It felt as if molten fire seeped through Taemin’s system. It burned, and yet there was no pain. His heart pounded, and his muscles clenched in response to the feeling of heat and power that was roiling inside of him.

He didn’t know how long he lay in the darkness. Was it minutes? Hours? Days? In the peripheral of his mind, he felt the presence of the Phoenix always near him. It never left his side. His presence felt like a comfort, an assurance that things would be alright.

The Phoenix watched as the young mortal in front of him lay barely moving on the vast cavern floor. He had been weak when he had transferred the power of fire to the boy and the change had not been as instantaneous as it had been for the boy’s ancestors. He watched as the Change took hold of the young one. The Change was nearly complete. The boy’s body gave a final shudder, and then lay still. The Phoenix allowed for the boy to lay there for a long moment; allowing the Change to settle into his system.

Finally, the boy began to stir. He groaned softly, and opened his eyes. The boy’s eyes glowed an intense, scorching gold as he pushed himself into a sitting position. The Phoenix watched as the boy breathed in and out…his golden eyes slowly transitioning back into the brown, almost black color they had been before.

How are you feeling, young one?

Taemin glanced over at the Ancient One and smiled faintly through dried, cracked lips.

I am well, Ancient One. Though I do feel somewhat weak.

That is to be expected. You were unconscious for some time. Come. I will lead you to a nearby mountain stream. You need water.

Taemin slowly stood and followed the shadowy figure outside of the cavern. He followed the Phoenix, though he had to stop and take many breaks along the way. Eventually, they made it to a frozen mountain stream that Taemin had passed on his way to the cavern.

The Phoenix used its beak to press against the iced over waters. A fierce hissing noise ripped through the air and a large cracking sound split the stillness. The ice fissured into large chunks and dissolved before Taemin’s eyes. Hot steam filled the air encompassing them both. Taemin raised his arms weakly to defend himself, from the spray, as it overshadowed him, but then lowered them in surprise. He hadn’t been burned.

The water that was remaining in the stream sloshed against the rocks violently.

Drink. The Phoenix nudged Taemin with its beak that was as long as his arm.

Taemin stumbled slightly, but knelt by the edge and reached down to the water below. It was only now that he realized just how thirsty he was. He felt like if he didn’t get water, he’d die any minute. His throat was parched; it felt like it had been caked with gritty sand.

He scooped the liquid into his hands and brought it to his face, drinking deeply. It took him quite a few times before he was satisfied. He rose from the ground, not as shaky as he had been before. Dawn was soon approaching. The stars were beginning to fade.

How long was I unconscious? He asked taking deep breaths to refresh his system.

Time is irrelevant for me. But by your mortal measurements of time, you slept for a year.

Taemin started violently. “A year?” he croaked, his voice felt as if it was a door opening after years of dust and disuse. His mind seemed to repel the thought. A whole year…what happened to me during that time…what about my family? Our kingdom?

Taemin turned to look at the Phoenix, “I must go home. They probably think I am dead. I need to let them know I’m alright.”

As you wish. But you are still too weak to travel far. Climb on my back. I shall permit you to ride on me, and I shall take you home.

The great bird crouched close to the ground and Taemin managed to scramble onto its flaming back.

“How is it that my clothes haven’t disintegrated by now?” Taemin asked looking down at his dirtied clothes. Despite the dirt from the cavern and the trek through the mountains, not even a single tassel was singed.

Normally during the Change, they would have burned up, but I preserved them for you. Technically, your body will always be able to call on heat so even if you wore nothing in this weather, you would not freeze to death…

The time I graced your ancestors with the power of fire, they seemed displeased that they awoke with nothing on. I assumed you would be too, so I made the effort to protect your raiment for you.

“Thank you,” Taemin said fervently as the Phoenix shot into the air.

As you come to control your powers, you will be able to keep your apparel from burning. It will take some concentration at first, but like a muscle, the more you work it, the stronger it will become. Soon, you will not have to concentrate at all.

Taemin barely listened to the Phoenix’s words. His mind was more engaged on the fact that he was shooting through the mountains at an alarming speed riding on the back of the Phoenix. He had loved learning martial arts because moving flexibly, rippling through the different movements had felt like flying in a sense. He loved anything to do with freedom. Fire had always seemed to him like the greatest freedom. The flames danced and bounded into the air with no thought of being extinguished. Flying on the Phoenix, Taemin experienced the same exhilaration of freedom only magnified to the extreme.

The mountain dropped away beneath them as they moved forward. It was a matter of moments before his family’s kingdom came into view…or rather what was left of the kingdom.

Taemin’s heart froze in his chest, his blood turned cold despite having gone through the Change. Stretching out before him, were the scattered ruins of what had once been a beautiful kingdom. Charred remains and rubble scattered the landscape. An unearthly silence surrounded them. The only sound came from the steady beat of the Phoenix’s wings. Even at this height, the stench of death was almost palpable. Taemin’s stomach churned and he bit back on his reflex of getting sick.

The Phoenix descended amidst the ruined outer courtyards of what had once been the palace.

Taemin slid off the Phoenix’s back and rushed as quickly as he could into the ruins of the palace. Broken columns rotted alone, decaying walls of stone peeped out from the coverage of vines and ivy. Thick roots were wrapped, snakelike around the cobblestones, the columns, and pediment.

