CHAPTER 250: BLOODLINE AWAKENING (3)

The moment the blood disappeared, the great door trembled, a deep shudder running through its massive frame.

The vibration spread outward like a low rumble, echoing through the walls and making the ground itself quiver, as though the ancient gate had just awakened from a slumber that had lasted countless ages.

Melissia instinctively stepped back, her heart thudding in her chest, as the gate slowly began to open inward. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and ashes drifted lazily through the air, disturbed after so many years. At some point, Nyra silently appeared behind her, her gaze fixed on the growing darkness revealed behind the widening gap.

When the gate finally stood open in its entirety, a sight unlike any other greeted them. Within that abyss, bright red flames suddenly ignited, brimming with life and devouring the shadows in an instant, their glow illuminating the ancient hall hidden within.

The hall revealed itself in its full grandeur, and both Melissia and Nyra drew sharp breaths, their chests tightening. In that moment, they felt everything at once—shock, fear, awe, dread, and even a flicker of happiness.

Happiness, because Melissia realized she might truly have the chance to revive the bloodline of her family.

And yet, shock, fear, awe, and dread overwhelmed them, because what stood before their eyes was no relic. It was the skeletal remains of a true Phoenix.

The massive structure stretched out like the frame of a fallen sky. The beak was sharp and regal, the claws long and curved with terrifying elegance, and the wide spread of its feathered bones looked as if it could once have covered the heavens themselves.

Even in death, the skeleton radiated a presence that was impossible to ignore. An aura of pride, dignity, and overwhelming power pulsed faintly from the remains, spilling outward in invisible waves, though neither of them had yet set foot inside.

The hall itself was strange, almost alien in its beauty. Marble floors lay covered in a thin layer of ashes, as though time itself had burned and left its remnants behind. The ceiling and walls glittered with red crystalline stones, frozen in jagged patterns like ice, yet each shard glowed faintly with heat. It felt less like a hall and more like stepping into a world of frozen fire, a place where ice burned and flames stood still.

While Nyra remained dazed by the sight, Melissia walked forward as if possessed. The dream she had received had only shown her the method to enter the gate, nothing beyond it. Yet here, standing before the remains of the Phoenix, questions flooded her mind like a storm.

...Is this the corpse of the Ancestor..?

She asked herself a question she already knew the answer to. Still, countless doubts swirled within her heart, each one without an answer.

Who could possibly have been powerful enough to kill a Phoenix? Who could have survived the devastating flames of Nirvana? Why had these bones not turned to ash, if the ancestor had truly fallen? Why did they still remain preserved in such a state? And if the ancestor died, who created this place? Was it built by the enemy, and if so, for what reason?

No matter how she tried to piece it together, there were no answers. Only silence.

Pushing her curiosity aside, Melissia stood directly before the massive skeletal remains. Even in death, the Phoenix looked forward, its skull angled with pride, as if refusing to bow to the world even after its fall.

Slowly, almost reverently, she raised her hand, reaching out to touch the ancient bones. Behind her, Nyra’s eyes scanned the chamber with sharp caution. Her senses were muted after entering the darkness below, so she had to rely solely on her eyes, ears, and nose. Even then, her instincts screamed that this place was dangerous, at least to her.

Her gaze shifted back to Melissia, who was now stretching her hand closer to the Phoenix bones. Nyra wanted to stop her, but deep inside she knew Melissia would not listen, no matter what she said. So instead, she silently watched, ready to act the moment something happened, while praying that nothing would.

The instant Melissia’s hand touched the cold surface of the bones, her body jolted violently. Heat surged through her veins, her blood racing with unnatural speed. Smoke began to rise from her clothes as unbearable heat consumed her. She tried to pull her hand away, but it was as though her flesh had been fused to the remains.

Her garments started to burn, and then came the pain. It was unbearable, tearing through her nerves, and a scream ripped from her lips, raw and agonized.

Nyra’s composure broke the moment she heard it, her eyes widening, her heart twisting. She moved instinctively, but before she could take a single step forward, a vast Will descended upon her.

The ground beneath her groaned as if pressed by an invisible mountain. She struggled to resist, her body trembling violently under the weight. Even for her, who had endured countless hardships, it was almost suffocating. Her knees buckled, forcing her down, and yet she kept her eyes on Melissia, whose screams only grew louder.

