Phoenix Rising

Saying Hello to a Dead Friend

When I woke up, it's a few hours before dawn and we teleport to San Diego. We didn't want to talk about Kaela's death. I knew I killed her as well. I killed two people now, Rose and Kaela.

"So how are we going to find this warehouse?" Emilea asks.

"I don't know... Check the note again to see if it gives us any clues."

"Is Fifth Avenue the street?"

"I think so." I close my eyes and think of the street. I'm surprised by how close the street actually is. "It is right around this block."

She runs and I sort of jog because of my legs and because of all the power that I used last night still has drained me. We get there in a little more than ten minutes and we know it had to be the place. The new glossy warehouse has a huge black phoenix drawn on the front door. We walk in and see that nobody is home.

"I will check upstairs." Emilea whispers as she slowly walks up the stairs.

I walk into the living room and see five dead men being ripped apart and forming a body, just like before when I first met the Phoenix King, Derah. I see the muscle form build first, and then blood is inserted. Then skin starts being formed around the body and face parts insert themselves into his face. It's forming someone other than Derah.

It's forming Josh.

I see Derah then walk into my vision and grab Josh's head. Josh's eyes turn completely black and Derah hand him the cross. Derah laughs maliciously and catches on fire before disappearing.

I walk into the living room and attack Josh. Josh catches on fire and appears across the room.

"Ha ha ha! I like my new body. You will not get this cross, sorry. I will give you the cross once I die. Wait, I already did die. No help from you. You just must love watching all of you friends die. It would make sense since you are the one who ends up killing them all."

"Enough!" I shout angrily and I catch on fire as well. I create a huge inferno and put the whole room in flames. Emilea comes running downstairs and as I see her, I draw all of my fire back and the fire disappears instantly. Emilea walks through the burnt room and catches me as I collapsed.

"It's ok, just lay down." She says laying me on the burnt couch.

"Is he dead?"

"Who? Is who dead?"

"Josh, is he dead?"

A menacing laugh echoes across the room. "Nope, I guess I win by default." Josh says. He appears behind Emily and grabs her head. Before she could react, he rips her head off and her body goes up in flames. He laughs and disappears in a veil of fire. Four words echo across the room after he left.

"Your time will come."

I pull myself off the couch and put the fire out easily by absorbing the leftover embers. I fall to the ground and I lie on her body. I didn't even care that her blood is seeping into my clothes. I scream out loud and cry quietly over her. I pull myself together and dissolve her body with orange dust like she dissolved Uriko's. All of my pain overwhelms me but is instantly numbed by grief and revenge.

My time will come, but not before yours.