Harrow, a phoenix, has lived for centuries, reborn from his own ashes every time he dies. But after losing his first love, he's grown weary of his immortal existence and longs for death. However, as a creature bound to the cycle of rebirth, he's unable to take his own life. Enter Remi, a human girl who's had enough of her abusive father and attempts to end her life. Harrow intervenes, sensing a strange connection between Remi and the universe. He discovers that Remi has the power to kill him, but only if she willingly craves death. As Harrow and Remi spend more time together, she begins to find reasons to live, and her desire to die fades. But Harrow, still loyal to his first love, is torn between his growing feelings for Remi and his desire to finally rest in peace. With Remi's life improving, Harrow must confront the possibility that his chance at death may slip away. Will he find a way to let go of his past love and embrace a new future with Remi, or will his loyalty to his first love forever bind him to the cycle of rebirth?
Chapter 1 The Encounter
Harrow's POV
The Underworld was a terrible place to go. Apart from the foul stench, there's this sense of evil in the atmosphere, a sense of fear and foreboding.
I sometimes almost felt sorry for the humans heading there. Almost. They deserved it afterall. Much like the doomed fellow chained to my left wrist.
"Let me go! I said let me go this instant, you freak!"
I paused, turning to face him. It's a shame he hadn't learned his lesson, most humans would be begging by now.
"Let you go? To where exactly? The outer world? Why you'd just be a roaming soul with no destination. I can't have that."
"You bastard! Just you wait, I'll skin you alive like I did to the others."
I looked at him with a mask of indifference. It was really starting to get boring, the empty threats, the struggles. I even watch him tug furiously at the chain binding us together.
He hadn't taken the time to look at their underworld, his soon to be home. He didn't notice the burning temperature yet, the demons slithering around in the shadows, but I knew he noticed the tormented screams of sinners writhing in a pool of flame.
That was probably why he was so worked up. Or maybe he was just naturally nasty. I didn't care.
"You look as beautiful as ever Harrow," Life walked in saying. Death followed behind. "You even caught the killer. He's a sneaky one. Escaped death a number of times."
"Next time, get your demon dogs to run your errands."
"Still as rude as ever," Death replies, her face as still as a statue. A foul smelling fog slithers around her tall frame.
"I learn from the best. Have him." The chain retracts and the human makes a run for it.
Death's fog stretches around his ankles, pulling him back amidst his scream of protest.
"I should just eat him."
"Mother phoenix forbids that. According to the scroll of fate..." A golden scroll morphed into my hand and I rolled it open. "His punishment is the fire of purification. For eternity."
"That's a pretty lenient punishment. What about the child? Can I eat her?"
Her fog stretched towards the little girl chained to my right wrist. I threw a ball of fire at it and it retracted, causing her to growl in terror.
"She took the blow for her mom and let her live instead. She doesn't belong here."
With a curt nod, i turned to leave, hearing Death spew out curses.
After delivering the girl safely to the afterlife, I summoned a portal to the outer world, landing effortlessly on the roof of an apartment complex.
Dawn was just approaching, the sun casting a warm orange glow in the sky. I looked at the long stretches of skyscraper, thinking, it's amazing how those castles turned to skyscrapers within the span of a few years.
But I was no longer as awestruck as I was. Not since that moment, the moment of my 6th rebirth and the lose of Diana. The most precious thing that ever happened to me in my entire miserable life.
Now I just roamed the earth, unsmiling, craving death, an end to the misery and pain.
If only I could just take a step off the ledge and fall to my end, how happy I would be. But it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Atleast for me.