Born of ashes

The Phoenix. A bird famed for its rebirth. How often will it die and be rebirth? A hundred? A thousand? Maybe a million? A hundred million? What for? Why does a bird powerful enough to go toe to toe with gods and dragons willingly chose to die and be reborn? Time and time again? A dragon will never give up on life. Its dragon force is made for that. So why? I will tell you why.

We don't merely call ourselves Phoenix because of our flames, after all. No, it's because we are mostly Phoenix. long ago, there was a foolish Phoenix, who, like many males, fell in love with a woman he shouldn't have. Her name was Reyna. She was named after a title her father holds. She wasn't especially intelligent or breathtaking gorgeous. Though, her demeanor was what set her apart from her many siblings and cousins. They say being in her presence was like being in front of a God. No one dared be disrespectful or insolent with her. So high was her dignity that her vengeful godly stepmother promised to come for her last. Her reply was, 'Do hurry. I can only wait so long'. Which earned her a 'gift', she didn't mind.

After living her life alongside her mate. A proud Phoenix. She met her end surrounded by her lover and maternal family and friends. Her gift was not to have children. Something the proud woman only lamented in her dead bed. After she was gone, her husband, full of grief, burned both of their bodies. From the ashes, two figures emerge. One was a female Phoenix, and the other was a boy. Who would later go on to sire the Phoenix clan.

Why am I giving you such a long background story, you may ask? it's because a Phoenix only typically rebirth when it truly wishes to die and start over or give new life.

It sounds great, right? WRONG! We inherited the Phoenix traits alongside 'her' godly blood. Which served to only serve to further increase the Phoenix destructive power, not their rebirth genes. If someone in my clan attempts to rebirth, they most certainly only combust to death, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

The worst part is that if one of us were to experience overwhelming emotions or deep deep sorrow, it may trigger the combustion gene. There are no warning signs at all. One moment you are there, the next only a handful of ashes remains. Some are lucky enough to make it back, albeit as a baby with no memories or start with the body of a small child.

That's why right now I'm facing another great challenge. Ladies and gentlemen, I not only won the gamble, but I rebirth into the body of an eighteen-year-old woman.

.... I burned the new clothes...and the others don't fit.

Fuck.