The flames surrounding the Phoenix heir flared higher, as if trying to pull him out of this world.
His copper-gold hair shimmered like beams of light, and the eyes that once belonged to him now glowed with emptiness and the pain of the past.
Irin held Noona tighter, feeling an invisible force pulling him closer to the blaze.
"I won't let you go… no matter how strong the curse is," he whispered, his voice trembling, but filled with determination.
The heir's body shook violently, the copper-gold light scattering like sparks trying to atone for every sin.
The ancestors' whispers echoed in his mind, "Descendants… if any generation breaks the rules, the heirs must atone."
All the pain, worry, and ancient sorrow poured out into the flames.
Yet amid the chaos, the Phoenix heir's body slowly straightened. Irin's heart hammered, almost breaking—he knew immediately… she was beginning to respond to the outside world.
The wind howled, whipping the leaves into the air, and thunder rumbled as if the entire world were trembling.
Irin stepped closer. The copper-gold light from the Phoenix heir reflected on his face, a mix of warmth and sorrow flooding his senses.
"No matter what happens, I'll stay with you… until this fate ends," he said.
The Phoenix heir trembled once more, and the light surrounding her began to stabilize, as if something was awakening… the cursed power had begun to release fully.