- 2 days ago
The Phoenix's Second Reign
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm the last princess of House Phoenix, yet I was drained of my blood by the brain's husband I myself
00:05had raised to the dragonborn's throne.
00:09If I didn't need your blood to complete Lilith's awakening, I wouldn't have wasted a single second pretending to be
00:16with you.
00:23I can take this throne with or without you.
00:25The woman drinking my blood is my stepsister.
00:30I felt the fire leaving me, my power slipping away, my vision growing blurry.
00:34If I could live again.
00:41Seraphina, have you decided who you will take as your husband?
00:45The Dragonblood Council Chamber? It's the day of the choosing! I'm reborn!
00:49Your Majesty, I...
00:50Your Majesty!
00:51Calus dropped to one knee and cut me off in the exact spot I remembered him standing.
00:54Your Majesty, I know Seraphina has feelings for me.
00:58But the only woman I love is Lilith.
01:00I have sworn a blood oath.
01:02If I betray her, let Dragonfire burn me to ash.
01:04I knew he was reborn too.
01:06A gasp rippled through the chamber.
01:08How dare you!
01:10Your Majesty!
01:12I have decided, I have decided whom I will marry.
01:18I have decided whom I will marry.
01:21I know Seraphina cannot live without me.
01:25I am willing to take her as my second wife.
01:29I will care for her for the rest of my days.
01:32How dare you!
01:34A girl of common birth who exists only by the mercy of the Phoenix Clan.
01:39She is not worthy to be compared to the Princess.
01:42What are you standing there for?
01:43You've been dying to marry me.
01:45I just gave you your chance.
01:47Take it.
01:48Lilith has generously agreed to share me with you.
01:50You should be grateful.
01:51I nearly laughed out loud.
01:53King Aldrich's gaze turned sharp, his aura of authority forcing Calus to his knees.
01:58Seraphina, say the word and he is yours to punish.
02:03Your Majesty, the one I wish to marry is.
02:11The King was stunned by my choice, but the look of confusion on his face quickly faded.
02:15If that is truly what you want, I will arrange it.
02:19Get out!
02:20I don't want to see you right now.
02:23He looked at me with contempt, still confident that I would refuse to marry anyone but him,
02:28just as I had in my past life.
02:30I did not spare him a single glance.
02:32My gaze moved past him to the young man standing in the far corner of the chamber.
02:37Two small horns jutted from his forehead.
02:39In my past life after I died, Calus ordered my body left to rot atop the tower, untouched
02:43by anyone.
02:44Every dragon heir in the kingdom feared the new king and dared not defy him.
02:48He alone was the exception.
02:49Darion trekked through the northern wind and snow for three months to reach the tower.
02:54He knelt beside my body and personally bandaged every wound Calus had inflicted on me.
02:58He kept vigil for seven days and seven nights.
03:01King Aldrich dismissed the suitors asking to speak with me alone.
03:04As I left the chamber, Calus and Lilith were waiting outside.
03:08Seraphina, thank you for letting me be with Calus.
03:11There were no tears on her face.
03:13How had I never seen how vile she was in my past life?
03:16If my parents were still alive, they would be so grateful to you.
03:21Why are you thanking her?
03:22I'm the one who chose to marry you.
03:24Even if there's any gratitude to be have, it's she who should thank you for generously
03:28sharing me.
03:29Lilith's parents died because of you.
03:31She lost everything when you came back.
03:33The least you can do is give her some compensation.
03:37Lilith's bloodline is weak.
03:38She'll get picked on.
03:40You've been giving her my gifts for years.
03:42Who would dare lay a hand on her?
03:44That's not the same as real power.
03:46I want your blood.
03:48I never thought he could sink to such depths of shamelessness.
03:51The agony of that tower flooded back into my chest.
03:54My hands trembling.
03:55Hatred rose so fast I could barely hold back the phoenix fire in my veins.
03:59Letting them die an easy death would never be enough to sate my rage.
04:02But in that moment, I truly wanted to kill them.
04:04We're going to be husband and wife soon.
04:06Give your blood to Lilith and I'll take care of you forever.
04:17Princess Seraphina, the king sent me to find you.
04:20It was the young man from the corner of the hallway.
04:22Even as the pressure forced Calus to his knees, he remained standing straight and tall.
04:26No strain, no fear.
04:28Then let's go.
04:29Wait!
04:30A lowly black work.
04:32What could you possibly have to say to him?
04:35Instead of worrying about who I talked to, you'd be better off focusing on the dragon's
04:39trial in five days.
04:40You don't need to worry about that.
04:42I'm the strongest suitor of this generation.
04:44The trial is nothing.
04:46I can complete it even without your help.
04:48In five days, you just sit there and wait for me to marry you.
04:51The king told you everything?
