20few decades old.
05:21Barely past the threshold of maturity. But he was strange. Different from the serpents I knew.
05:27Water serpents had snake-like tails. This one had a tail more like a fish. With a fin. Mixed bloodline.
05:34Serpent and something older. Seafolk, maybe.
05:37I had a natural spring in the courtyard. The moment he hit the water, he came alive. Diving and surfacing.
05:44Pulling in energy from the current.
05:46I laughed. Relax. I fed a golden phoenix for ten years. I think I can manage one little snake.
05:53He froze. And stared at me with those tiny green eyes. Then he spat water at my face. I flicked
05:59him on the head.
06:00Heal up. You're not going anywhere.
06:02The next morning I woke up wrong. I turned my head and found a face three inches from mine. Dark
06:08lashes. Warm skin. The kind of face that belonged in a painting.
06:13Long lashes that trembled slightly. Objectively gorgeous. Didn't stop me from nearly jumping out of my skin. He'd gotten into
06:20bed without waking me.
06:22Whoever this was. His power was well above mine. He stirred. Opened gold slit eyes. And looked at me. I
06:30scrambled to the corner.
06:31Who are you? This is Spirit Packed Academy Grounds. Don't try anything.
06:35He sat up. I noticed he was wearing the clothes I'd set aside for when a creature took human form.
06:41A dark fitted robe with a subtle pattern. He wore it well. He was tall. He'd had to curl up
06:47to fit in my bed.
06:48Under those long lashes were a pair of gold vertical pupil eyes. The answer was obvious.
06:54Snake? He smirked. Reached out. And flicked me on the forehead.
06:58Rude. I have a name. It's Kieran.
07:01Kieran, it turned out, had been fleeing an enemy when he crossed paths with my tutor. He'd taken the form
07:06of a small, injured serpent.
07:08My tutor, true to form, had taken him in. Kieran clearly hadn't been injured because he was weak.
07:13Please tell me your enemies aren't about to show up here.
07:17We're bonded now. You're the master. I'm your mate. So I suggest you train hard and try not to slow
07:23me down.
07:24He taught me a breathing and absorption technique developed for serpentkind.
07:27Most days I sat in the spring practicing, while Kieran sprawled in the tree above me, watching with half-closed
07:33eyes.
07:34The breeze moved his hair and caught the light on his skin. Evelyn appeared at my gate, peering in. I
07:38sighed and got out of the spring.
07:40Kieran dropped from the tree and draped a dry robe over my shoulders without being asked.
07:45Who is this? You remember him? The little black snake from the bonding ceremony? You said yourself we seemed meant
07:52for each other.
07:52A flicker of something crossed her face. What do you want? This is training time. I was hoping we could
07:59raise the phoenix together.
08:01Kieran's hand tightened on mine. I glanced at him. He was watching me, clearly unhappy.
08:05I'm not your backup plan. Figure it out yourself.
08:09How is it not your responsibility? You took the black snake and left me with the phoenix. You don't get
08:14to just walk away.
08:15Half a year's gone by and I've given him every elixir I had. There's nothing left for my own training.
08:21And I was in the lower ranks. I can't go hunting rare ingredients. I'd die out there.
08:25You bonded with the phoenix first. You should be helping.
08:28I cut her off mid-sentence, sent a gust of air to push her back through the gate, and led
08:32Kieran inside.
08:33Little sister, don't mistake everyone for a fool. I'm not spending my resources raising your creature for you.
08:39If you can't afford to keep him, dissolve the bond. Let someone else take him. I'm sure the elders would
08:44be happy to.
08:45She wouldn't do that. Her ambitions were too big.
08:47Weeks passed, I broke through to a new level of power, what those in the Spirit Pact Academy called Fourth
08:54Circle Stage.
08:56At the same time, the Archmaster arranged for me to escort a rare spirit fox to the Spirit Pact Academy,
09:02alongside Elder Celia, who was about three centuries older than me and acted like a kid half the time.
09:09I sweet-talked her through the handover to the creature registry, and she settled for it.
09:13Before she left, she pressed her hand over her mouth to hide a smile.
09:18Your little serpent is very clingy, you know.
09:21I didn't understand until I started up the mountain path, and saw a silhouette leaning against a tree in the
09:26distance.
09:28He didn't move. When I got closer, he reached out and grabbed the back of my neck.
09:33Lyra, am I not good to you? Why are you trying to give me away?
09:36What are you talking about?
09:38That girl came to the courtyard today, said you sent her to check on me.
09:41Did you change your mind about bonding with me?
09:43You hit Fourth Circle and now you're done with me?
09:45Pupilin again. Same playbook. Different life.
09:48Before I could explain, Kieran's pupils contracted to thin lines.
09:52He bent his head and pressed his face into my neck.
09:55His tongue brushed the skin there. Light. Quick. I shivered hard.
10:00Smells like fox. Lyra, did you already find yourself a replacement?
10:06Doesn't matter. Once I eat that fox, I'll be your only option.
10:09You hit me for her?
10:11That fox belongs to my Archmaster. You touch her and I will end you.
10:16Kieran stopped fighting me and let himself be pulled along.
10:19Most students weren't training, so the residences were quiet.
10:22A few people raised their eyebrows when they saw me coming.
10:26Short greetings, and then they told me.
10:28Evelyn had gone to the back forest with the Phoenix.
10:30I frowned. I wasn't in the Phoenix's way anymore.
10:34Why were they sneaking off to the forest?
10:36We found them mid-argument.
10:38Or rather, Evelyn was arguing and the Phoenix, who still hadn't taken human form,
10:43was responding in scratched letters on the ground.
10:46Don't look at me like that. I've done nothing wrong.
10:49I didn't force you to come to the Spirit Pact Academy.
10:52You said this place would help you grow.
10:55I've given you every elixir I had and you're still not satisfied?
