Time flew by, the giant gears turned rapidly, and just like that, in the blink of an eye, it was July 6, 777.
On this day, Phoenix keenly sensed a subtle disharmony.
"Hey, Igneel…"
On this day, there was no training; Igneel was supposed to rest well and spend time chatting and playing with them.
"Hmm, what is it, Phoenix?"
Igneel's voice, though very deep, was strangely reassuring.
However, this time, Phoenix keenly noticed that today seemed a little different.
"I don't know why, but lately, I always feel like I'm about to lose something important.
My heart feels very uncomfortable."
Lowering his head, Phoenix gently stroked his chest.
He always felt as if it was about to crack open, empty, like a void of nothingness.
"…"
Igneel fell silent instantly.
At this moment, he suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Are you… leaving?"
"…!!"
Igneel's expression changed in surprise, and he instantly turned his head to look beside him.
Natsu was still happily playing with a rabbit, and Mavis sat on a tree, swinging her legs, leisurely passing the time.
It was as if neither of them had heard anything.
"Sure enough, you are planning to leave, but you don't want to tell us."
"Phoenix…"
"Occasionally, I can see certain fragments of the future," Phoenix said, raising his head.
Although his lips didn't move, he showed a wry smile, "But I only know that the Dragon will disappear in the year 777; I don't know the exact date at all.
If my Kenbunshoku Haki hadn't detected a slight anomaly, I probably wouldn't have known until you left!"
After answering Igneel's question, Phoenix unconsciously clenched his hands.
Grandeeney… Wendy… Grandeeney will disappear, so Wendy… Wendy… Phoenix tried hard to stop himself from thinking further, because even if he knew, it was too late now.
Especially after Igneel disappeared, Natsu would be left all alone, and Phoenix couldn't just let him be without a care.
"Tomorrow… Today, let's enjoy it to the fullest!"
Igneel slowly shook his head.
There were some things he didn't want Natsu to hear.
"Mmm."
Unable to stop him, Phoenix could only accept his fate.
Grandeeney, Igneel – although they were not human, they gave him a warmth that even humans could hardly achieve.
In this world, those who can give everything selflessly are simply too few.
On this day, Phoenix's mood was heavy, but he still forced a smile.
Mavis noticed this but didn't ask, feeling that even if she did, Phoenix would likely avoid the topic.
As for Natsu, he continued to live his carefree life as he did yesterday.
Sometimes, this kind of personality was truly enviable, but envy aside, Phoenix certainly didn't want to be such a glutton.
Night gradually fell, and the day was drawing to a close.
The countdown to Igneel's departure had begun.
"Phoenix, Natsu, Mavis!"
Suddenly, Igneel summoned the three of them before him.
"Unknowingly, it's already come to this.
It's always been training, training; life has been very tough."
After a while of lamenting, Igneel made a gesture in the air and produced three items.
Truly worthy of the Dragon race, it seemed every Dragon had their own special space.
"These are gifts for you.
See if you like them."
For Phoenix, there was a ring with an ancient dragon head pattern.
For Mavis, a dragon-body bracelet.
And for Natsu, a dragon-scale scarf.
Phoenix slipped the ring onto his left middle finger; it was just the right size.
He lightly clenched his hand; it wouldn't affect his punching.
"What a great gift, I really like it!"
Compared to the flashy bracelet and the cumbersome scarf, a ring was clearly more to Phoenix's taste.
"Mmm, thank you, Igneel.
This bracelet is very beautiful, I like it a lot too."
Mavis truly loved it; she had already put the bracelet on her left wrist and was admiring it, unable to put it down.
Her smile grew brighter in the night.
"Ugh, ugh~ Why does mine have to be a scarf!
Can't I exchange it?"
Natsu merely looked at Phoenix's ring, then at Mavis's bracelet, and finally back at his own scarf.
He always felt the scarf was too clumsy.
"Only this you won't lose!"
Igneel's blunt words directly refuted Natsu, making him blush.
"Well… it's not really like that…"
Natsu's voice trailed off as he spoke, and he finally decisively wrapped the scarf around his neck.
With his hands on his hips, Natsu said proudly, "See!! With this, I'll never be cold in winter!!"
