[Host, I can prepare a list if you are unsure what is wrong with you.]
Alexia deadpanned. 'Yeah, I'll pass on that, thanks.'
[Host, this is Astra's domain. Follow my instructions if you wish to proceed further.]
She sighed, rolling her shoulders. 'Fine. Is this the location of the Fire Heart Stone or the last Phoenix?'
[Both. They are connected.]
Alexia tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her golden eyes. 'How?'
[The Fire Heart Stone is the condensed heart blood of the Phoenix.]
She stilled. Blinked. The weight of that revelation settled like a boulder in her gut.
'...Yeah. I'll deal with that thought later.'
[Hermes is delighted that Host has decided to be obedient.]
Alexia snorted. 'Don't get used to it. This is just the post-tears effect.'
[Noted, Host.]
Despite herself, she smirked. Her gaze softened as she turned to the little flame beside her, its flickering form steady and unwavering.
"Thank you."
But the void swallowed her words, leaving nothing but silence. The little flame crackled in response, flaring into a deeper shade of red, flickering wildly as if it understood.
Alexia's lips curled into a smirk. "Adorable."
A dangerous thought crossed her mind—she wanted to steal it.
Before she could attempt anything ridiculous, Hermes' voice chimed in.
[Host, close your eyes and think. What is destiny?]
Alexia obeyed, shutting her eyes.
...For five whole minutes.
[Host, I am not referring to the Goddess Astra.]
Alexia grunted, crossing her arms. "Well, you should've said that earlier."
She sighed and gave it another thirty seconds before finally answering, her expression turning contemplative.
"Destiny? It's that thing everyone talks about like it's set in stone. Me? I'd say it's more like a puzzle—you don't get to choose the pieces, but how you put them together is entirely up to you."
[Host. Fate is the road. Choice is the transportation. But destiny… destiny is the destination. Stretch out your hand and think of fate as a path—your destination will appear.]
Alexia let out a quiet huff. What kind of poetic nonsense…
But still, she closed her eyes.
"Fate is a road."
The words barely left her lips, but the void stirred.
The little flame flickered, watching intently as a glow—soft yet unnatural—spread across her. White light pulsed at her core, illuminating the darkness. Her golden eyes gleamed like molten embers, bright enough to burn through the abyss.
Then, she spoke.
"What shall be, SHALL BE."
Her voice shattered the silence.
Fire and light erupted from the ground, coiling around her like a living tornado, weaving and twisting in a dance of raw power. The void trembled.
Then—
"Move."
The command did not belong to her.
Another voice—distant, layered, and echoing from all around.
The fire and light responded, breaking apart into a spiraling path above her. For a moment, a golden road stretched into the unknown—solid, unbreakable.
But in the next breath, the path fractured. The pieces shattered like glass, scattering into floating stars.
[Congratulations, Host.]
The glow around Alexia faded. Her knees wobbled, and she staggered back, gripping her head.
She blinked.
"My mind went blank at some point… What did I just do?"
A furrow formed between her brows.
She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.
"Wait… I can hear my voice now?"
[ Host, look up. ]
Alexia tilted her head back—and froze.
The void, once empty, now shimmered with stars, their soft glow illuminating the darkness. They hung in perfect formation, an ascending path stretching into infinity. The final one hovered just above the ground at her feet.
Her golden eyes flickered. "When did these appear?"
She reached out, hesitant, but the nearest star pulsed in response—waiting.
[ Host, you first. ]
A slow grin spread across her face.
"Don't mind if I do."
With that, she took the first step.
Without hesitation, Alexia leaped onto the first star, twirling mid-air before landing with effortless grace.
Another star hovered ahead. She jumped again, flipping this time. The moment she looked like she'd fall, a star rushed beneath her to catch her.
"Interesting."
Smirking, she leaned back and let herself fall off the edge. No air resistance. No sound. Just the steady rhythm of her own breathing.
Then—softness. A star caught her, floating her gently back into formation.
Alexia grinned. Bobbing her head to an unheard beat, she twirled once before coming to a stop.
"Who else feels like dancing?"
She moonwalked onto the next star.
The star panicked and scrambled to stay under her feet.
Giggling, she leaped to another, performing a split mid-air before landing smoothly. Then she threw in a body roll, just because she could.
A grand jeté to the next one.
And another.
The stars flickered, hurrying to catch up with her chaotic rhythm.
Then something caught her eye.
Without thinking, she did one last leap—this time, toward a floating box in the distance. The stars behind her dissolved into stardust, swirling upward like a celestial farewell.
One final star caught her, gliding her toward her destination.
Her destiny.
Alexia landed lightly on the box and waved at the last star with a bright smile.
The star combusted, exploding into shimmering stardust that rained down on her.
She let out an impressed hum—until a sudden sting on her wrist made her flinch. Hissing, she looked down.
[Host, you have been marked by destiny.]
A faint warmth spread from the spot as a star and moon tattoo appeared, but instead of freaking out, she simply sighed. Then smiled.
"Okay."
She turned her attention to the "box" beneath her, only now actually looking at it.
Her stomach dropped.
It wasn't a box. It was a massive onyx coffin, polished to a mirror sheen, with a glass panel revealing the face of the one inside.
