Pyra Raven and Pyra Noirix were twin sisters.
Raven was born with jet-black hair and deep, dark eyes, while Noirix ca into the world with striking crimson-red hair and equally crimson eyes, a stark contrast between them that everyone noticed right away.
Since Raven was born a few minutes earlier, she was considered the older sister, while Noirix, by those few fleeting minutes, was labelled the younger.
And like many twins, they always fought over who should truly hold the title of the "big sister."
"Raven, I am the big sister, and you know it!" Noirix shouted, grabbing a fistful of Raven's black hair with an indignant tug.
"Noir! You know damn well that I'm the eldest! I ca out first!" Raven yelled back, grabbing hold of Noirix's crimson hair in retaliation, her fingers twisting through the fiery strands.
They were acting like a child...
Before their argunt could escalate further, their parents intervened.
Their mother's stern voice as she suddenly appeared. "Co on, girls, this is enough! You can't keep fighting over this every ti! Hug it out and solve this matter already."
With exaggerated eye rolls and annoyed huffs, Raven and Noirix reluctantly let go of each other's hair. They stood for a mont, silently fuming, before shaking hands and embracing, though the hug was anything but gentle.
"You'll regret this, Noir," Raven muttered through clenched teeth.
"You first, little sister," Noirix shot back, smirking as she squeezed Raven tightly, nearly choking her in the process.
They growled at each other like they were mortal enemies, but both knew, deep down, this was just their way of having... fun.
A twisted kind of fun that only siblings could understand.
"Now, now, don't be so rowdy," their father chid in with a calm, asured tone, walking over to the table. "Co on, eat before the food gets cold."
They lived on the outskirts of the Pyra Empire, far from the towering spires of the Dragon Emperor's domain, leading a peaceful life untouched by the pressures of politics.
It was a simple existence—full of laughter, bickering, and the occasional fight. They ate, they slept, they argued, and sotis, when the situation demanded it, they even helped others. That's how they grew up, side by side, everything going smoothly... until the day the rainbow card appeared, hovering before Pyra Noirix.
"N-Noir..." Raven stared at her sister, her face frozen in shock as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
Noirix, equally stunned at first, soon broke into a grin, "Well, well... looks like the universe finally realized who the real big sister is." She glanced at Raven, her red eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.
Raven snorted in disbelief, her face twisting in annoyance, "Oh, shut up. That'll happen over my dead body, you little shit!" She tried to sound angry, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Despite her irritation, she couldn't help but feel pride swelling in her chest for her younger sister—Noirix had been chosen by the Arcane.
This was the mont they both knew would change their lives forever.
For the better, she hoped.
But then...
"ARRRHHHH!!" Noirix suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream, her body convulsing violently as intense heat radiated from her.
"N-Noir?" Raven's face filled with terror as she tried to rush to her sister's side, but a burst of scorching flas erupted from Noirix's body, forcing her back.
The heat was unbearable, making it impossible to get close.
Her parents quickly held Raven back. "Stay calm, Raven! She's awakening her bloodline," her mother said, though her voice wavered with worry.
"NOIR!!" Raven scread, tears of fear blurring her vision as she watched her little sister burn in the fierce, crimson flas.
Just then, a deafening screech echoed through the skies.
"SCREEEEE!!!"
The sound sent shockwaves across the Empire, and for the first ti in long years, the dragons trembled... not in anger but in fear.
Their parents exchanged a grave look as they saw the approaching crowd, their eyes wide with horror. The people were murmuring, their voices rising in a chant, "Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix..."
"W-We need to leave. Now!" their mother whispered, her voice tight with fear as she watched the crowd move closer.
"NOW!" their father roared. In an instant, he transford into a massive black Lung Dragon. Without a mont's hesitation, he scooped up his wife and daughters, launching into the sky.
"M-Mom?" Raven asked, her voice shaky as she clung to her mother's arm, trying to make sense of what had just unfolded.
Noirix had lost consciousness, her body limp, resting on their mother's lap, the flas now gone but her skin still glowing faintly with residual heat.
Their mother took a deep, steadying breath. "Listen carefully, Raven. A very, very long ti ago, there was another race that dominated the skies... they were called the Phoenix." She told her about the past Massacre Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "I carry their bloodline. Though it has been diluted over the generations, I still possess a small amount of pure Phoenix blood—about 1%."
She looked down at her unconscious daughter. "And so do you and Noir."
Raven's eyes widened in shock as she tried to process what her mother had just revealed.
Her father, flying high above the clouds, his eyes scanning the horizon, spoke in a grave tone. "But that 1% wasn't enough to awaken the bloodline on its own."
Her mother nodded in agreent, "It must be because she was chosen by the Arcane... sothing triggered the awakening." She couldn't help but feel a pang of pride, though there was no ti to revel in it.
"Will she be okay?" Raven asked softly, worry creasing her brow as she gently pinched her sister's cheek, hoping for any sign of movent.
