The sky that night wasn't ordinary.
It burned.
Red light rippled through the skies, colouring the stars gold and red as if the heavens themselves had caught fire. The people of Velaria Kingdom gathered in the streets, staring at the horizon where a majestic phoenix - vast and radiant - took shape among the clouds. Its wings stretched from one end of the sky to the other, its cry shaking the air and souls alike.
That omen would be remembered for generations - the night a child of fire was born.
In the Duke of Arden's grand estate, cries echoed through the air - not of fear, but of life.
Inside a chamber lit by golden spirit lanterns, Lady Seraphine Arden held a newborn baby in her arms, his small chest glowing faintly with a mark of a phoenix - bright red, then fading to gold.
"His soul…" she whispered weakly, tears glistening in her eyes. "It's a phoenix, isn't it?"
Her husband, Duke Ardyn Arden, the strongest man of the dukes, stared in stunned silence. Then a smile spread across his worried face. "A Divine Beast Soul… the Phoenix of Flame. Our son, Alex, is blessed by the heavens."
But even as joy filled the room, a faint shadow crossed Ardyn's gaze. He had lived through battles and was a man who had seen too much - and he knew that a child born under such omen would never have an ordinary life.
In the following days, word of the phoenix birth spread like wildfire.
The capital buzzed with rumors.
"A phoenix soul… do you know how rare that is?"
"They say the heavens themselves were red when he was born."
"Then the House of Arden will rise beyond the throne itself…"
But not all words carried blessing.
In the royal palace, envy festered.
The Four Great Dukes, once equals, now whispered among themselves, uneasiness beneath polite smiles. And above them all, the King of Velaria, sitting on his golden throne, clenched his fist.
"A phoenix?" he muttered. "The boy's existence will eclipse even the royal line."
One of the dukes bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, if such a child lives long enough to awaken his spirit beast… no one will be able to control him."
The King's eyes narrowed. "Then we ensure he never awakens."
For four peaceful years, Alex grew within the walls of the Arden mansion.
A bright and curious child, his laughs often echoed through the gardens where flowers bloomed. Lady Seraphine adored and loved him, while the Duke, though stern, looked at him with quiet pride.
But after sometime, Alex fell ill.
It started with just a fever. Then his body turning colder as the days passed, his lips blue, his breath shallow. The warmth that once radiated from his skin turned to frost.
"He's freezing from the inside," the physician whispered, horrified. "His spirit flame… it's being frozen."
The Duke's heart sank. "What do you mean?"
"It's poison," the healer said finally. "A cold poison that attacks the beast spirit itself. Something designed to extinguish a flame that should never die."
"Who did this?" Ardyn roared in his rage, his aura bursting outward, shaking the room.
The servants were terrified and fell to their knees. One of them said,"My Lord… it was-it was one of the chef. He confessed after being caught sneaking out. Someone… someone paid him with spirit jade from the northern dukedom."
Before the servant could finish, a blade flashed.
Blood sprayed the marble floor.
Ardyn's voice trembled with fury. "This be a lesson to everyone. Those who betray Ardens will be executed without mercy."
But even that couldn't save his son. The poison had already taken root - a curse that froze Alex's spirit and dimmed the fire of his phoenix soul.
"Father… it's cold," Alex said one night, he was barely able to move.
Ardyn gripped his tiny hand, which felt like ice. "Don't worry, my son. I'll find a way to cure you."
Lady Seraphine sat beside them, tears silently falling from her eyes. "You can't fight everything with your sword, Ardyn. This… this is fate."
He looked at her sharply. "No. This is treachery."
But deep inside, even he feared the truth-that the poison couldn't be removed. The healers, the monks, even alchemists from the inner region had failed.
And the Alex's condition continued to worsen.
Sometimes, frost would gather on his skin as he slept. At other times, heat would radiate so intensely the curtains caught fire. His body was a battlefield of flame and ice - one that neither side could win. There was even danger of exploding, so Ardyn brought a technique that balances ice and fire. It was all he was able to do before the calamity stuck them.
The night when everything collapsed came.
It was supposed to be peaceful night. Alex was asleep, clutching the small phoenix carving his father had made for him. Outside, the sky was unusually still - no stars, no moon, just heavy clouds that filtered the light.
Then, faintly at first, came the tremor of footsteps.
Ardyn, meditating in his chamber, opened his eyes. The aura of death lingered on the wind.
He rose instantly. "Seraphine. Wake Alex. Now."
"What's wrong?" she asked, already sensing the dread.
"Enemies," he said grimly, drawing his sword. "The snakes finally show their fangs."
Moments later, explosions shattered the silence. The night turned crimson as spirit techniques rained down from above. The Four Dukes' armies, bearing royal banners, stormed the estate like a tide of darkness.
"Under decree of the King of Velaria!" a voice boomed from the gates. "The House of Arden is hereby condemned for treason! Kill all those whoever resist!"
The Arden warriors fought bravely, but they were hopelessly out numbered. Fire clashed with steel, spirit beasts roared in agony, and the once-grand mansion became a sea of blood and flame.
Ardyn cut down foe after foe, his Silver Wyvern spirit roaring beside him, tearing through ranks of soldiers. But even his strength began to wane under the endless tide.
"Seraphine!" he shouted, covered in blood. "Take Alex and go! Use the hidden path under the eastern wing!"
Lady Seraphine ran through the collapsing corridors, clutching the small boy to her chest. "It's going to be alright, my love," she whispered, even though her hands trembled.
"Mother?" Alex murmured weakly, half-asleep. "Why are there screams…?"
"Close your eyes, my darling. Don't look."
As they reached the courtyard, arrows rained from above. A crimson spear of qi tore through the air - striking Seraphine in the back. She stumbled, gasping, but did not fall.
A towering man stepped from the shadows - Duke Revarn, clad in black armor, his serpent beast spirit coiling around him.
"So the phoenix still clings to life," he sneered. "How pathetic."
Seraphine glared at him, her lips pale. "Revarn… you won't even get place in hell."
He laughed. "Hell? I won't die."
With what little strength she had left, she summoned her beast spirit - a white crane, shimmering faintly even as blood dripped from her wound. It wasn't strong enough to fight, but it gave her a second - one precious second.
"Reylan!" she screamed.
From the shadows, a tall, scarred man leapt forward - Captain Reylan, the last surviving commander of the Arden guards.
"Take him!" she shouted, thrusting Alex into his arms. "Go any where, just keep him alive, you have to take care of him, don't die."
"My Lady-"
"GO!"
Reylan's eyes turned red as he obeyed. He turned, sprinting into the darkness with the boy clutched tightly to his chest. Behind him, he heard the sound of Seraphine's final cry and the explosion of fiery qi that shook the heavens.
When he looked back once - just once - the mansion where he stayed, that had stood for generations was engulfed in crimson fire.
At dawn, the sky was silent. Smoke drifted over the ruins of the Arden estate.
The four dukes stood among the ashes, their robes stained with soot and blood.
"It's done," Duke Dain said coldly.
Velon smirked. "The phoenix has burned for the last time."
But Revarn frowned, his serpent spirit hissing restlessly. "No body of the child was found."
The others waved him off. "Poisoned or burned - it makes no difference. Even if he lives, he won't live long."
Above them, the last embers of the mansion flickered… and then faded.
Far away, deep in the forest, Reylan knelt beneath a tree, panting heavily. His body was torn, his armor shattered. In his arms, the boy still breathed faintly, frost gathering on his skin.
"Don't die, little one," Reylan whispered, his voice breaking. "Your flame still burns… somewhere in there."
Lightning flashed across the sky - half red, half white.
The omen of the phoenix burned once more.