Ursula beat her wings, soaring higher, the flames parting for her as if recognizing her as their own. A surge of exhilaration coursed through her—this was nothing like the fear and pain she had known before.
Here, she was not a mortal being suffering under the sun's scorching rays.
Here, she was part of it.
She let out a cry—a phoenix's song, a melody of rebirth, triumph, and belonging. The very air rippled with its power, sending waves of golden light cascading across the realm.
Her father watched, his golden eyes glowing with pride.
For the first time in her existence, Ursula was home.
And the sun welcomed her as one of its own.
Crepuscular spent a while with Ursula, watching her revel in the flames of his realm, her newfound strength making her glow with the radiance of the sun itself. He was proud—proud in a way that only a father could be. But he had another place to be, another presence that pulled at him.