By now her clothes had been burned away, and her skin itself was searing under the flames of power. Nyra’s eyes turned crimson as fury and desperation swelled inside her, and she attempted to unleash her domain to fight back. But the moment her power surged, it was suppressed, crushed under the vast Will pressing down on her.

She strained her neck upward, forcing herself to look at the source, and what she saw above the skeletal remains made her very soul tremble.

From the bones, a figure of a Phoenix formed, not of flesh but of pure will and intent, its wings stretching wide as it gazed down with ancient, unyielding eyes.

In that moment, realization struck her like lightning.

It is the Will of the great Ancestor of the Ravencroft family...

Her teeth clenched, her body shaking, but she did not look away. And all the while, the screams of Melissia echoed through the hall, growing sharper, louder, and more agonized with every passing second.

***

Melissia was not faring well. Her body and soul were burning, and the pain she felt was beyond anything she could endure.

After all, who in this world could ever think of pain as something pleasant, unless the person was a masochist.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts...

Her body was already half burned, her flesh peeling away as if consumed by invisible fire, and the pain had become blinding. At some point, she even lost her voice, her screams falling silent. Her throat could no longer carry sound, and then, as though her existence itself was being erased, her body crumbled into dust.

At that same moment, the ancient phoenix bones began to disintegrate, breaking apart into fine ashes. Slowly but surely, those ashes drifted and surrounded the remains of Melissia, merging with her own.

Then, as though a storm of ash had erupted, the two piles intertwined, glowing with an otherworldly brilliance. The storm of ashes grew larger, fiercer, and more terrifying with every passing heartbeat.

The frozen flames on the ceiling and walls were sucked into the vortex, drawn into its center, until a blinding radiance burst forth and flames devoured everything.

Bright red, burning yellow, molten orange, and dazzling white flames intertwined like threads of fate, sweeping through the hall. Yet, despite the inferno, nothing was truly consumed. Not even Nyra was touched by the fire, though she stood right in its heart, watching in awe.

You can do this, little sister...

Her fists clenched tightly as she whispered her prayer, hoping desperately for Melissia’s success.

Time passed, and after several agonizing minutes, the raging flames began to condense. They slowly twisted into a crown, forged from fire and molten red steel. It radiated authority, dignity, and a sovereign majesty, like something meant only for those who could command the heavens.

At that instant, the oppressive power crushing Nyra vanished. The image of the phoenix faded, its vast will absorbed into the crown itself. And in the very next breath, from the flames of nirvana, a figure emerged.

A flawless body slowly took form, skin pale and smooth like porcelain, eyes glowing with the brilliance of burning rubies, and hair cascading in waves of crimson fire. She was beautiful beyond reason, mesmerizing and soul-stealing, a being who seemed both divine and untouchable.

Her entire demeanor had changed. The depressed, untidy, and broken version of Melissia was gone, replaced by a figure that seemed utterly flawless, as though every imperfection had been burned away in the flames.

Melissia had been reborn.

The Flame Empress had awakened.

Albeit, for now, she was still a weak shadow when compared to the overwhelming figure described in the original novel.

Nyra looked at Melissia with wide eyes, her heart beating loudly against her chest. Her body trembled as tears spilled from her eyes, blurring her vision, and in a voice that quivered with relief, she muttered, "You... you succeeded.."

***

A/N:

Hey readers, how’s life? Breathing? Good... because it’d be kinda terrifying if ghosts were reading this.

Anyway, we’ve officially hit 250 Chapters! Crazy, right? From Chapter 1 to here, it’s been one heck of a ride, and I’m honestly so grateful to all of you who stuck around—even with my "questionable at times" writing skills.

(Though hey, I think I’d at least pass a writing exam if I ever gave one.)

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for reading and spending your precious time here. If you’re still enjoying the story, dropping some Power Stones would mean the world! You might think it doesn’t matter, but trust me, it really does.

Also, big news—I’m planning a mass release soon! How many Chapters? Hmm... at least 10, maybe even 15. I won’t give false promises, but I’ll try my best. Target date? September 1st. If anything shifts by a day or two, I’ll let you know.

Once again, thank you for all the love and support! Let’s keep going strong. Smash those Power Stones and unlock the Power of Runes!

~ thelastparagon