Phoenix: Blow a spark || ATEEZ

Prologue

ㅡWhen the sun goes down, where do they hide?

The story started when energies were found in the remains of burned-down ash. Fizzing for hundreds of years in the same ashes without having any bypasser touching it, a miracle came by and bound the magic into the first soul which passed, creating the dust of the shadow into flesh and blood. Only the memory of the fire shaped in the heart. Then the first step appeared for the new life, a mark appeared across their cheek.

I am a risen from the ashes

The newborn girl rose from the ground of the dry desert. Her skin was bare but her eyes burned with desire, a curiosity of the new formed surroundings. Not a single soul was seen, but with wonder swelling in her chest, she let the wandering lead her where fate was whispering in her ears.

Time flowing insignificant, in the distance a village across a plain was seen. When her burning eyes were a witness to an unknown person, the stranger slowly approached, confused as to see the girl.

They took her into the village, gave her clothes, made sure she got food, while the girl slowly learned their language. Because they believed she was a gift from the gods.

"No living thing has ever crossed the desert before."

The girl did not understand what they meant. She let the people pay tribute to her for the magic that raged in her blood vessels as she blindly entered into an agreement to provide the village with protection from enemies. Soon, it couldn't just be called a village anymore, but rather a kingdom that grew at a speed that could not be described in words. The language had shown its ability to travel faster than man ever could, and habitation arose to a large extent around the nearby center. And the girl was their queen, they called her Aurora.

She made sure their harvest always brought profits, the water always flowed in the nearby rivers, and never a single threat arose in their peaceful kingdom. The people built her a castle, like other kingdoms, large, proud. Aurora helped the people of the village, but when she did not, she locked herself inside the darkest corners and unfolded her magical knowledge over sacred scriptures with blood and fire.

They saw nothing, but a smile.

As time went on, the queen made her consideration across the dance of loneliness. Admirers were to be found in every nook and cranny, she was beautiful, but a ring was not what she was looking for. During the day, she spent time in the large castle courtyard while watching the village's children. Aurora was deeply fascinated by the human children, and then the thought hit her, hard.

She created her own child, infant, large round eyes, but not much had in common with the human children, other than its shape. The child possessed the same qualities as her. Aurora called him Ash.

The queen loved her child endlessly, he was her everything. But as much as she wanted to believe it, happiness was not her final fate.

As Aurora foretold dark forces were on their way to the kingdom, she rushed out of the castle gates to warn the people. But no one believed her words. Confused, she withdrew and prepared her son for what she had predicted. It turned out that time passed faster than expected and it was scarce for the preparation of her 13-year-old son. Then darkness began its threat over the otherwise harmonious kingdom. Panic erupted as buildings began to burn where the black particles from the sky fell down. The flames licked their way between the magnificent streets, and the water receded away from the rivers. It was all a nightmare and the people were furious.

The queen kissed her son and tugged him into her embrace. The screams outside in the castle courtyard increased and it bled out of her ears. The prince had seen up with his questioning big round eyes as he watched the single tears rolling down his mother's eyes. Then the people stormed the castle gate. Queen Aurora had betrayed her people and her protection had disappeared from the kingdom.

"Run, never look back again. Spirit will always be with you, my son."

And the prince let go of his mother and left the castle.

The people broke the gate and rushed indoors the castle in a spitting rage of pure fear. Aurora had no chance to defend herself, though her magic sizzled in her body. The people who had previously loved her now took her in their rough hands and pulled her down into the darkest crypt, where they tied her in iron and chains to the wall. Their words threatened her to stop the darkness that had swept over the village, but what they did not know was that Aurora was not behind the magic.

It started with a knife that slowly and delicately cut into her arms. The young woman screamed in pain and they continued their killing. But no matter what they did, it did not kill her. The queen's fine clothes were stained with blood and dirt, and now they tore her out into the street, where the fire crackled loose on the buildings. It flickered before her eyes as the heat got closer. Then the people kicked life into a bonfire and until then, they gave Aurora one last chance to stop the dark magic. She did not succumb.

And they burned her on the bonfire as if she were pure witchcraft.

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