10:59You want me to go out hunting rare ingredients?
11:01I just started training! You'd be sending me to die!
11:05I almost felt something. In my past life, he'd given me nothing for ten years.
11:11Not a glance, not a word, not a gesture.
11:14Now he was writing letters in the dirt. The contrast was something.
11:18Evelyn, I've been looking for you.
11:21The Phoenix scrambles to erase the letters when he heard us.
11:24Evelyn pulled herself together fast, though not fast enough.
11:28What do you need, Lyra?
11:34I patted Kieran's arm. He gave me a long-suffering look, then dropped to one knee and let me settle
11:39onto it like a chair.
11:41His hands locked around my waist, steadying me.
11:44Evelyn's gaze locked onto Kieran and didn't move.
11:46I'm not here about anything in particular. Just wondering why you paid my companion a visit.
11:52The Phoenix's feathers flared, angry. Evelyn hadn't expected me to know so fast.
11:57No, you've got it wrong. I was just coming to find you.
12:00He rested his chin on my shoulder.
12:02She lied to me. She said you stole me from her. That I was supposed to be hers.
12:07And what did you do?
12:08She came into your territory without permission. She was weak. I didn't even use my power. Just pushed until she
12:14left.
12:14I patted his cheek. I stood and faced Evelyn directly.
12:18If I remember correctly, you didn't want Kieran in the first place. He was badly injured.
12:23If he'd ended up with you, he probably wouldn't have survived his second year.
12:27That's not true! I would have taken care of him.
12:30The Phoenix's crest was fully raised now. She caught herself.
12:35You're trying to drive a wedge between me and the Phoenix.
12:38I stepped forward and put my hand on her shoulder.
12:41You played your game, little sister. Don't act surprised when I play mine.
12:46Next time you pull something like this, you will get my punishment.
12:49She blanched. The Council didn't forgive moves against another member's bonded creature.
12:54She couldn't risk it. On the way back, I was in a good mood.
12:58Kieran was quiet, though. Wouldn't transform and carry me even when I asked.
13:02Once we were back in the courtyard, he grabbed my arm.
13:06You seem familiar with the Phoenix.
13:08I didn't hide it.
13:09We have a history. It ended badly for me.
13:12Wanna hear it?
13:13He turned away, shifted into serpent form, and wound himself around my neck.
13:17No. I'm better than that bird by every measure.
13:21You're not going back to him.
13:23I won't have another mate. I promise.
13:27Days later.
13:29Lya, your growth rate is pathetic. Sharing energy with you is a form of suffering.
13:37My Archmaster said, I'm one of the most talented young members in a generation.
13:41All those rare materials and elixirs I found went into me this time, not into the Phoenix.
13:47Ten years passed.
13:49I moved steadily from fourth circle to sixth circle.
13:52Even the most mean Elder Celia praised me.
13:55You are really a genius, Lyra.
13:57We all expected the Phoenix to elevate the whole Spirit Panda Academy.
14:02But ten years in, there's still no sign of him breaking through.
14:06I'd expected this. Sustaining creatures took enormous resources.
14:10And the Spirit Pact Academy never had reserves.
14:13The Phoenix couldn't break through.
14:15And in my past life, I'd seen exactly what happened when his patience ran out.
14:19I'd thought about removing him.
14:21Every time I tried to bring it up with my Archmaster or Kirin, it was like the words hit a
14:25wall.
14:26And acting unilaterally, killing the Phoenix before anyone understood why, would have destroyed the Spirit Pact Academy from the inside.
14:34All I could do was watch him and contain him.
14:37Past that, I had no choice but to wait.
14:40My past life hadn't survived this year.
14:42I didn't know if this one would go differently.
14:44He stood there staring at Kirin, who was lazily floating in the spring in human form, making absolutely no effort
14:51to be welcoming.
14:51You have a bonded partner.
14:54Why are you at my gate?
14:56Right.
14:58What possible reason could you have for neglecting your own bonded partner to come stand outside someone else's home?
15:04Kirin climbed out, and immediately tried to lean against me.
15:07I don't worry you're near, I'll have to know this.
15:10I just want that bird to know, there's no space for him here.
15:15What exactly is here between us?
15:17That's entirely your call.
15:19The Phoenix flew away.
15:21Kirin grabbed my face with both hands.
15:23He left.
15:24Can you stop worrying about him for five minutes?
15:26I have to know what he's doing.
15:27That bird has a dark heart.
15:29I don't trust him idle.
15:32He regrets it.
15:34Doesn't want to stay with your little sister anymore.
15:36I turned toward the gate.
15:38Empty.
15:39But something in my gut told me the Phoenix was off.
15:42There was no logical reason for him to come to me specifically.
15:46Unless the Phoenix had also been reborn.
15:49If that was true, then he knew about the back forest.
15:52He knew what was sealed there.
15:54He knew my parents had died there, which I'd only ever told him directly, in my previous life.
15:59I didn't stop to explain to Kirin.
16:01I pulled out a slip and went straight to the forest wards.
16:04The wards were intact.
16:05I exhaled.
16:07Then I turned around and my stomach dropped.
16:09A handful of golden feathers lay near the edge of the barrier line.
16:12He'd been here.
16:13The Phoenix had come back with knowledge he shouldn't have.
16:15The friction between Evelyn and the Phoenix had gone public.
16:18He'd refused her commands in training sessions.
16:21Ignored her in front of others.
16:22Made her look incompetent in front of the whole yard more than once in recent weeks.
16:26The reason I kept getting dragged in was simpler and more aggravating.
16:30Every time I appeared, the Phoenix drifted toward me.
16:32If looks could kill, Evelyn would have had me buried weeks ago.
16:36Elder Celia found the whole thing delightful.
16:38Her bird appeared at my shoulder one afternoon.
16:40You know what this reminds me of?
16:42One of those stories where the man realizes too late what he had.