A corpse.
The body lay deathly still, its skin waxen and pale. The delicate structure of the face was sharpened by death, every bone subtly more pronounced under the tight, lifeless skin. The hollow sockets where eyes should have been were like twin abysses, swallowing any warmth that might have once existed. Lips, once full, had taken on an eerie gray hue, set in a silent, unmoving line. A faint sheen of decay clung to the skin, as though time itself had begun erasing what remained.
Alexia frowned.
[ Congratulations, Host, on discovering the last Phoenix. Rewards will be available upon exiting the void. ]
She blinked. Stared.
"...What?"
[ You have located the last Phoenix. ]
Her golden eyes flicked from the system text back to the corpse.
"But this person is dead."
[ Host lacks knowledge of the Phoenix species. ]
She rolled her eyes. "I think I made that obvious the first time."
With a sigh, she refocused on the coffin, skepticism written all over her face.
"Why would Astra keep a dead body in her domain?"
[ This body is special. ]
She raised a brow. "Yeah, special in the way that it's cold and creepy."
A flicker of warmth appeared beside her.
Alexia glanced at the little flame, then scowled. "I still don't get how you just pop up like that."
The flame didn't respond. Instead, it hopped onto the coffin's glass panel… and sank through it.
Her stomach lurched.
"Wait—what the hell are you doing?!"
Wide-eyed, she watched as the little flame dissolved into the corpse's chest.
Then the body glowed.
The coffin trembled violently.
Alexia's instincts screamed at her. "What in Lugus' name—"
[ Host, please maintain an appropriate distance. ]
"What?!"
Before she could move—
BOOM.
A violent explosion ripped through the void.
Alexia was launched backward, her body twisting as she was thrown into freefall.
Flames erupted from the shattered coffin, forming a blazing ring where it had once rested.
[ Host, Hermes attempted to warn you. ]
Still spinning through the void, she snapped at the system. "Shut up!"
Her eyes, however, remained fixed on the inferno below.
A shriek tore through the silence.
Not human.
Something ancient had awakened.
"Damn it."
Alexia clamped her hands over her ears, but her eyes never left the roaring flames.
From the inferno, a breathtaking figure emerged—a colossal bird, encased in golden light and swirling embers that danced around it like a hurricane. It felt sinful to gaze upon such radiance.
Her pupils dilated. "My eyes!" she hissed, yet she refused to look away.
"Magnificent."
The phoenix's plumage shimmered like polished gold, intricate patterns of crimson, orange, and yellow shifting as if alive. When it unfurled its wings, it revealed an astonishing span—each feather tipped with delicate flames that flickered and pulsed, breathing with an otherworldly life.
Its tail feathers trailed behind it like a river of fire, leaving glowing embers in its wake.
Majestic. Resplendent. Ethereal.
Then—
Shriek!
The piercing cry rang out once more before the phoenix plunged back into the inferno. The already raging flames reacted like oil had been poured onto them—exploding outward, spiraling higher, licking hungrily at the void.
Alexia took a step back. "This shouldn't be called a void anymore... It's more like one of the seven levels of hell."
[ Host, do not fear. ]
She shot Hermes a withering look. "Never say that again!"
The flames receded slightly.
Alexia narrowed her eyes. Something's shifting.
"What's happening?"
A silhouette flickered in the inferno, barely visible through the swirling embers.
Then—
"Hahahaha! It's great to be alive again! I hope the world is prepared to receive my greatness!"
An almost maniacal cackle echoed through the void, making Alexia's lips twitch as she barely held back a laugh.
Oh no. This is going to be a problem.
The figure stepped forward, the flames peeling away as their outline sharpened.
Softly landing on the obsidian floor, they took another step closer—graceful, poised, absolutely radiating self-importance.
Alexia, still seated from being knocked back earlier, exhaled slowly before rising to her feet.
Here we go…
A svelte figure approached with unhurried, almost leisurely strides. His hair—a mix of red and gold—blazed like the sun itself, shifting with every step.
Alexia's gaze drifted—unintentionally, of course—to his bare chest. His golden-brown skin seemed to invite touch, the contours of his muscles practically sculpted to tempt.
Then—his eyes.
Strange, alluring, piercing orange eyes locked onto hers, pinning her in place before she could look any lower.
Her face heated as he held her gaze. Why do I feel guilty?
[ Host, I believe it has something to do with your very… intense stare. Anyone would feel flustered. ]
"I did not!" she whispered fiercely, her face burning even hotter.
The stranger's lips curled into a knowing smile. As the last wisps of smoke dissipated, so did any remaining illusion of modesty.
A flimsy red cloth was all that separated him from complete indecency.
"You needn't worry, young girl," he said smoothly. "I am very enticing."
Alexia stiffened.
With a thoughtful hand on his chin, he tilted his head. "So, I suppose we're even now. Apologies—but flames cannot simply close their eyes, even when someone undresses before them."
Alexia's soul left her body.
Wait— the little flame… was him?
Which meant…
He had seen everything.
[ Host, please calm down. You cannot defeat him. ]
"Oh, but I can definitely disfigure that annoying face of his," she murmured, fists tightening.
A strange, almost sinister smile crept onto her lips.