Chapter 26 Truth Amid the Ashes
Evelyn's POV
The door clicked shut with a "clack," cutting off Kane's slightly stiff figure.
I stood in the room, my fingertips still seeming to hold the warmth from touching his hand. Kane's hand wasn't as cold as he usually appeared—it carried a strange heat that felt almost burning. But it wasn't uncomfortable like a fever; instead, it radiated a vigorous life force.
"Seriously, why did he run off so fast? It's not like I'm going to eat him!" I muttered, preparing to tidy up a bit before going to bed.
Just as I turned around, something at the very bottom of the bookshelf caught my eye.
There had been a few thick textbooks on magical history there, but now, a dark red ancient book I'd never seen before was oddly wedged among them.
I froze for a moment. I clearly remembered not having this book. Maybe Kane had put it in the wrong place, or accidentally left it here.
I crouched down and pulled the book out. It was thick, with no title on the cover—only a half-burned pattern that looked like a bird spreading its wings. But its wings weren't made of feathers; they were composed of countless dancing flames and ashes.
My heart suddenly jumped, blood rushing through my body. A premonition made me nervous.
I carefully opened the first page. The paper was yellowed and rough, giving off a faint smell of sulfur.
"Magpie..." I read aloud the classification label on the title page—one of the species Kane had been suspecting all along.
But as I continued reading, my frown deepened. The book's description of Magpies said they liked shiny little objects, had Wind Element magic, were chatty in nature, and light in build.
Something felt off. Though Kane's silver hair was eye-catching, he wasn't chatty at all—in fact, he was quiet and reserved. And his magical attribute didn't seem like Wind Element to me either, though I was pretty much a rookie in that area.
However, when I turned to the appendix page of this chapter, a passage specially marked in red ink jumped out at me.
[Note: In extremely rare cases, certain individuals with Magpie characteristics—such as obsession with specific things and flashy appearance—may not be ordinary bird shapeshifters. If their magic is accompanied by high temperature, along with traits of ash and rebirth, be alert that this may be the disguise period of the Phoenix Clan.]
My heart skipped a beat. High temperature.
I might not be clear about other characteristics, but I remembered when Kane rescued me from Starlight Spring last time—his burning hot chest, and that mark on his forehead that looked like it was on fire. In my hazy state, I seemed to have seen him with huge golden-red wings, and even the flames didn't go out when they met water but instead they burned even brighter. And just now, that surprisingly hot temperature of his hand...
I slammed the book shut and said to myself, "Kane isn't a Magpie. He's very likely a Phoenix shapeshifter."
This thought surprised me, yet it also felt like it should have been obvious all along.
All the clues perfectly connected at this moment—his silver hair like ash under moonlight, his eyes like burning golden fire, his body temperature higher than normal...
I had to tell him immediately. I grabbed the dark red ancient book and ran out of my room in my slippers.
I ran to Kane's door, took a deep breath, then knocked "thump thump thump."
"Evelyn?" Kane's voice came from behind the door.
"It's me," I said loudly, my tone full of urgency.
"Kane, open up. I've made a major discovery about you." There was two seconds of silence inside, then footsteps.
The door opened a crack, and Kane's face, still showing some awkwardness, appeared behind it. "What?"
He frowned, his gaze falling on my slippered feet, his frown tightening.
"Let me in," I said, squeezing through the door regardless and shoving the dark red book into his arms.
"Look at this. I just found it on the bookshelf."
Kane instinctively took the book, glanced down at the cover, and his expression changed instantly. "This book..."
His fingers traced the burning bird pattern, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse. "You read it?"
"I did, and I understood it."
I stood in front of him, hands on my hips, like a detective who'd cracked the case.
"You're not a Magpie. You're very likely a Phoenix."
Kane looked up, a flash of panic crossing his golden eyes. "Evelyn..."
"This book says Magpies are chatty. Are you chatty?" I interrupted him, closing in step by step.
I reached out to touch his hand. Kane immediately pulled back. "Your body temperature is high. You're not a Magpie—you're a Phoenix shapeshifter."
The room fell into a deathly silence. Kane stood frozen, holding the book.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with deep, complex emotions.
After a long while, he lowered his gaze to the book in his arms.
"Phoenix... is it?" Kane said quietly.
"Isn't it? I think you're very likely a Phoenix. Your body temperature and many other things can prove it." I looked at Kane nervously, feeling a bit unsure.
"Evelyn." Kane suddenly looked up, his gaze incredibly serious. "If I'm a Phoenix, then what about you?"
Kane sighed, closed the book, and set it aside.
"Actually, I've vaguely sensed something too." At this moment, Kane's eyes held a vulnerability I'd never seen before.
"Evelyn, if I'm a Phoenix, does that mean I'm dangerous?" Looking at Kane—who was usually calm and quiet but always stood in front of me—now seeming almost afraid that I might fear him, my heart softened.
I walked over, made him look into my eyes, and said seriously, "No, Kane. Phoenix represents rebirth and hope. You're not dangerous—you're one of a kind."
Kane's body stiffened for a moment. His voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a hint of relief. "Thank you."
Seeing him let down his guard, I suddenly felt that maybe this was what friendship meant—we had both found a sense of security in each other.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains.
I'd slept extremely well last night. That revelation hadn't made us distant; instead, a certain understanding had quietly formed between us. We helped each other, becoming each other's support in this unfamiliar academy.
Today's class was Magical Healing and First Aid 101, still taught by Vicky herself.