16:46He freezes her out at the start and then spends the rest of the book chasing her.
16:52Oh dear.
16:52I could talk to the girl.
16:54Offer her a different creature.
16:56Something she could actually manage.
16:58And transfer the Phoenix over to you.
17:00Quietly.
17:01No.
17:01I'm not going near the disciplinary council over this.
17:04Besides, I have Kieran.
17:06That's enough.
17:07Celia looked genuinely mournful.
17:09Then she shifted to her real point.
17:12A creature pulling against its bonded partner is a problem for everyone.
17:16And Evelyn hasn't advanced the first stage in ten years.
17:19The elders have discussed sending her out on a field assignment.
17:22A year or two away from the Spirit Pact Academy.
17:24Practical experience.
17:26Away from all of this.
17:27I understood what she wasn't saying.
17:29They'd given up on the Phoenix as a resource for the Spirit Pact Academy.
17:32In the council hall, Evelyn made the whole thing into a production.
17:36She cried.
17:37She accused me of engineering her removal to take the Phoenix.
17:40In front of all the Senior Elders, she made her counteroffer.
17:44If Senior wants the Phoenix, she should just say so.
17:47I won't stand in the way.
17:49But if she takes him, she gives me Kieran.
17:52A mixed lineage serpent for a pure blooded Phoenix.
17:56Honestly, Lyra comes out a laugh.
17:58Which one, Evelyn?
17:59You focus on your Phoenix and stop coming up with terrible ideas.
18:04While the Elders dealt with Evelyn,
18:06I was at the creature registry with the head keeper.
18:08Investigating a disappearance.
18:11Three had vanished overnight.
18:13Two small rabbits and a unicorn.
18:15I reinforced the gate myself before I left.
18:18Any disturbance at all and I would have felt it.
18:22There was nothing.
18:23Not a sound.
18:25Not a rogue creature.
18:27No trace of that energy anywhere.
18:30Right?
18:30I looked around.
18:32The registry was built into the mountainside.
18:34The rock face itself was warded.
18:36No slipping through the earth.
18:38No passing through walls.
18:40I was still thinking when the keeper started cooing at one of the deer.
18:43Don't be scared.
18:45Big Brother Serpent just looks mean.
18:47He won't eat you.
18:48That pulled something loose in my mind.
18:51I hesitated.
18:54Do creatures ever turn on each other?
18:56What a horrifying thing to say.
18:59They have awareness.
19:01They would never-
19:02Kieran slipped an arm around me and spoke low into my ear.
19:06People do terrible things to each other.
19:08Creatures aren't different.
19:10I've heard of a practice.
19:11A dark technique.
19:13Used by creatures who want to advance without resources.
19:16My skin had gone cold.
19:17Wild creatures had no access to elixirs or rare materials.
19:21If they wanted to grow in power fast,
19:24the most efficient shortcut was this.
19:27Consume the core of another creature.
19:29The higher the level of the creature they took from,
19:31the faster the gain.
19:33Kieran had nearly died at the hands of one practicing exactly that method ten years ago.
19:37Once it works, it will come back for more.
19:42We staked out the registry that night.
19:44Nothing happened.
19:45Quiet all the way until dawn.
19:46I reassured the keeper and headed out.
19:52Hallmaster, there's an incident at the residences.
19:54Kieran shifted, wrapped around me, and moved.
19:57When we landed, I didn't need to go inside to know it was bad.
20:01I could hear the crying from the courtyard.
20:02It was one of my newest students.
20:04A girl who'd come to the spirit-packed academy with his own creature.
20:07Fox.
20:08Soft and round, and always sprawled in patches of sunlight.
20:11Kind of creature that made people smile just looking at it.
20:14She was sitting on the ground, holding what remained of her.
20:16Not much left.
20:17Your guess was right.
20:18The core was removed.
20:20One strike, clean.
20:21It happened before she could make a sound.
20:23She only noticed when she felt the bond break.
20:25I felt the cold settle in my chest.
20:28Without thinking, I looked around for the phoenix.
20:31He was standing beside Evelyn, still as a statue.
20:34The picture.
20:34Don't look.
20:35It's him.
20:38You're certain.
20:39I went to the Archmaster.
20:40Don't move yet.
20:41You need proof.
20:43Catch him in the act.
20:44He said it with total gravity.
20:46Meanwhile, behind him, his courtyard had become a small zoo.
20:50Several of them had taken human form and were crowding around Ciaran to ask about his parents' bloodlines.
20:55I keep all my creatures close.
20:58Your new firehound relieved himself on the floor.
21:00You could clean it up for your teacher.
21:02Absolutely not.
21:03The senior elders started watching the phoenix.
21:06Their eyes went to him more carefully during training.
21:08They noted that his power had grown noticeably in ways that weren't explained by his circumstances.
21:14Then, nothing.
21:15Weeks passed.
21:16No more disappearances.
21:17No incidents.
21:18Two weeks went by.
21:20The girl never quite recovered from losing his fox.
21:22The other students spoke about the disappearances less and less until the whole thing drifted into the category of strange
21:28spirit-packed academy legend.
21:30Something that had happened, maybe, possibly.
21:32Nobody quite remembered the details.
21:33But I couldn't let it go.
21:35Ciaran's certainty sat with me every day.
21:38I went to the Archmaster and asked to have the phoenix formally restricted.
21:42You think we don't see it?
21:43But without evidence, what do I tell the students?
21:46If I punish someone without proof, I lose the trust of the whole spirit-packed academy.
21:51And without that trust, the spirit-packed academy dissolves.
21:55Then, one night, while I was deep in meditation, something flashed past my window.
21:59A pair of red eyes.
22:01Bright.
22:02Gone in an instant.
22:03Where was Ciaran?
22:04I moved to the water's edge.
22:05Floating on the surface.
22:07A single golden feather.
