The Restoration of the Phoenix

I. The Awakening

There was dead silence as I awoke screaming in agony, from what, I don't know. But this felt like Hell, or close to it. My body feeling vibrant and alive, but the pain exploded all at once across my chest and legs and arms and just everywhere. I didn't dare open my eyes until the pain had stopped, hearing nothing but the damned ringing in my ears and the whistling of the gentle breeze that felt ten times worse.

It wasn't​ until the pain was halfway bearable that I opened my eyes to see absolutely nothing, but everything at once. All I was staring at was the ground, seemingly laying there ars the pain throbbed in my knees as I bent them slightly out of the tight ball I was scrunched in. The ground was covered in ash and snow, the air an eerie orange brown color; that was wrong. Even when I blinked away my reality, all of the chaos and aftermath was still there, calm but dead.

The more I moved around, flexing the muscles in my fingers, arms, legs and such; I gathered the strength to bring my head up, to see everything but the barren wasteland I was in the middle. Sitting up helped with the pain, but the tingling ran along the inches of my spine as I stretched my arms like I had woken from a nap. My eyes couldn't help but wonder around the landscape, but there was nothing to see.

Everywhere, it was an endless eden of ash and smoke, the sky giving off an orange color yet there was no heat as the sun shone down on us in a pastel orange, like the world was on fire. There was no sounds of animals or creatures, just a silence that me cold with fear. The collapsed buildings made me feel so cold, the thought of people, but where were they?

Under my hand, I felt a crumble and crack of a solid object underneath my hands. I look down to see a small skull, cracking underneath my fingertips as I scream in fear. I stand up and brush the particles of bone off my hand, but I had no clothes on, just my hair going down to my knees, as bright as the copper sky. As I swiveled around on my feet, there was a perfect circle encasing me, inside there was nothing but ash and bones of small animals, slowly decaying away to dust, or already to dust.

THe heart in my chest felt tight, bringing my hand to it as I clenched gently, feeling my breast bone pointed out. I lifted my hands in front of my face, spreading my fingertips on the surface of my skin. As I touched my face, I felt strong features of jawline and cheek bone, with soft little lips and big eyes, from what Im can feel that is. My skin was smooth​ but dry, moisturizing my lips gently, gazing aroiund me in a full circle, wondering if there is any sliver of hope that there might be someone out there.

ONe foot over my encasement, my feet were feeble and weak, but tough enough to get through the rubble and dust. But as I exited the circle, I felt this weight lift off my chest slowly and into the air, but I could not see what it was. Still, I had to look on, for something, anything. Though I am going onto false hope, it was better than none. I didn't​ yell for help because there was no use, so I started to walk.

After sometime, It felt like nothing, and so did I. It didn't make me sad seeing all this destruction, but having a sinking feeling in my stomach of who could have caused so much death. As I was walking, I try to scavenge for clothes, anything to keep the wind from biting at my naked skin. My hair was able to cover the front of my breasts, but other than that, I was exposed. I would try to search the belongs of old looking buildings, finding a corpse that wasn't withered away, but as I said, there was absolutely nothing but the sadness that lingered, and the ash.

I didn't have any concept of time, or where I was because it looked all the​ same barren scape of death. The sky was turned a darker sunset color as the world became darker and slightly colder. Though I assumed that I had woken up at a relative afternoon, my feet showed otherwise the blisters of something that could form throughout the day. The sweat off my forehead didn't help, as well as the ache between my shoulder blades, the ache and sting was coming back to me. That's when i felt the blood drip from my nose as I fell to my knees.

I closed my eyes, half wishing who I was, but half wishing what I was. I started to cry, feeling the ground shake beneath me slightly; I shook from the cold and emptiness of the whole world, feeling not a soul on this planet. I started to bawl, feeling the tears heat up my cheeks, feeling myself overheat and the place between my shoulder blades felt like they were being pushed out. The tars came so naturally, I could water the entire world with my sadness for this ash heap of nothing.

As I regain my composure, I felt myself get up as I stared straight at a man. I was almost baffled but I knew I wasn't dreaming because of the way he hovered just a few feet from the ground, eyeing me as he cocked his head from side to side, as if he knew me. As I wanted to walk towards him, my feet became heavier, and he notices this. He looks around, trying to see why I am so unable to move. But I felt so helpless, I started to break down crying again; God I was so weak.

When I fell to the ground, I felt arms surround me, holding me dearly as I began to cry and cry and cry, the tears flowing out of me like a river in a stream, only I felt this overwhelming guilt wash over me like a hell fire, it wouldn't stop. When I opened, my eyes to get a closer look a the person holding me, all I saw was black; I began to panic. Then I saw him appear in front of me, toppling backwards in surprise.

"Are you okay, Hestia?" he spoke softly as he lifted me back to my feet.

"I'm okay, but who is Hestia?" I was confused, feeling the instinct that I have met him before, but could not recollect.

"Why that's you! Don't you remember me?" he looked hurt, but just as confused as I am.

"I- I'm so confused, I-" I started to rub my head as I felt an indention in my forehead, like something is missing. I wince.

"Ah Ah! Don't touch it! What happened to you Hestia?"

"Please, I don't know anyone named Hestia. Please I-" The tears from my eyes began to roll down my face.

"Hey it's gonna be okay. Amets is the name. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna help you remember okay?" He hugs me tightly, making me lay down in the pitch black, only his voice remained, yet i felt scared and sad.

I tried to fight off the sleep that was overcoming me, feeling my eyes betray me. I started to swing at Amets, but I couldn't feel him anymore, my body locking up and falling victim to the sleep encasing my body. But the more I resisted, the more that it began to hurt, but it was a dull pain, still, it was unpleasant. I gave in, feeling my heart rate go down and my body relax. My muscles were so relaxed, I could almost feel nothing was supporting me, only the air. As I drifted towards sleep​, I heard a female and a male voice talking, feeling a warmth come over me, but after that, I felt nothing at all but sleep.