Phoenix Reborn

n/Tay

f that knowledge pressed heavier on me. They would start looking for me if they hadn't already. The thou

es held a sharpness, a knowing that unsettled me. "I need to go," I said, my voice tight with a mi

forest on an empty stomach, child. Join us for breakfast. It'll give you strength for the journey ahead." His

, resigned. There was something about Tayanita's presence-an unspoken wisdom that made defying him seem f

walls. Tayanita lifted a carved wooden cup to his lips, drinking from its mysterious contents. Despite his age, his movements were fluid, his muscles

ing about his gaze-something familiar yet distant. It stirred a memory-f

me from my thoughts, slicing through

aving my mouth dry. The room seemed to close in, suffocating me with the weight of so

uestion lingered like a blade at my throat. "I was told my father died in an accident 23 years ago. My fa

but something flickered in his eyes.

ian of the sky." His voice grew heavier with each word. "Twenty-three years ago, our clan was attacked.

ke made me feel as though he was privy to information that

ever again after we lost our ancestral home t

revelation made the air feel thick and heavy. "Wh

dowf

bout my past. Thorn, Ivan, the pack-they were the ones responsible for the destruction of

speak because my mind was racing with trying to comprehend what all of this meant

f my thoughts. Mira emerged with a wooden plate; a large, golden-brown bird sprawled across it

er voice a balm to the tensio

ved generous portions for each of us, and we ate in silence. Each bite was rich and tender, the flavors eart

. Long shadows were formed over the planet by the sun's rays being partially blocked by

k you," even though it felt hollow and insufficient in light of everything they had provided

rdened by the past. "Safe travels, Rowan. And be care

ck. I glanced over my shoulder at Mira. Her gaze was on me, intense and unwave

asn't just curiosity. It was r

y flesh. The thought that this was not the last time I would see her pers

at the doorway and observing me, there she was. The trees whispered around me,