The battlefield was a storm of heat and light, yet the air felt heavy — like the world itself was holding its breath.
Purple flames coiled around Carl like living serpents, their glow distorting the ground beneath his boots. Sweat stung his eyes, but he didn't blink. The jagged black sword in his grip was warm enough to sear his palm, yet he held it tighter, feeling the weapon's pulse sync with his own heartbeat. The scent of scorched earth and iron hung thick in the air, and every exhale came with the faint hiss of fire meeting the cool wind.
Across from him, the golden warrior stood like a statue carved from sunlight. A slow wind teased at the man's wild mane of hair, each strand gleaming as if it held molten gold. His beast's aura shimmered in a way that hurt to look at — a weight that pressed against the mind, instinct screaming to run. One eye glowed bright as a sunbeam, the other shadowed but just as sharp.
"You, Phoenix," the man's voice carried over the roaring flames, impossibly steady. "Quit while you still can. Your flames can't touch me. The Griffin is always the strongest. Beg for mercy now… and your death will be swift."
Carl tilted his head just enough for his messy, violet-streaked hair to shift. The corner of his mouth curled.
"Great talk for a kitten with two tails."
The insult landed. Golden light flared, his opponent's aura bristling like a provoked predator. The heat between them twisted into something sharper — challenge, pride, the inevitability of violence.
Carl pulled his sword free from the cracked earth with a grinding hiss. Purple fire spiraled up the blade, splitting into branching tongues that swirled around his arms. The golden warrior raised his own weapon, and behind him, light burst outward in the form of a colossal Griffin — talons like blades, eyes like miniature suns.
Above, the heavens split in two. From Carl's side, the Phoenix descended — wings stretching across the horizon, each feather a shard of molten amethyst. The air grew heavier with every beat of its wings, and the ground trembled under the pressure.
The Griffin's cry ripped through the sky like a lion's roar, met by the Phoenix's fire-scorched scream.
For one strange, flickering heartbeat, the Phoenix's flames dimmed — the glow twisting in patterns almost like the golden aura it opposed. The Griffin's master narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his face.
"What… are you?"
The two spirits collided.
Light swallowed the battlefield whole.
---
One Month Ago
"Brother! Brother, wake up!"
Carl groaned, pulling his blanket over his head. Something small and relentless was bouncing on top of him — all elbows and knees.
"Mom's calling!" Court's voice rang like a bell in the cramped wooden room.
Carl pried one eye open. Court's messy brown hair was sticking up in all directions, his grin wide enough to split his face. "She says fetch water!"
From the other beds came muffled groans. Their room smelled faintly of woodsmoke and the herbs their mother hung to dry in the corners. Carl pushed Court off, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"All of us?" he asked.
Court nodded with the solemnity of a messenger delivering royal orders.
Minutes later, Carl was out front with four of his brothers, each with a bucket in hand. The dirt path leading to the stream wound through tall grass swaying in the breeze. The morning sun was warm but gentle, the air clean with the scent of earth and pine.
His younger brothers raced ahead, swinging their buckets like weapons, their laughter echoing in the open space. Carl followed at a steadier pace, Court at his side.
"You really think Mom's serious about demon tides?" Court asked.
Carl smirked. "She's always serious. But half the time it's just stories to keep you from doing something stupid."
Court pretended to think about that, then said, "So… she's saying I should try drinking the river water?"
"Court—"
The stream came into view, and Carl's voice died. The water should have been clear, reflecting the blue of the sky. Instead, a sluggish black sheen spread from the center outward, swirling in unnatural spirals. The smell hit him next — a damp, rotting stench that didn't belong in fresh water.
"Stay back," Carl ordered.
But Court had already skipped ahead, crouching at the bank with his hands cupped.
"Court, NO!" Carl lunged forward—
The river exploded.
A towering shape erupted from the water, droplets falling like shards of glass in slow motion. Its face was a grotesque parody of a man, stretched into the angular shape of a fish's skull. Rows of serrated teeth glistened, and its slick, scaled body glimmered black-blue under the sun.
Carl's breath caught — not from fear, but from the realization that the laughter had stopped.
He turned.
His brothers were on the ground. Limbs sprawled, eyes glassy. Red pooled beneath them, soaking into the dirt.
"No…"
Court's scream yanked his focus back to the demon, now lunging forward with a wet, snapping sound.
Carl grabbed the nearest bucket and hurled it at the creature's head. The wood splintered, water splashing uselessly down its side. It didn't even flinch.
It smiled.
With a whip-fast motion, the demon slashed at Court. Carl grabbed another bucket and threw it low, trying to trip the thing, but it twisted its body in a way no human could, dodging with ease.
Rage boiled over. "Get away from him!"
The world… shifted.
---
He was no longer on the riverbank. Darkness stretched endlessly in every direction, thick and heavy like smoke. Heat pressed against his skin, though there was no source of light — until it appeared.
The Phoenix.
It was massive, each wingbeat scattering embers that fell like stars into the black. Its feathers rippled between purple and deep violet, each one radiating a heat that sank straight into his bones. Its eyes burned brighter than the sun, pinning him in place.
I am the Phoenix, the voice boomed inside his mind. I have waited long for a bearer. Take my power… and protect your brother.
"Yes!" The word was out before thought could catch it. "Yes, whatever it takes!"
The Phoenix's gaze softened — then it dove.
Flame swallowed him.
---
He was back on the riverbank.
The demon's claws were inches from Court's terrified face when a burst of purple fire erupted between them. Carl's body moved before his mind caught up, his leg wreathed in violet flame as it connected with the creature's chest. The impact sent it skidding back into the river, steam hissing as water met fire.
The demon screamed, black water swirling around its hands before hardening into jagged spears. It flung them in a barrage, each one hissing through the air.
Carl's body moved like it already knew the pattern, weaving between them. Purple fire coiled tighter around his fists, the heat bending the air.
"AHHHH!" He slammed his punch into the demon's face.
The explosion of heat and light was blinding. The demon's head ignited, its scream cutting short as its form dissolved into ash.
Carl staggered, breathing hard. Court's small voice broke through the ringing in his ears.
"Brother…"
Carl managed a nod, though black spots danced in his vision. He scooped Court up, his arms trembling. Every step toward home felt heavier, but he didn't stop.
---
High above, in the shadow of the trees, several figures watched in silence. Their cloaks were deep blue, fastened with golden buttons, and their masks bore the fierce visages of sky-dwelling beasts.
One spoke at last, voice low. "A Phoenix…"
Another nodded. "The commander will want to know."
They melted back into the forest without a sound.
---
In a world where mythical beasts pass down their spirits to humans, warriors are chosen to defend the land from demonkind. These spirits are the only thing keeping humanity alive against the endless tide of monsters.
Carl Vale… is the one chosen by the Phoenix.
And with that gift comes a power the world has never seen — and a cost that might kill him before the war ever ends.
To be continued....