"…"
Watching Natsu, brimming with an optimistic spirit, everyone suppressed the urge to deflate his enthusiasm.
Although fire and ice are naturally at odds, as a Fire Dragon Slayer, he had never heard of one being afraid of the cold.
That night, everyone had a thoroughly good time playing and resting.
Even Phoenix opened his heart and cherished the last moments.
And then… came the next day.
On July 7, 777, all the Dragons in the world disappeared.
"He, after all, is gone."
"Since we already knew this day would come, let it go."
Mavis reached out from behind Phoenix and tightly wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her head firmly against his back.
"Perhaps."
Phoenix nodded noncommittally.
"I don't know why… although it's very sad, but here…"
Gently stroking the area over his chest, Phoenix showed a hint of confusion.
"Here… it feels as if something has filled it, very complete.
It's as if Igneel is right here!"
"I know.
Because Fini, he trusts Igneel very much.
Igneel also dotes on Fini very much.
The deeper the love, the harsher the discipline!
Although Igneel has a hot temper and an impulsive personality, and he was merciless when training you, it is precisely because of this that it shows he has deep hopes for you.
So, no matter where he exists, he will surely be watching over you silently somewhere."
"Is… that so?"
Although Mavis's comfort calmed Phoenix's mood considerably, Phoenix vaguely felt that it shouldn't be like this.
Surely… surely something important had been forgotten by him.
And at this moment, deep within Phoenix's heart, which he claimed was filled and complete, in a corner that even Phoenix himself had never noticed, a pair of crimson giant eyes suddenly opened, then closed again.
"Phoenix… Natsu…"
A faint, inaudible sigh drifted out, disappearing completely without a trace before it could scatter.
"…Forget it.
Never mind!
I will definitely find Igneel; I must bring him home.
But for now…"
Turning his gaze to Natsu, who looked disbelieving after hearing from his mouth that Igneel had disappeared, Phoenix gently said, "Natsu, come with me!"
"I'm not going!! Absolutely not going! Igneel wouldn't leave me."
Natsu sat on the ground, staring blankly at the scarf around his neck, "Igneel still has so, so many things to teach me; he couldn't possibly leave suddenly."
"He left."
"He didn't leave!!"
Natsu stubbornly looked at Phoenix, tears welling up in his eyes.
"…I'm leaving, Natsu.
If you want to stay here and wait for Igneel, I won't stop you."
"Phoenix…"
Natsu suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
At this moment, Natsu experienced the loneliness of the world leaving him behind.
"But… the world is very big, you know.
Perhaps Igneel exists in some corner of the world.
Compared to here, don't you want to see other places?"
Phoenix's tone remained unhurried, as if he had already made up his mind from the beginning.
"I… I…"
Natsu hesitated for a moment, but still holding a glimmer of hope in his heart, he wanted to wait a few more days.
"Natsu, I'm sorry, I can't stay here with you.
I have things I must do, and promises I must fulfill."
Igneel's departure was inevitable, and Phoenix couldn't stay here wasting time pointlessly.
If it weren't for Wendy, Phoenix wouldn't mind wasting a few more days.
But Wendy… thinking of her, nearly five years old, living alone in the jungle, and then blindly searching for Grandeeney by herself, Phoenix couldn't forgive himself for being so calm until now.
"…How about this, Phoenix, I'll stay here, and you go find her first?"
Looking at Mavis, who didn't seem to be smiling, Phoenix was about to refuse, but the words changed as they reached his lips, "…Give me ten days.
After ten days, no matter the outcome, I will immediately rush back!"
Phoenix looked back at Natsu, who seemed a bit afraid to meet his gaze.
Phoenix shook his head helplessly.
With a thought, he executed several Instant Transmissions in a row, Phoenix, with full power, charged straight towards the jungle where Grandeeney once lived.
Half a month later—
A haggard Phoenix returned alone once again.
Four days rushing there, seven days desperately searching, and then another four days for a rapid return.
For half a month, Phoenix had hardly truly rested for a single day.
So, when he returned here and saw Mavis and Natsu again, a weary Phoenix rarely showed a hint of a happy smile on his lips.
Thankfully, there were still people who hadn't left him.