The last male phoenix had fallen. Now, the survival of the flock rested on the females, who were forced to drink from the Birthing River to propagate their kind. But I, the one with the greatest potential to conceive an Ancient Phoenix of legend, turned my back on the River. Under the bewildered gazes of my people, I cast myself into the Abyss of Eternal Flame. In my previous life, I had poured my very essence, every drop of my life force, into nurturing the most noble of all phoenixes—a Golden Phoenix. But on the day of its presentation at the Sunstone Altar, it pierced my chest with a single, brutal claw, then flew into the arms of my stepsister, cooing and calling her "Mother." My stepsister became the revered Phoenix Matron, destined to ascend to godhood, while I was branded a child-thief. My feathers were torn from my body, and I was thrown into the Abyss to burn alive. Even as I died, I couldn't understand. The Golden Phoenix was my child. Why did it call another its mother? When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was to drink from the Birthing River. … The waters of the Birthing River flowed languidly before me. It wasn't until my stepsister, Elara, called my name for the third time that the searing memory of being plucked bare and consumed by fire finally released its grip. "With your power, sister, I can only imagine what kind of phoenix you'll bring forth! My guess… it will be the Golden Phoenix of old, the most noble of all!" Seeing Elara's innocent, harmless smile sent a sudden, icy sweat down my spine. The agony of my last life—my child stolen, my name cursed, my body desecrated—was still terrifyingly vivid. With that thought searing my mind, I didn't hesitate. I stood up and turned to leave. If drinking from this river meant birthing a child that would betray me, then I simply wouldn't drink. Elara's expression changed in an instant. She moved to block my path while shouting for the Matriarch. "Mother! Look at sister! What's wrong with her? Why is she leaving?" The Matriarch appeared before me, her smile as warm and benevolent as ever, but the warmth never reached her eyes. "Lyra, my dear, don't be willful. Every phoenix must drink from the River and bear young. It is the law of our flock. To defy it is to invite a curse upon yourself." The current Matriarch of the Phoenix Flock was Elara's mother—my stepmother, Morgana. My own mother, a magnificent Rainbow Phoenix, had been the previous Matriarch. She had fallen into dark sorcery and perished soon after I was born, leaving me to be raised by my stepmother. After my father's passing, the few remaining male phoenixes had dwindled, one by one, until none were left. The law requiring the females to drink from the Birthing River had been established by the council of elders. Every one of us had sworn a blood oath: for the future of the flock, we would bear young, regardless of our own standing or power. Furthermore, only the one who birthed the most powerful fledgling would become the next Matriarch. Elara's bloodline was diluted, her own power weak. She could drink the entire river dry and likely never produce a phoenix of any real note. But I was different. I was of pure lineage, my procreative essence the strongest among all the females of the flock. In my past life, my sole ambition had been to hatch the most powerful phoenix, to become Matriarch and repay Morgana for her years of kindness. Elara and I had drunk from the River at the same time, conceived at the same time, and laid our eggs at the same time. The ancient phoenix tome Morgana had given me said that by feeding the egg with one's own heart's blood and using a secret ritual, a Golden Phoenix could be born. I hadn't suspected a thing. I did as I was told, draining my life force, enduring ten days of agonizing struggle, until finally, a rare and magnificent Golden Phoenix hatched from the shell. Weak and trembling, I carried the fledgling in my arms to the Sunstone Altar, ready to be declared the Phoenix Matron and inherit the title of Matriarch. But then, without warning, the creature in my arms lashed out, its sharp talons tearing through my chest. It then soared gracefully into Elara's embrace, nuzzling against her and chirping, "Mother." A fledgling's bond with its birth mother is instinctual, absolute. No one would ever doubt the child was Elara's. Elara stroked the Golden Phoenix's head, her expression a mask of regret as she looked at me. "Sister, how could you be so cruel? To secretly switch my egg with your own! I want to honor the bond we share, but as the new Matriarch, I must uphold the law. You must be punished." Her words, so seemingly righteous, painted me as a monster. The flock turned on me, their disgust palpable as they swarmed forward, tearing my feathers from my flesh. I lay bloodied on the altar, enduring the scorn of my people. "Disgusting! After all the Matriarch has done for her, she steals another's child! She has no shame!" "Whoever said Lyra was powerful must be blind. Elara birthed a Golden Phoenix! Her essence is clearly stronger. Lyra was just jealous, she stole it! She's as vile as her corrupted mother. She should be cast out of the Phoenix Vale!" On the day of Elara's ascension, I was thrown out, barely clinging to life. As I struggled to my feet, someone seized me and hurled me into the Abyss of Eternal Flame to be burned alive. Even in death, I never understood how Elara had managed to steal my child. Now, looking at the mother and daughter duo frantically trying to stop me from leaving, a plan began to form in my mind. "I just feel a bit unwell," I said, feigning weakness. "I want to go back and rest. I'll come back another time." My stepmother let out a sigh of relief. "Then I'll have your