22:08An invitation.
22:09Or a taunt.
22:10Find me and I'll give him back.
22:12I reached out through the bond and found Ciaran's location.
22:14The back forest.
22:15I hit the ground running.
22:16I arrived through the wards in a flash of light.
22:19And walked straight into a shockwave from two powers colliding.
22:23Ciaran and the phoenix were already fighting.
22:25Fully committed.
22:26I went rigid.
22:28When had the phoenix broken through?
22:30He moved through the trees in a golden coat.
22:33Fast and precise.
22:34Ducking and redirecting Ciaran's strikes.
22:37With the ease of someone who'd had longer to prepare for this moment.
22:40Beside the ward barrier.
22:42Evelyn sat perfectly still.
22:44Like a doll that someone had set down and forgotten.
22:47When I got close enough to see her clearly.
22:49My stomach turned over.
22:51Evelyn was dead.
22:53Her eyes were still open.
22:55Fixed in an expression of complete disbelief.
22:57Her abdomen had been cut open.
23:00Her core.
23:01The source of her power.
23:02The root she'd spent years building.
23:04Was gone.
23:06I hadn't even had time to process it.
23:08Before the sky above the forest went dark.
23:11Clouds banking hard and fast.
23:13Thunder starting low and rolling.
23:15The bond glows.
23:17Harm your bonded partner.
23:19And the consequence comes down from the sky itself.
23:22He'd killed his own bonded partner.
23:24He'd lost his mind.
23:26A lightning judgment of this scale would leave nothing of him.
23:29All that power.
23:31All that scheming.
23:32And he'd thrown it away for this moment.
23:34I didn't bother playing it soft.
23:36You spent ten years plotting with Evelyn against the spirit packed academy.
23:41You used every person here as a platform.
23:44And this life you had the chance to change.
23:46And instead you gutted her for her core.
23:48The god is watching.
23:50Today it ends.
23:52Nick smiled.
23:53Cold and strange.
23:55Almost.
23:56One more step.
23:57His hands were already moving behind his back.
24:00Breaking the wards.
24:01The creatures locked in the forest felt the loosening.
24:04The ground shook.
24:06Thunder gathered directly above him.
24:08The archmaster arrived in a streak of light from the peak.
24:11Lyra!
24:12Hold the creatures back!
24:15I'll work on resealing from out here.
24:18Lightning above.
24:19The forest breaking open below.
24:21The phoenix stood in the middle of it all.
24:23With a look of pure madness.
24:26And he turned it on me.
24:27Lyra!
24:28You can't stop this.
24:31Come die with me.
24:33I'll do better by you this time.
24:34I swear it.
24:35In my past life I had died in this exact forest.
24:38In this exact way.
24:40With no one at my back.
24:41I felt fear.
24:43That was honest.
24:45Old fear.
24:46The kind that lived in the body.
24:48Then a hand landed on my shoulder.
24:50Kieran.
24:51Eyes lit with the cold fire of someone who had never once considered losing.
24:56You wanna take her down with you?
24:57He laughed once.
24:59Short.
25:00And sharp.
25:00Ask me first.
25:02You're nobody.
25:04Right.
25:05I had Kieran.
25:07This time.
25:08I wasn't fighting alone.
25:09Kieran pressed forward and I covered him.
25:12He trusted me at his back without checking.
25:14I trusted him to end what he started.
25:18Kieran wasn't breaking.
25:19And the phoenix couldn't find a way past him.
25:22Then he understood.
25:23I wasn't going to die here.
25:25The plan had failed.
25:26He broke.
25:28This isn't right.
25:29You're supposed to die.
25:30We're supposed to die together.
25:32I raised one finger and pointed at the sky.
25:35Goodbye.
25:36The lightning came down in a column as wide as it was.
25:39The phoenix didn't scream.
25:41No rebirth for those taken by judgment.
25:45Final.
25:45And total.
25:46I finally got the rarest magic core for you.
25:51You've worked hard.
26:05After rebirth, I abandoned the mighty phoenix as my magical pet.
26:09Instead, chose an almost dead little black snake in my past life.
26:13I'd hunted rare ingredients for phoenix, pouring every resource I had into his growth.
26:17He cheated with my sister behind my back.
26:19Finally, to make their little love story easier, they killed me together.
26:23This time around, I wanted to see how that perfect couple managed without me as their stepping stone.
26:27The same pact ceremony.
26:28The same standout.
26:30Undeniably that golden phoenix.
26:32Even caged with a suppression collar, he held his head high, like the rest of us were beneath him.
26:36As expected, the ceremony elder assigned him to me.
26:39The phoenix tilted its head back and rolled its eyes, just like in its previous life, its face full of
26:44disdain.
26:45That was when my sister Evelyn walked in, cradling a limp little black snake in her palms, tears rolling down
26:51her cheeks.
26:51My sister was too weak.
26:53Phoenix fell in love with her pitiful appearance immediately, which made me look like the villain standing between them.
26:58The ceremony elder shifted awkwardly and turned on Evelyn.
27:01Your power isn't strong enough. Even if the phoenix is drawn to you now, you won't be able to handle
27:07him.
27:07She didn't react, instead pretended to be scared by my gaze, bit her lip with tears down.
27:12Lila, I know I have no right to compete with you. It's just, I've never seen a golden phoenix before.
27:18I didn't have the patience to listen to her feigned weakness.
27:20I reached out and lifted the limp black snake from her hands, smiled at the ceremony elder.
27:25I've taken a liking to this one. The phoenix clearly doesn't want me. Why not let her have him? I'll
27:30take the snake.
27:31The others thought I'd lost my mind. They pulled me aside.
27:34You're the strongest here. This black snake has a mixed bloodline. He's basically worthless.
27:39But I knew the truth about that phoenix. He was no prize.
27:42In my last life, in my past life, scene had played out exactly the same way.
