The Cursed One ✔ - Book One of the Phoenix Trilogy

Sixteen ~ The Vessel

"I wanna go back to my apartment," Venus whined as soon as she finished devouring her breakfast.

"Why dear? Would you really choose to be alone all your life than taking a chance here, to have new friends, family or love life perhaps?" Her darned master replied, insinuating something once again. She knew what he was implying, but if he can pretend innocent then so could she.

Bloody desperate fathers as the Englishman would say.

Venus arched her brow at him in an exaggerated way, "Why are you so keen on keeping me here anyway?"

"Before I answer that, I'd like to tell you the story of our Goddess Phoenix first. Is that okay, dear?" He replied instead, holding his glass of juice.

"Okay, I guess. I'm not in a hurry anyway. That jerk outside can come in here to sit with us, if... Only if he promises to be silent." Venus said solemnly as she pointed to the prince who had his back from them from the doorless entry. She pitied him standing outside without even finishing his breakfast.

Master Ronheild unseen, knowing smile was camouflaged by his flat tone, calling Aldrik in, "Son, you can come in now!"

Aldrik bolted in and was about to mutter something, "Ah, ah, not a word son, she will only let you stay if you remained silent. Finish your interrupted breakfast and listen to our discussion," Lord Ronheild hastily reproached him.

Aldrik's face scrunched up. With his lips pressed in a thin line, he scoffed but proceeded by the window anyway. He continued eating grumpily.

"Now, my dear. Let us proceed with our discussion, shall we?" Vee nodded in response. "Phoenix is a very powerful goddess. She is responsible for the balance of life and death. Good and evil. For thousands of years, she is reincarnated over and over again for this sole purpose but the vessels that she had were all weak. She had tried every being--Vampire, Werrian, Faerian, Siren, Elvian, Human and so on. Everyone succumbed to her flame until eventually she got tired and made her descendants. Us... Phoenicians." He paused for a few seconds as if reminiscing something.

Venus patiently waited until her master sighed and continued his story, "We are all chosen by the pull which is a purified Phoenix essence to find her perfect vessel on her stead. Eventually doing her responsibilities on her behalf, while she disappeared somewhere unknown. Phoenicians are actually a mix of all beings from different realms. Once chosen by the pull, you are required to train here in our realm which is, by the way, created by the goddess herself too. The training lasts four years until you are capable of accessing your full potential. Upon graduation rites, the search ends. It is when we determine the final outcome of the flame level." He slowly sipped from his juice taking his time to give her room to sink things in.

After a few minutes or so, he proceeded again. "For example, when you started as a yellow level does not mean after four years you'll definitely end up as the lowest. It depends upon how strong your life source is. You can end up a level ahead or two the most. No one made it to three levels increase ever since. So the pure one should be able to reach the fifth level or white flame without combusting. But, even if you just stayed on your level, fret not. We don't pressure anyone to level up. Lowest level doesn't mean weak. Because a full-fledged Phoenician is stronger than anyone outside the realm." He stood up and went to place his glass on the table.

He was walking back when he continued, "During graduation, the new Phoenicians are delegated to their specific designation and role in the realm. Then the pull comes again to give us our new batch of subordinates. Every four years the cycle continues and we are empty-handed each time. Our people have become frustrated already. So far, the highest we got is fourth level or blue which only occurs once every century..."