sister accompany you. You can come back and drink together next time." I frowned. There were many other phoenixes by the riverbank, drinking the water and birthing perfectly normal fledglings. The river was constantly flowing; the water itself wasn't the problem. Could it be the timing? Was I not supposed to drink at the same time as Elara? Morgana had been Matriarch for many years; she likely knew secrets of our people that I did not. Perhaps if Elara and I drank together, we were breaking some ancient taboo. "No need," I said, forcing a smile. "I think I'm feeling better now." Elara and I went to the river's edge. I watched as she drank first. Then, shielding my mouth with my sleeve, I pretended to drink, but secretly collected some of the water in a flask to take with me. If the heavens were giving me a second chance, I would not overlook a single detail this time. Back in my chambers, just as in my previous life, my stepmother brought me a collection of potent herbs and that same secret tome on incubation. I accepted them with a smile, but as soon as I was alone, I summoned a brazier and burned them all to ash. I had once believed my stepmother to be the kindest of souls. She always treated me better than her own daughter. Growing up, every rare treasure, every potent artifact, was given to me first. When Elara looked on with envy, I, loving my sister, would share them with her. This always sent my stepmother into a rage, and she would harshly scold Elara. The entire flock praised her for her selflessness. They trusted her completely. And I… I had truly thought of her as my own mother. When she was injured gathering herbs, I, though just a child, had recklessly thrown myself into danger to protect her. I had treated Elara like my own flesh and blood, depleting my own life force time and again to help her advance her power. Only after my first life did I understand. Everything my stepmother had done was simply to pave the way for her own daughter. In their eyes, I was nothing but a vessel. A tool for birthing a legendary phoenix. So, even though I hadn't figured out the exact nature of the deception, I wouldn't so much as glance at that tome again. I drank the water from the Birthing River and quietly waited for the changes in my body. The same strange sensation of life coalescing within me returned. I could feel the water flow to my womb, emitting a warm, white glow. This time, I didn't expend any extra life force, nor did I take any of the herbs meant to strengthen the conception. I let go of my obsession with birthing a Golden Phoenix. Soon, my belly swelled slightly, and I laid a pure white, unadorned egg. I didn't rush to incubate it. Instead, under the cover of night, I snuck into the flock's forbidden sanctuary. This was the place where my mother had once lived. After she fell to dark sorcery, the flock deemed it cursed and forbade anyone from entering. My memories of my mother were a complete blank. From a young age, Morgana had told me that my mother was beautiful but restless, that she had abandoned me as a child to run away with a demon lord. My father's attitude toward me had always been distant. Only Morgana had showered me with unconditional love. So, for my entire life, I had avoided thinking about my real mother, trying to be Morgana's daughter instead. But the truth was becoming clear: the past was not as Morgana had described it. There wasn't much left in my mother's sanctuary, but every single item was connected to me. My childhood toys, my favorite snacks, even the small nest I had slept in as a fledgling. My eyes stung. How could my mother not have loved me? There had to be more to the story. Among a pile of old books, I found an incubation manual. Back in my room, I followed my mother's instructions. From the egg hatched not a simple phoenix, but a Rainbow Phoenix! Rainbow Phoenixes were even rarer than the Golden ones. And my little Rainbow Phoenix was incredibly powerful; its future would be extraordinary. My own mother had been a Rainbow Phoenix. They were known to be gentler, more intelligent and understanding than the proud, arrogant Golden Phoenixes. This would be a child who was truly mine. My heart swelled with joy. After all my efforts, this child would belong to me and me alone. The Matriarch's seat was within my grasp! Cradling the still-unopened eyes of my fledgling, I headed for the Sunstone Altar. On the way, I overheard the others talking. "Did you hear? Someone stole Elara's fledgling!" I stopped dead in my tracks. "Elara's bloodline is weak. She couldn't have birthed anything special. Who would steal from her? If anyone's child was worth stealing, it would be Lyra's. Her essence is so strong, she might have actually hatched a Golden Phoenix!" "And get this, Elara is going around claiming she hatched a Rainbow Phoenix! That's hilarious. Rainbow Phoenixes are even rarer than Golden ones!" A cold dread washed over me. Elara's egg had also hatched a Rainbow Phoenix? This couldn't be a coincidence. The gossiping flock members saw me and rushed over, their faces alight with curiosity. "Lyra! Has your egg hatched yet? What kind of phoenix is it?" In the distance, I saw Morgana, supporting a distraught Elara, searching frantically. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. I ignored everyone, turned, and ran. I bolted back to my chambers and barred the door. My heart hammered against my ribs. I had to know if the fledgling would recognize me as its mother. I drew a drop of my heart's blood and let it fall onto the fledgling's closed eyelids. The little Rainbow Phoenix opened its eyes. It looked at me with no emotion whatsoever. Then, Elara's voice came from outside my door.
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