27:47The phoenix ignored me. I felt the sting of being rejected for the first time in my life.
27:51And instead of thinking clearly, I thought, he's so hard to get. I'm obsessed.
27:56As the archmaster's student, I was supposed to be an example to the others.
28:00I told myself I had to tame the phoenix, strengthen the spirit-packed academy.
28:04So I threw everything I had at him.
28:06Every student got a limited ration of elixirs. So I took assassin missions, hunting rogue creatures,
28:11the kind that had lost their minds and turned feral, to earn extra elixirs.
28:15I came back bleeding every time. The phoenix pretended not to notice.
28:19He only came near me when I pulled out elixirs, took what he wanted, and walked away.
28:23Ten years. I spent ten years helping him break through his limits and take human form.
28:28When he finally did, he was stunning. Tall, sharp-featured. But the warmth stopped there.
28:33He always treated me like I was his errand girl. I told myself it was fine.
28:37Creatures with strong bloodlines had pride. One day he'd recognize what I'd given him.
28:42One day we'd fight side by side and I wouldn't have to face those feral creatures alone.
28:46Then one day, I saw him kiss my sister passionately. She was laughing, dancing around him.
28:51A fellow student rode past on her white tiger, saw them in the distance, and shook her head at me.
28:56Liar. You really need to stop asking Evelyn to look after the phoenix when you go on contracts.
29:02When did I ever ask her that?
29:04She says it every time you leave.
29:05I saw stars. I'd been out there risking my life, and she was back here cheating with my wife.
29:11Doesn't she have her own creature?
29:13That little black snake died in its second year.
29:16Then it clicked. I'd spent ten years sewing a wedding dress for someone else.
29:20I wasn't some gentle, forgiving heroine. Turned on Evelyn. It enraged the phoenix.
29:24As punishment, he lured me to the back forest under false pretenses, then broke open the wards keeping it sealed.
29:30The creatures trapped inside started pouring out, and among them was one that had fallen into complete madness.
29:35A leviathan. The phoenix joined forces with my sister to shoot me down the cliff.
29:40In the end, I died in the beast head, and I could only watch Evelyn snuggle up beside it.
29:44So this time around, I wasn't going to be anyone's sacrifice. I just wanted to see what this couple would
29:49do next.
29:50The phoenix held onto Evelyn tightly, refusing to let go. The elder sighed, and spirit-packed academy'd the pact circle
29:56drawn.
29:57Once a creature bonded with someone, they were bound to that person's commands.
30:01Harm the bonded partner, and the creature suffered for it.
30:03The bonding ritual's energy agitated the black snake. He wound himself around my arm with everything he had.
30:09Evelyn got the phoenix, and was clearly thrilled. Then she looked at the snake clinging to me.
30:13You and that serpent really do seem meant for each other, Lyra.
30:16She was very smug. Had she also been reborn?
30:19Watch your tongue, Evelyn! If Lyra hadn't stepped in for you, you'd never have gotten the phoenix!
30:24If I were you, I'd be on my knees thanking her.
30:26Oh, stop. She's crying again. Always crying. You'd think she was the tragic one.
30:31The phoenix paced anxiously while Evelyn sniffled. Anxious didn't help him.
30:35Evelyn had almost no power at this stage. The creatures shared energy with their bonded partners, but Evelyn's reserves were
30:42basically empty.
30:43Probably the first time in either life that the phoenix had been on the losing side of a situation.
30:48Good. He'd adjust. This was the consequence of choosing weakness and cheating.
30:53The black snake, finally convinced I wasn't abandoning him, went limp and passed out in my arms.
31:00Back home, I finally got a good look at the snake. He was tiny. Couldn't have been more than a
31:06few decades old. Barely past the threshold of maturity.
31:09But he was strange. Different from the serpents I knew. Water serpents had snake-like tails. This one had a
31:16tail more like a fish, with a fin. Mixed bloodline. Serpent and something older. Seafolk, maybe.
31:24I had a natural spring in the courtyard. The moment he hit the water, he came alive. Diving and surfacing.
31:30Pulling in energy from the current.
31:32I laughed. Relax. I fed a golden phoenix for ten years. I think I can manage one little snake.
31:39He froze, and stared at me with those tiny green eyes. Then he spat water at my face. I flicked
31:45him on the head.
31:47Heal up. You're not going anywhere.
31:48The next morning, I woke up wrong. I turned my head and found a face three inches from mine. Dark
31:54lashes. Warm skin. The kind of face that belonged in a painting. Long lashes that trembled slightly. Objectively gorgeous.
32:03Didn't stop me from nearly jumping out of my skin. He'd gotten into bed without waking me. Whoever this was,
32:09his power was well above mine. He stirred, opened gold-slit eyes, and looked at me. I scrambled to the
32:17corner.
32:17Who are you? This is Spirit Pact Academy grounds. Don't try anything.
32:22He sat up. I noticed he was wearing the clothes I'd set aside for when a creature took human form.
32:27A dark, fitted robe with a subtle pattern. He wore it well. He was tall. He'd had to curl up
32:33to fit in my bed. Under those long lashes were a pair of gold, vertical pupil eyes. The answer was
32:39obvious.
32:40Snake?
32:40He smirked, reached out, and flicked me on the forehead. Rude. I have a name. It's Kieran.
32:47Kieran, it turned out, had been fleeing an enemy when he crossed paths with my tutor. He'd taken the form
32:53of a small, injured serpent. My tutor, true to form, had taken him in. Kieran clearly hadn't been injured because
32:59he was weak.
32:59Please tell me your enemies aren't about to show up here.
33:03We're bonded now. You're the master. I'm your mate. So I suggest you train hard and try not to slow
33:09me down.