04:53Princess, I swear by the old gods, should I betray you in this life, may dragon fire melt
04:59my bones to marrow.
05:00He swore on his very soul.
05:02I felt the budding bond stir within me too.
05:05I trust you.
05:09Princess!
05:10They've smashed your mother's memorial!
05:17This was my mother's memorial, the shrine she had built with her own hands in the center
05:21of the courtyard.
05:22She had pricked her finger, let her blood fall upon the shrine's peak, and ignited the
05:26phoenix fire, fire that no storm or tempest could ever extinguish.
05:31Seraphina, I'm going to a far away place.
05:34When you miss me, come sit by the shrine.
05:37Mummy will always be with you.
05:39That fire was the last thing my mother ever gave me.
05:42How dare you?
05:44Lilith loves the nightingale crest.
05:46From this day forward, this courtyard will fly her family's banner.
05:53Listen, I know you're angry with Lilith.
05:55I'll let your little tantrum at any slide for now.
05:57When that happens, even if you get down on your knees and beg me, I won't spare you a
06:00single glance.
06:01He studied my face closely, searching for any trace of panic, but he found nothing.
06:05His tone turned hypocritical once more.
06:07I'm doing this for your own good.
06:09Get along with Lilith, and I'll grant you the honor of bearing my firstborn son.
06:13Calus, you will never be my husband.
06:15If not me, then who?
06:16The king himself announced he's arranging our wedding.
06:19Stop speaking out of anger, and think this through.
06:24There would indeed be a wedding, but it would never be yours.
06:28Five days later, everyone gathered at the Proving Grounds.
06:32To my surprise, Lilith was there too.
06:42His gaze swept contemptuously over the other suitors, until it suddenly landed on the sigil
06:47at Darian's waist.
06:54Darian did not move.
06:55He met Calus' gaze calmly.
06:56That calm only enraged Calus further.
06:59He was about to lash out when Lilith grabbed his arm.
07:02Calus, that ring can't be real.
07:04It's a fake.
07:05A man like him probably won't even survive the first layer of dragonfire.
07:08Don't waste your time on this.
07:09Moments later, King Aldrich arrived and ordered the trial to begin.
07:13One suitor after another stepped into the arena.
07:15The dragon eggs lay wrapped in flame, waiting for blood to awaken them.
07:19Most could only withstand a single layer of dragonfire.
07:22The very best made it to three.
07:23A flicker of disappointment crossed King Aldrich's eyes.
07:26Then it was Calus' turn.
07:28He stepped forward with brash confidence, Lilith hot on his heels.
07:31The fire from the dragon eggs raged fierce.
07:34Someone of Lilith's caliber would be incinerated the moment they drew near.
07:37Don't worry.
07:39Serafina won't let me fail.
07:40Just wait for me to come out and marry you.
07:45Lilith, what are you doing?
07:47You only need to be with me.
07:48You don't have to worry about anything else.
07:49Losing this much blood will ruin you.
07:52Calus, I know my bloodline can't pair to the Phoenix princesses.
07:55But I want to do something for you.
07:57Let my bloodline help you through the trial.
07:59Blood of that caliber.
08:00It'll burn to ash the second it gets near the dragon egg.
08:05She's got guts.
08:06I'll give her that.
08:08What's so special about Calus anyway?
08:10Isn't she scared?
08:11If he can't withstand the fire, her blood will burn first.
08:13She's done for.
08:14I can't believe the Phoenix princess ever had eyes for a man like this.
08:17I watched this little performance, one that never happened in my past life, and wondered
08:22where it would lead.
08:25Calus strode confidently into the proving grounds.
08:28He sliced open his palm before the dragon egg, letting a flood of blood fall onto the shell.
08:34The dragon fire surged violently upward.
08:36He triggered all nine layers at once.
08:39Wave after wave of searing heat blasted outward, forcing the crowd back.
08:43Everyone was shocked by what he had done.
08:45Is he insane?
08:46Triggering all nine layers at once?
08:48No one has ever done that.
08:51Even with the princess's help, he might not pull this off.
08:58Even Lilith froze.
09:00She had clearly not expected him to go this far.
09:03I watched with a blank face.
09:04This was who he had always been.
09:06In my past life, in this one, he cared for no one but himself.
09:09This time, I wanted to watch him try it alone.
09:12Seraphia!
09:13Don't you want to marry me?
09:15You're here to get me through the trial!
09:17Come in at once!
09:22Seraphia, hurry up!
09:23This isn't funny!
09:26The nine layers of dragon fire will kill me!
09:28I barely recognized him.
09:30Kalis was actually begging.
09:34The first wave of dragon fire erupted.
09:42Save me.
09:43Please.
09:44I am your...
09:45Your husband.
09:47You cannot just stand there and watch me die.
09:52Who said you're my husband?
10:00Lilith's face was twisted with terror.
