THRANDAL: The Phoenix and the Siren [UNDER EDIT]

BLOOD OF A PHOENIX

CHAPTER 16: Blood of a Phoenix

Minutes felt like years as he knelt there, tears endlessly falling from his eyes as he stared at the pile of ash.

The crowd around them lowered their heads. The people of Thrandal grieves for their loss yet fate cannot be undone or changed.

The people began to disperse and the circle began to disseminate. Galen placed a hand on Jace' shoulder and he stood up. He whispered something to Erina and she nodded as he helped her up and they walked away. Galen tapped Nero's shoulder before he, too, went ahead.

A few moments passed and only Caspian and Nero were left still on their knees in the middle of the battleground. Caspian lifted up his head and faced Nero.

"She loved you", he said.

Nero didn't utter a single word, he only continued to stare at the ground. No tears were shedding from his eyes anymore for he felt the pain in his heart turn into numbness.

"I was there that night, during the red moon. I watched you two stare at each other and I knew then and there your strings tied. I admit I had my eyes for her before, but when I saw the way she looks at you, I accepted it. She likes you even if she used to deny it. She gets mad at you because she cares. She's always been like that; she denies what she truly feels but unconsciously cares for the people around her. She's blind to her own emotions. But everyone who knows her story wouldn't blame her for being like that", he said. His voice was hoarse and Nero could feel the pain it held.

"Thank you for making her happy", with that, Caspian stood up and walked away.

Nero let out a sigh as he slowly stood up. He turned and watched the people's retreating backs. Everyone was quiet, like they all lost a loved one. Kitara was not the friendliest person in the world but she was the most compassionate, and she proved that when she chose to die for her people.

Nero took one step forward and then followed by another until he found himself catching up to Galen and the Lunar placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked.

"All wounds heal with time", he said.

"But time can't erase the memory of the pain", Nero mumbled as a reply.

"It's going to be okay", the Lunar had nothing else to say. Kitara was his friend and it already hurt that much to him. He can't imagine the pain Nero is going through right now so that was the only thing he was able to say.

"Not without her", he muttered under his breath.

But just as they were about to enter the forest that led to the portals, a voice tore through the silence and they all turned around.

"Look!", the man pointed towards the middle of the battlefield.

Their eyes grew wide at what they saw. The piled ashes had turned into a small hill. Everyone began to run back and encircle it.

"Is that-", Galen didn't finish his sentence when he saw Nero run at lightning speed.

The Siren pushed through the crowd and knelt before the hill of ash. Behind him, Jace, Erina, Galen, and Caspian stood stunned at what they were seeing.

"How did this happen?", Erina spoke as she knelt beside Nero. She stretched a hand towards the hill and touched the black ash.

Then suddenly, the hill moved. Erina was startled and she quickly retrieved her hand.

"Bless the Great Phoenix...", Jace' eyes widened when he realized what was happening.

"What? What's going on?", Erina stared up at Jace.

"It's something I read in the ancient history. I never knew it was possible because we all know children of fire do not burn with fire", he started. "A phoenix is born from ashes and dies into ashes. But only death by fire can a phoenix be reborn. It means that when a phoenix dies, that person turns to ashes. But when a phoenix dies from burning in a fire, it doesn't die, it only gets ..."

Jace wasn't able to finish his sentence when he averted his gaze towards the hill. Everyone shifted their gaze and saw that the top was beginning to crumble.

Then a miracle happened.

Dark red hair poked out of the hill as her body emerged. Her eyes were closed and her entirety was covered in dirt and ashes,

But they knew it was her.

"reborn...", Jace breathed out.

When her upper body was out, she lifted her head up. She then heavily breathed in and her eyes snapped open. Everyone gasped at the sight. It was the first time they were seeing the rebirth of a Phoenix.

Kitara was a pure blood of the Great Phoenix.

Nero was out of words as he watched her confusedly look around. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go, but his body wasn't cooperating with his mind. Instead, he just knelt there and stared at the reborn Phoenix.

"What...", Kitara's eyebrows furrowed as she watched her palms.

Caspian was first to snap out of his daze and he immediately walked up to Kitara and helped her stand. Everyone else woke up and began to chatter as they watched her. Nero slowly stood himself up and faced Kitara.

But she only furrowed her eyebrows at him and to everyone else before saying,

"What happened? Who are you people?"