33:10He taught me a breathing and absorption technique developed for serpentkind. Most days I sat in the spring practicing, while
33:16Kieran sprawled in the tree above me, watching with half-closed eyes. The breeze moved his hair and caught the
33:21light on his skin. Evelyn appeared at my gate, peering in. I sighed and got out of the spring. Kieran
33:27dropped from the tree and draped a dry robe over my shoulders without being asked.
33:31Who is this? You remember him? The little black snake from the bonding ceremony? You said yourself we seemed meant
33:38for each other.
33:39A flicker of something crossed her face. What do you want? This is training time. I was hoping we could
33:45raise the phoenix together.
33:47Kieran's hand tightened on mine. I glanced at him. He was watching me, clearly unhappy.
33:52I'm not your backup plan. Figure it out yourself. How is it not your responsibility? You took the black snake
33:58and left me with the phoenix!
33:59You don't get to just walk away! Half a year's gone by and I've given him every elixir I had.
34:05There's nothing left for my own training. And I was in the lower ranks. I can't go hunting rare ingredients.
34:10I'd die out there.
34:11You bonded with the phoenix first. You should be helping.
34:14I cut her off mid-sentence, sent a gust of air to push her back through the gate, and led
34:18Kieran inside.
34:19Little sister, don't mistake everyone for a fool. I'm not spending my resources raising your creature for you.
34:25If you can't afford to keep him, dissolve the bond. Let someone else take him. I'm sure the elders would
34:31be happy to.
34:31She wouldn't do that. Her ambitions were too big.
34:34Weeks passed. I broke through to a new level of power.
34:37What those in the Spirit Pact Academy called Fourth Circle Stage.
34:42At the same time, the Archmaster arranged for me to escort a rare spirit fox to the Spirit Pact Academy,
34:48alongside Elder Celia, who was about three centuries older than me, and acted like a kid half the time.
34:55I sweet-talked her through the hand over to the creature registry, and she settled for it.
35:00Before she left, she pressed her hand over her mouth to hide a smile.
35:04Your little serpent is very clingy, you know.
35:07I didn't understand until I started up the mountain path, and saw a silhouette leaning against a tree in the
35:12distance.
35:14He didn't move.
35:15When I got closer, he reached out and grabbed the back of my neck.
35:19Lyra, am I not good to you? Why are you trying to give me away?
35:22What are you talking about?
35:24That girl came to the courtyard today, said you sent her to check on me.
35:27Did you change your mind about bonding with me?
35:29You hit Fourth Circle, and now you're done with me?
35:32Same playbook, different life.
35:35Before I could explain, Kieran's pupils contracted to thin lines.
35:39He bent his head and pressed his face into my neck.
35:42His tongue brushed the skin there.
35:44Light, quick. I shivered hard.
35:47Smells like fox.
35:49Lyra, did you already find yourself a replacement?
35:52Doesn't matter. Once I eat that fox, I'll be your only option.
35:56Y-you hit me for her?
35:58That fox belongs to my Archmaster.
36:00You touch her and I will end you.
36:02Kieran stopped fighting me, and let himself be pulled along.
36:05Most students weren't training, so the residences were quiet.
36:09A few people raised their eyebrows when they saw me coming.
36:12Short greetings, and then they told me,
36:14Evelyn had gone to the back forest with the Phoenix.
36:17I frowned.
36:18I wasn't in the Phoenix's way anymore.
36:20Why were they sneaking off to the forest?
36:22We found them mid-argument.
36:24Or rather, Evelyn was arguing and the Phoenix, who still hadn't taken human form, was responding in scratched letters on
36:32the ground.
36:32Don't look at me like that. I've done nothing wrong. I didn't force you to come to the Spirit Pact
36:38Academy. You said this place would help you grow. I've given you every elixir I had and you're still not
36:44satisfied?
36:45You want me to go out hunting rare ingredients? I just started training! You'd be sending me to die!
36:52I almost felt something. In my past life, he'd given me nothing for ten years. Not a glance, not a
36:59word, not a gesture.
37:00Now he was writing letters in the dirt. The contrast was something.
37:05Evelyn, I've been looking for you.
37:07The Phoenix scrambles to erase the letters when he heard us. Evelyn pulled herself together fast, though not fast enough.
37:14What do you need, Lyra?
37:20I patted Kieran's arm. He gave me a long-suffering look, then dropped to one knee and let me settle
37:26onto it like a chair.
37:27His hands locked around my waist, steadying me. Evelyn's gaze locked onto Kieran and didn't move.
37:33I'm not here about anything in particular. Just wondering why you paid my companion a visit.
37:38The Phoenix's feathers flared, angry. Evelyn hadn't expected me to know so fast.
37:43No, you've got it wrong. I was just coming to find you.
37:47He rested his chin on my shoulder.
37:49She lied to me. She said you stole me from her. That I was supposed to be hers.
37:53And what did you do?
37:54She came into your territory without permission. She was weak. I didn't even use my power. Just pushed until she
38:00left.
38:00I patted his cheek. I stood and faced Evelyn directly.
38:05If I remember correctly, you didn't want Kieran in the first place. He was badly injured. If he'd ended up
38:11with you, he probably wouldn't have survived his second year.
38:13That's not true! I would have taken care of him.
38:16The Phoenix's crest was fully raised now. She caught herself.
38:21You're trying to drive a wedge between me and the Phoenix.
38:24I stepped forward and put my hand on her shoulder.
38:27You played your game, little sister. Don't act surprised when I play mine. Next time you pull something like this,
38:34you will get my punishment.
38:35She blanched. The council didn't forgive moves against another member's bonded creature. She couldn't risk it. On the way back,
38:43I was in a good mood.
38:45Kieran was quiet though. Wouldn't transform and carry me even when I asked. Once we were back in the courtyard,
38:50he grabbed my arm.
38:52You seem familiar with the Phoenix.
38:54I didn't hide it.
38:55We have a history. It ended badly for me. Want to hear it?
