Chapter 201: And the Stars

Chapter 201: And the Stars
Adira’s POV

The ember then started to rise.

Slowly.

With a purpose.

It went up toward the temple's open dome, past the altar and the columns. With every heartbeat, it grew brighter. Even more brilliant than the sun behind it. More brilliant than I had ever seen.

Then it paused as it came to its highest point.

Suspended in midair.

And grew motionless.

It seemed to be waiting.

Waiting to see what might happen.

A new phoenix, smaller, brighter, and waiting, spread its wings far above the sky-temple, where dawn and starlight meet.

Each one stretched into the limitless sky above and below, pulsing with gentle fire. No floor, no stone, no sky-temple ceiling—no ground. Just strewn about like memories, starlight. With his hand in mine and his feet light, Ash walked next to me as if his burdens had finally been lifted.

He whispered, "This doesn't feel real," as he peered around us.

"It is," I said. It's the end. And the start.

He gave a small smile. "Then I'm happy to be here with you."

We didn't have to hurry. Now, the world we had known was secure. The fires had begun to burn because they wanted to, rather than because they were in pain. because people recalled their purpose, which was to promote warmth rather than war. Not devastation, but light.

Our story was recounted by the constellations we passed; some were still emerging, while others were already blazing. I saw a figure that resembled the ancient Flame Crown, followed by a Phoenix with immortal wings. Then I saw the two of us, etched in flames across the sky.

Not as deities.

Not as kings.

Ash and Adira were just like us.

Two spirits that had survived the fire.

There was no air here, but a breeze blew across the stars.

I turned to Ash. "Are you scared of what will happen next?"

He gave a headshake. "No. Not with you by my side.

I shut my eyes. Allow the calm to permeate me like the sun in the morning. I was painless. Not even its reverberations. I wasn't worn down by obligation or burdened by anxiety. I was simply me. In a long time, for the first time.

However, A change. One star in front of us dimmed. I halted my stroll. "You see that?"

Ash gave a slow nod. "One final world of darkness." Without a word, we walked toward it. As though the flame had never touched it, the area surrounding it was silent and frigid. The star was still there, but it was sleeping under the weight of stillness, hidden in shade.

Ash extended his hand.

And the last flame, still burning and silver and gold, drifted gently in it.

He inquired, "Do you think it's ready?"

I took a step forward and laid my fingers across his.

I said, "It doesn't have to be ready." "It simply needs to be courageous."

We then pressed the ember into the centre of the darkness together.

Initially, nothing occurred.

The star said nothing. It's still freezing. Still by myself. Then a breath.

A sound akin to the initial spark of fire striking ancient wood.

Gradually, warmth, tiny at first, is expanding. Fire.

It began as a flicker barely larger than a heartbeat in the middle of the world. However, it moved quickly, leaping and spinning like a youngster who has just discovered laughing. The black shell broke. Every line oozed silver fire. Orange, white, gold, and blue streaks of colour illuminated the sky.

It was no longer dark on the previous dark planet.

Ash took a step back, gasping for air. "Did we...?"

"Yes," I said. "The last one was lit by us."

The world around us trembled like wind-blown water. The stars were filled with a soft sound, like hundreds of whispers all speaking at once. I believed the voice had disappeared because I hadn't heard it in so long.

The kid.

However, she was no longer a child. Her voice had aged. Smarter.

She spoke to more than just us. She addressed the stars.

"This is the fire story," she stated. "Born out of loss. Carried by affection. Names serve as a reminder.

Something changed inside of me.

Similar to turning a page.