10:03The blood she had offered, evaporated the instant the dragon fire struck.
10:07Life drained from Lilith like running water.
10:09Her skin wrinkled.
10:11The crowd stared at her without a shred of sympathy.
10:13No, don't look at me!
10:15Please don't look at me!
10:18Kyle has helped me!
10:19All trace of Kalis' arrogance was gone.
10:22I pulled the token from Darien's waist, the one etched with the phoenix clam crest, gleaming in the firelight.
10:28I made a pact with King Alderk.
10:31Darien is my choice.
10:33He is my one and only betrothed.
10:36Then the crowd erupted.
10:38No way!
10:39How is this possible?
10:42Him?
10:43Darien?
10:44The neglected heir to the black dragon lineage?
10:47I have loved her for 200 years.
10:50May she find someone who loves her as I do in her next life.
10:53Many men desired me.
10:54But they only craved what I could give them.
10:57The phoenix bloodline dragon eggs, the crown.
10:59Darien was the only one who was different.
11:06The dragon's trial.
11:08Dragon heirs would enter the proving grounds, offering their blood to the dragon egg.
11:12Whoever could withstand the dragon fire and be accepted by the egg would become the new dragon king.
11:17If the egg rejected them, the dragon fire would burn them alive.
11:20Most suitors chose to undertake the trial in stages, multiple attempts over years even decades slowly building up their tolerance.
11:27I looked at Kalis.
11:28Last time he'd only dared to unleash three layers of dragon fire.
11:32Three layers had nearly killed him.
11:34He had begged me to protect him.
11:35I sliced my palm open and shielded him with all my strength.
11:39In the end, he endured all nine waves of flame becoming the first to do so in 5,000 years.
11:44The whole world bowed to him.
11:46Everyone knew his name.
11:47But my soul was damaged.
11:49My power would never return to what it once was.
11:51This time, he was greedier.
11:53Armed with the memories of our past life, he triggered all nine layers without hesitation.
11:58He did not care at all if I was hurt.
12:00What a pity.
12:01I stared at the churning dragon fire in the trial grounds.
12:04This time, he would not survive the second layer.
12:13This time, he would not survive the second layer.
12:23I was afraid of him.
12:33I'm tired.
12:34Willith was not so fortunate.
12:35She slit her wrist and gave everything she had.
12:38When the dragon fire struck, her blood evaporated in an instant, and the flames rebounded on her.
12:43The young woman was gone. In her place stood a withered 80-year-old crone. King Aldrich's gaze
12:49locked onto me. I gave a slight nod. Calus caught the tiny gesture at once. A flicker of hope flashed
12:55in his eyes. He stumbled toward me and dropped to his knees.
13:00Serafina, I was wrong. Serafina, please, forgive me. I want you. Only you. I swear I'll be
13:13faithful to you. I beg you.
13:21Calus, did you ever think of this day when you drained my blood for Lilith?
13:39Come. I will stay with you.
13:44What's wrong?
13:48He doesn't want you, Serafina. Do you truly think everyone craves you?
13:59Princess, I wish to complete the trial on my own. I know your bloodline is powerful,
14:04but dragon fire is cruel. I will not let you pay that price for me.
14:09Are you afraid?
14:12A little.
14:13He did not pretend to be brave. He was afraid, but he would not let it stop him. I let
14:18go of his hand.
14:18Darian turned and stepped into the trial grounds. The dormant dragon egg glowed faintly. He sliced his
14:24palm open, letting blood drip onto it.
14:29The first layer of dragon fire struck.
14:32Only one layer. Too easy.
14:35I'm disappointed.
14:37The second layer followed and the crowd slowly fell silent.
14:40I had not expected the second layer of flame to be this fierce.
14:43It meant his bloodline ran deeper than any of theirs.
14:47Third layer.
14:48The fourth layer.
14:50He still stood straight.
14:53The suitors who had scorned him minutes ago stared at him.
15:02After the fifth layer,
15:04the suitors in the stands felt the pressure of the dragon fire.
15:07So he held fast.
15:08His robes had burned to tatters.
15:10I could see the extensive burns across his chest and arms.
15:13But he did not flinch.
15:15I thought this would be his limit.
15:16In my past life,
15:18five layers had been all he could bear.
15:20The finest of his generation.
15:22But this time he did not step out.
15:24He was clearly on the brink of collapse.
15:26Covered in wounds he could barely stand.
15:28The sixth layer of dragon fire crashed down.
15:31I clenched my fist.
15:32Seconds later,
15:33the flames faded.
15:34He dropped to one knee but he held on.
15:38He had shattered his limit from my past life.
15:40Six layers of dragon fire alone.
15:42Without the protection of my bloodline,
15:44Darion was the strongest living dragon blood heir.
15:47Yet he looked ready to break.
15:48Another layer would kill him.