38:59He turned away, shifted into serpent form, and wound himself around my neck.
39:03No. I'm better than that bird by every measure. You're not going back to him.
39:09I won't have another mate. I promise.
39:13Days later.
39:15Laia, your growth rate is pathetic. Sharing energy with you is a form of suffering.
39:23My Archmaster said, I'm one of the most talented young members in a generation.
39:28All those rare materials and elixirs I found went into me this time. Not into the Phoenix.
39:34Ten years passed.
39:35I moved steadily from fourth circle to sixth circle. Even the most mean Elder Celia praised me.
39:41You are really a genius, Lyra. We all expected the Phoenix to elevate the whole Spirit Panda Academy.
39:48But ten years in, there's still no sign of him breaking through.
39:52I'd expected this.
39:54Sustaining creatures took enormous resources. And the Spirit Pact Academy never had reserves.
40:00The Phoenix couldn't break through. And in my past life, I'd seen exactly what happened when his patients ran out.
40:06I'd thought about removing him. Every time I tried to bring it up with my Archmaster or Kirin, it was
40:11like the words hit a wall.
40:12And acting unilaterally, killing the Phoenix before anyone understood why, would have destroyed the Spirit Pact Academy from the inside.
40:20All I could do was watch him and contain him. Past that, I had no choice but to wait.
40:26My past life hadn't survived this year. I didn't know if this one would go differently.
40:31He stood there staring at Kirin, who was lazily floating in the spring in human form, making absolutely no effort
40:37to be welcoming.
40:37You have a bonded partner. Why are you at my gate?
40:43Right. What possible reason could you have for neglecting your own bonded partner to come stand outside someone else's home?
40:50Kirin climbed out and immediately tried to lean against me.
40:54I don't worry you're near. I'll have to notice. I just want that bird to know there's no space for
41:00him here.
41:01What exactly is here between us?
41:04That's entirely your call.
41:05The Phoenix flew away.
41:07Kirin grabbed my face with both hands.
41:09He left. Can you stop worrying about him for five minutes?
41:12I have to know what he's doing. That bird has a dark heart. I don't trust him idle.
41:18He regrets it. Doesn't want to stay with your little sister anymore.
41:22I turned toward the gate. Empty. But something in my gut told me the Phoenix was off.
41:28There was no logical reason for him to come to me specifically. Unless the Phoenix had also been reborn.
41:35If that was true, then he knew about the back forest. He knew what was sealed there. He knew my
41:41parents had died there. Which I'd only ever told him directly. In my previous life. I didn't stop to explain
41:47to Kirin. I pulled out a slip and went straight to the forest wards. The wards were intact.
41:51I exhaled. Then I turned around and my stomach dropped. A handful of golden feathers lay near the edge of
41:57the barrier line. He'd been here. The Phoenix had come back with knowledge he shouldn't have.
42:02The friction between Evelyn and the Phoenix had gone public. He'd refused her commands in training sessions. Ignored her in
42:08front of others. Made her look incompetent in front of the whole yard more than once in recent weeks.
42:13The reason I kept getting dragged in was simpler and more aggravating. Every time I appeared, the Phoenix drifted toward
42:18me. If looks could kill, Evelyn would have had me buried weeks ago. Elder Celia found the whole thing delightful.
42:24Her bird appeared at my shoulder one afternoon.
42:27You know what this reminds me of? One of those stories where the man realizes too late what he had.
42:32He freezes her out at the start and then spends the rest of the book chasing her.
42:38Oh dear. I could talk to the girl. Offer her a different creature. Something she could actually manage. And transfer
42:45the Phoenix over to you. Quietly.
42:47No. I'm not going near the disciplinary council over this. Besides, I have Kirin. That's enough.
42:53Celia looked genuinely mournful. Then she shifted to her real point.
42:58A creature pulling against its bonded partner is a problem for everyone. And Evelyn hasn't advanced the first stage in
43:04ten years.
43:05The elders have discussed sending her out on a field assignment a year or two away from the Spirit Pact
43:10Academy. Practical experience away from all of this.
43:13I understood what she wasn't saying. They'd given up on the Phoenix as a resource for the Spirit Pact Academy.
43:18In the council hall, Evelyn made the whole thing into a production. She cried. She accused me of engineering her
43:25removal to take the Phoenix. In front of all the senior elders, she made her counter offer.
43:30If Senior wants the Phoenix, she should just say so. I won't stand in the way. But if she takes
43:37him, she gives me Kirin. A mixed lineage serpent for a pure-blooded Phoenix. Honestly, Lyra comes out a laugh.
43:44Which one, Evelyn? You focus on your Phoenix and stop coming up with terrible ideas.
43:50While the elders dealt with Evelyn, I was at the creature registry with the head keeper, investigating a disappearance. Three
43:57had vanished overnight. Two small rabbits and a unicorn.
44:01I reinforced the gate myself before I left. Any disturbance at all and I would have felt it. There was
44:09nothing. Not a sound. Not a rogue creature. No trace of that energy anywhere. Right?
44:16I looked around. The registry was built into the mountainside. The rock face itself was warded. No slipping through the
44:24earth. No passing through walls.
44:26I was still thinking when the keeper started cooing at one of the deer.
44:29Don't be scared. Big brother serpent just looks mean. He won't eat you.
44:35That pulled something loose in my mind. I hesitated.
44:40Do creatures ever turn on each other?
44:42What a horrifying thing to say. They have awareness. They would never-
44:48Kirin slipped an arm around me and spoke low into my ear.
44:52People do terrible things to each other. Creatures aren't different. I've heard of a practice. A dark technique used by
45:00creatures who want to advance without resources.
45:02My skin had gone cold. Wild creatures had no access to elixirs or rare materials. If they wanted to grow
45:09in power fast, the most efficient shortcut was this. Consume the core of another creature.