Grief gripped Taemin’s heart. He felt like a fish that found itself stranded on land panting for life, but no life entered him. Gasping for air, as if enough air would relieve his pain, tears streamed down his face. The stench of death filled him with every breath and he flinched.

Parts of the palace were still erect and standing. He made his way inside and proceeded up a crumbling flight of stairs that led into the great throne room. Placing an arm over his nose and mouth, he tried to breathe evenly. His other hand extended to rest on the door handle It didn’t budge at first, but as Taemin strained against it, the door slowly opened.

Blinking back tears, he entered the room. If he had thought he’d been in pain before, it was nothing compared to the feeling that submerged him as he surveyed what was inside.

Lee Sungmin’s lifeless body had been tossed in a broken heap in the center of the room; branches and roots held him pinned to the ground. Other bodies lay scattered nearby, but Taemin only had eyes for his brother. It was clear just from looking that he had sustained severe injuries before his death. Had he been suffocated by the vines?

“Hyung…” Taemin whispered as he collapsed to his knees next to his brother’s body. “Hyung!” he began tearing at the branches that trapped his brother, but they refused to budge. He tore at them until his hands bled. Eventually, he managed to clear the branches away. His hands shook as he stood and pulled a tapestry from a nearby wall and covered his brother with it.

Moving forward, he took in the remains of others who had died here. He noticed the portly servant who had told him to go to martial arts practice, it felt like yesterday. Taemin turned and left the room heading to a new destination. As he continued up more flights of stairs to the archer’s battlements, he said an unspoken prayer. Please…let me not find her here. His steps echoed loudly in the empty silence.

As he entered the battlement wall he saw it had been greatly hit in some sort of attack. Parts of it had fallen into rubble down below and bodies lay scattered along its diameter. The striking blue color of the archer’s uniforms contrasted painfully against the pale skin of death. His eyes scanned the bodies as he moved past them.

Perhaps she made it out alive. Perhaps she managed to escape the attack. A hopeful part of him suggested.

Pabo. You know her too well. Would she really abandon her people to save herself? Yet he wanted to hope against hope that she had been selfish and self-preserving…Just this once.

Bitter disappointment met him as, at the head of the battlement, he saw her. She lay across the body of a man wearing the blue archer’s uniform…from the looks of it, she had jumped in front of him to protect him…but she hadn’t made it. Taemin staggered forward and knelt beside his fallen mother; his beautiful mother. The one who had believed in him, loved him, encouraged him now lay in front of him lifeless.

Reaching out, he grasped her in his arms and pulled her to his chest. “Umma…umma…umma…” he sobbed, “Please wake up…please don’t do this. Umma… umma…” He rocked back and forth like he was a little child again, clutching at his mother as he grieved. Lifting his face to the heavens, he let out a scream of all the pent-up agony in his heart.

He didn’t know how long he sat there crying…but he cried until the tears would no longer come. Then he sat there, in silence. After some time, the beat of wings reached his ears. The Phoenix circled the battlement and then found a place to land nearby. It perched on one of the pillars that hadn’t crumbled away.

Taemin didn’t even look at him…didn’t speak. In the end, the Phoenix was the one to break the silence.

This was your people. Your family. I am sorry for your loss.

Taemin didn’t respond. He stared unseeingly at his mother’s face. It had once been so jovial, so full of life. He couldn’t seem to grasp the strange coldness, the stillness that he now looked at.

What will you do now?

Taemin glared up at the Phoenix. “This is all your fault!” He yelled, “If you hadn’t changed me…if I hadn’t been gone for so long…I could’ve saved them! I could’ve…”

If you had been here, you would also have fallen with your people. The Phoenix cut in. If you or I had known this would happen, choices may have been made differently. But they weren’t. Blaming is for immature nestlings. Do not stoop to that level… The only thing you can do now is move forward. So I ask again, what will you do?

Taemin seemed to collapse in on himself for a moment before he looked back at the Phoenix. His eyes seared gold and he shook with grief and anger as he replied, “I will kill them. I’ll kill them all.”

You will use the powers you have been given for revenge?

“Yes,” Taemin’s answer was clipped and short. He pushed himself to his feet and turned from the battlement to head back down to the courtyard.

That is not what you were given the powers for.

“I don’t care. They killed my people, they killed everyone. Hyung…umma…They destroyed my life. I want vengeance.”

The gift that has been given you is to be used in the right ways. I felt your call so long ago. I believe you are made of something better. However, if you insist on this path, I will not stop you…but I will also not go with you.

“Then go,” snarled Taemin, “I can take care of the Mages myself.”

The Phoenix dipped its magnificent head, and then with a screech flew into the air and shot across the skies. It shortly disappeared from view.

***

Taemin began his long, arduous treck across his kingdom after burying his mother and brother.

He found a fraying pack amidst the rubble, and scavenged what little food he could find, which was a scant amount; enough to last him only a few days.

As he walked through the ruins of what had once been a beautiful kingdom, the images of his destroyed life seared into his mind. With every step, the determination to enact justice upon those who had so savagely destroyed his people filled him. In the end, it was what kept him going, continuing to place one foot in front of the other, when he otherwise would have laid down and giv