15:53Let's see you fight the seventh layer.
15:56I watched him rise unsteady as the seventh layer of dragon fire erupted.
16:12I'm here.
16:17The power of the phoenix bloodline flowed from my body into his.
16:21The seventh wave struck.
16:22This time,
16:23Darion took no harm.
16:25His burns began to heal.
16:27The eighth layer.
16:31The ninth.
16:32Blazing light swallowed the trial grounds.
16:35Obscuring everything from the stands.
16:53When the final wave of dragon fire faded,
16:55a true dragon king was born.
16:57The dragon egg cracked open and a black dragon emerged,
17:00soaring into the sky.
17:02It did not look at the king.
17:03It did not look at the suitors.
17:05At last,
17:06it landed before Darion.
17:11Darion.
17:13Chosen consort of the phoenix clan.
17:16Future dragon blood king.
17:18I,
17:18Aldric,
17:19bow to you.
17:26Darion was crowned the new king of the dragon bloodline.
17:29King Aldric bestowed treasures and titles upon him,
17:32and our wedding was scheduled in three days.
17:34I was in my chambers when I heard a commotion outside.
17:37Pippa went to check and came back fuming with anger.
17:45Princess,
17:46it's Calus.
17:46He's here to see you.
17:47And he brought Lilith with him.
17:49I am stronger than him.
17:51It torments him to live in my shadow.
17:53Lilith is weak,
17:54and women like her make men feel needed.
17:58But now he has nothing.
18:00I wonder how long this so-called love will last.
18:08Calus stood at the palace gate in a black cloak.
18:11Lilith cowered behind him,
18:12her face etched with age and decay.
18:14Seeing me frown,
18:15Calus yanked off his hood at once.
18:17Congratulations to the happy couple.
18:19She is nothing to me!
18:21Serafina,
18:22she tricked me!
18:23She drugged me!
18:24He caught the faint smile on my face
18:26and mistook it for softness.
18:27I love you.
18:28I have always loved you.
18:30If that bitch hadn't deceived me,
18:32I would never have hurt you at all.
18:34Serafina,
18:35you must believe me!
18:36Calus,
18:36do you really think I don't know how that drug works?
18:39To control you,
18:40she would have to be more powerful than you.
18:43But you are dragon blood.
18:45Even without finishing the trial,
18:47you are still a dragon heir.
18:48How could someone of her caliber control you?
18:51She stole a lock of your hair.
18:53She brewed a potion with it.
18:55She turned all your feelings for me onto herself.
18:57He babbled wildly now,
18:59scrambling for excuses,
19:00grasping at anything to persuade me.
19:02He shifted all the blame onto Lilith.
19:04He thought empty sweet words would make me take him back.
19:07My hand cracked across his face.
19:09His head snapped sharply to one side.
19:12He stared at me,
19:13unable to comprehend what had just happened.
19:15So what?
19:16Even if all of this is true,
19:17do you think a tragic story can erase everything you did to me?
19:21Calus,
19:22let me make this perfectly clear.
19:24You and Lilith are bound together.
19:26You will rot in the gutter for the rest of your lives
19:28and you will never be apart!
19:30Said nothing.
19:31He just stood there.
19:32But the new dragon king's aura bore down on Calus,
19:35bending his spine inch by inch.
19:37His knees buckled.
19:38He crashed heavily to the ground
19:40and Lilith collapsed beside him.
19:43They fled in terror.
19:45Darion withdrew his pressure.
19:46He turned to me once again
19:48the quiet gentle man he had always been.
19:50Are you alright?
19:52I have something to show you.
19:54Curious I followed him outside and froze.
19:56In the center of the main courtyard.
19:59My mother's memorial,
20:00the shrine Calus had destroyed,
20:02stood whole once more.
20:03Every stone was back in its place.
20:05The ancient phoenix script carved into its face was cracked in places,
20:09but every fragment had been carefully pieced together.
20:12Flames burned at the shrine's peak.
20:14Not my mother's flames,
20:16black.
20:16The genuine dragon fire.
20:18As I stared,
20:19the flames shifted to a deep amber.
20:21I cannot bring your mother back,
20:23but I can make sure her flame never dies.
20:25The night after the dragon trial,
20:27Darion had not returned to the palace with me.
20:30He had gone alone to the ancient homeland of the phoenix clan,
20:33knelt before the eldest bloodline guardian all night,
20:36and begged until she taught him the old ritual
20:38to restore the phoenix sacred stones.
20:40At dawn the next day he had returned to this courtyard alone.
20:43He lifted every shard of rubble by hand,
20:46piece by piece and rebuilt the shrine.
20:48He did not know what words were carved on each surface.
20:50He never asked me.
20:52He only used his hands,
20:54his instinct,
20:54and set every fragment where he knew it belonged.
21:06I love you.
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