45:15The higher the level of the creature they took from, the faster the gain. Kirin had nearly died at the
45:21hands of one practicing exactly that method ten years ago.
45:24Once it works, it will come back for more.
45:28We staked out the registry that night. Nothing happened. Quiet all the way until dawn. I reassured the keeper and
45:34headed out.
45:38Hallmaster, there's an incident at the residences.
45:40Kirin shifted, wrapped around me, and moved. When we landed, I didn't need to go inside to know it was
45:46bad. I could hear the crying from the courtyard.
45:49It was one of my newest students. A girl who'd come to the spirit-packed academy with his own creature.
45:53Fox. Soft and round and always sprawled in patches of sunlight.
45:57Kind of creature that made people smile just looking at it. She was sitting on the ground, holding what remained
46:02of her. Not much left.
46:03Your guess was right. The core was removed. One strike, clean. It happened before she could make a sound. She
46:09only noticed when she felt the bond break.
46:11I felt the cold settle in my chest. Without thinking, I looked around for the phoenix. He was standing beside
46:18Evelyn, still as a statue. The picture.
46:20Don't look. It's him. You're certain. I went to the archmaster.
46:26Don't move yet. You need proof. Catch him in the act. He said it with total gravity. Meanwhile, behind him,
46:34his courtyard had become a small zoo.
46:36Several of them had taken human form and were crowding around Kirin to ask about his parents' bloodlines.
46:42I keep all my creatures close. Your new firehound relieved himself on the floor.
46:46You could clean it up for your teacher. Absolutely not.
46:49The senior elders started watching the phoenix. Their eyes went to him more carefully during training.
46:55They noted that his power had grown noticeably in ways that weren't explained by his circumstances.
47:00Then, nothing. Weeks passed. No more disappearances. No incidents.
47:05Two weeks went by. The girl never quite recovered from losing his fox.
47:08The other students spoke about the disappearances less and less until the whole thing drifted into the category of
47:14Strange Spirit Pact Academy legend. Something that had happened, maybe. Possibly. Nobody quite remembered the details.
47:20But I couldn't let it go. Kirin's certainty sat with me every day.
47:24I went to the archmaster and asked to have the phoenix formally restricted.
47:28You think we don't see it? But without evidence, what do I tell the students?
47:32If I punish someone without proof, I lose the trust of the whole Spirit Pact Academy.
47:37And without that trust, the Spirit Pact Academy dissolves.
47:41Then one night, while I was deep in meditation, something flashed past my window.
47:46A pair of red eyes. Bright. Gone in an instant.
47:49Where was Kirin?
47:50I moved to the water's edge. Floating on the surface. A single golden feather. An invitation. Or a taunt.
47:56Find me and I'll give him back.
47:58I reached out through the bond and found Kirin's location. The back forest.
48:02I hit the ground running. I arrived through the wards in a flash of light.
48:05And walked straight into a shockwave from two powers colliding.
48:09Kirin and the phoenix were already fighting. Fully committed. I went rigid.
48:14When had the phoenix broken through?
48:16He moved through the trees in a golden coat. Fast and precise.
48:20Ducking and redirecting Kirin's strikes. With the ease of someone who'd had longer to prepare for this moment.
48:26Beside the ward barrier, Evelyn sat perfectly still. Like a doll that someone had set down and forgotten.
48:33When I got close enough to see her clearly, my stomach turned over. Evelyn was dead.
48:39Her eyes were still open. Fixed in an expression of complete disbelief.
48:44Her abdomen had been cut open. Her core. The source of her power. The root she'd spent years building.
48:50Was gone. I hadn't even had time to process it. Before the sky above the forest went dark.
48:57Clouds banking hard and fast. Thunder starting low and rolling.
49:02The bond flies.
49:03Harm your bonded partner. And the consequence comes down from the sky itself.
49:07He'd killed his own bonded partner. He'd lost his mind. A lightning judgment of this scale would leave nothing of
49:15him.
49:16All that power. All that scheming. And he'd thrown it away for this moment. I didn't bother playing it soft.
49:23You spent ten years plotting with Evelyn against the Spirit Pact Academy.
49:27You used every person here as a platform. And this life you had the chance to change and instead you
49:33gutted her for her core.
49:34The god is watching. Today it ends.
49:38Nick smiled. Cold and strange.
49:41Almost. One more step.
49:44His hands were already moving behind his back. Breaking the wards.
49:47The creatures locked in the forest felt the loosening. The ground shook. Thunder gathered directly above him.
49:54The Archmaster arrived in a streak of light from the peak.
49:57Lyra! Hold the creatures back. I'll work on resealing from out here.
50:04Lightning above. The forest breaking open below. The phoenix stood in the middle of it all.
50:09With a look of pure madness. And he turned it on me.
50:14Lyra. You can't stop this. Come die with me. I'll do better by you this time. I swear it.
50:21In my past life I had died in this exact forest. In this exact way. With no one at my
50:27back.
50:28I felt fear. That was honest. Old fear. The kind that lived in the body.
50:34Then a hand landed on my shoulder. Kieran. Eyes lit with the cold fire of someone who had never once
50:40considered losing.
50:41You want to take her down with you? He laughed once. Short and sharp.
50:47Ask me first. You're nobody.
50:51Right. I had Kieran. This time. I wasn't fighting alone.
50:56Kieran pressed forward and I covered him. He trusted me at his back without checking. I trusted him to end
51:03what he started.
51:03Kieran wasn't breaking. And the phoenix couldn't find a way past him. Then he understood. I wasn't going to die
51:11here. The plan had failed. He broke.
51:14This isn't right. You're supposed to die. We're supposed to die together.
51:18I raised one finger and pointed at the sky. Goodbye.
51:21The lightning came down in a column as wide as a well. The phoenix didn't scream. No rebirth for those
51:29taken by judgment. Final and total.
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