Their mother smiled weakly, "It's fine, dear... She'll be okay. She's stronger than you think."
Their father nodded in agreent, his voice firm yet comforting. "I'll make sure she'll be perfectly fi—"
BOOOMM!!
A deafening explosion rang out, cutting his words short. Blue flas struck his back, engulfing his tail in a blazing inferno. The impact sent him spiralling uncontrollably downward.
"HOLD ON!!" he roared, but there was panic in his voice as his body plumted toward the ground. Raven's heart sank when she saw the flas eating away at her father's scales, blood spraying from his body like a crimson rain.
"F-Father?" Raven's voice trembled, her face paling as she watched the horrifying scene unfold, her father's figure slowly being consud by the flas.
"I-It's fine, dear!" he shouted through gritted teeth, his voice straining to sound reassuring. But the agony in his eyes betrayed the truth as he struggled to maintain control. Spotting a teleportation station not far away, he forced his body toward it.
Their mother, trembling with fear, wrapped her arms protectively around Raven and Noirix, pulling them close. She glanced at her husband, her lips pressed tightly together as her eyes silently communicated her fear and hope. With a nod, he shot toward the teleportation station at breakneck speed.
The guards stationed there had expected him to land—but to their utter shock, he sped up, charging directly toward them with no intention of stopping.
Before he could hit them, they scattered, leaping out of the way as he crashed.
BOOOM!!!
Ssssshhhhh
The ground shook as smoke billowed into the air, obscuring their view.
"F-Father?" Raven called out, her voice wavering with desperation. But there was no answer.
Her lips quivered, her heart pounding in her chest. Tears threatened to spill as she knelt beside his motionless form, "Father, wake up!" she pleaded, shaking his massive body, but there was no response... only a lifeless shell.
Before she could process the overwhelming grief, her mother, grabbed her and Noirix. With one swift motion, she leapt from her husband's body, dragging her daughters toward the portal.
Just as they were about to step through the portal, a voice rang out, commanding.
"Stop!"
The words echoed directly in her mind. She staggered, clutching her head as the weight of the command from the Dragon Emperor pressed down on her like a huge boulder.
"Co out, and we will talk this through..." The voice was nacing, laced with cruel authority.
Raven's mother trembled under the invisible pressure, her body frozen in place. She couldn't move. She couldn't even breathe properly under the Emperor's command as she felt her consciousness slip away...
"M-Mom?" Raven blinked, her heart racing as she saw her mother's lips bleeding. Sothing was terribly wrong, and she knew her mother was struggling.
Her mother gritted her teeth, casting a quick glance at her husband's body... Her eyes darted between the grueso sight and the portal itself, the only hope of escape.
With a strained breath, she whispered, "Take your sister and go through the portal, Raven. I... I'll follow. I promise."
Raven shook her head in protest, her voice weak with fear. "Mom, no... You're coming with us. Sothing's wrong, you're bleeding!"
Her mother forced a fragile smile. "B-Believe , dear. I'll be right behind you. Just... go."
Hesitant but knowing she had no choice, Raven took her unconscious sister into her arms and turned toward the portal, her steps heavy with reluctance. "M-Mom... you'll co, right? You have to..."
"Y-yeah, I will..." Her mother's lips trembled, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as she forced out the words. "I promise."
But before Raven could take another step,
CHCCCCKKKKKK!!!
A massive, blue-scaled dragon descended from above, its jaws snapping as it bit into her father's dead body, tearing it apart.
"NOOOOO!!!" Raven scread, her voice cracking as her heart shattered at the sight. Her father... reduced to nothing but blood and fragnts in an instant.
"RUN!! NOW!!" her mother scread, her voice breaking with desperation.
But then,
"No, You won't!!"
Her legs halted.
Her mind was clouded by a sudden, excruciating pain that tore through her skull. She gasped, clutching her head as the Dragon Emperor's influence bore down on her, trapping her in place.
Her mother, gritting her teeth against the pain, was just inches away from the portal. Desperation in her eyes, she glanced back to see the blue dragon shifting, its form contorting into that of a old-aged man. His horns glowed ominously, pulsating with intense power.
"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her eyes flashed a deep crimson as her Phoenix blood finally stirred upon her desire. Flas erupted from her mouth, crimson fire shooting toward her daughters.
BOOM!!
The blast hurled Raven and Noirix through the portal, throwing them to safety before their mother turned her focus toward the portal's root, destroying it as the gateway sealed shut behind them.
"NOOOOO!!" The Dragon Emperor roared, his face twisting in fury as the portal closed, cutting off his pursuit.
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"The last thing I rember... was watching the current Dragon Emperor's father killing my mother," Raven's voice was hollow, devoid of emotion as it echoed in the silent room.
Aether blinked, taking in the grim details. There were no tears left—she had shed them long ago, and now only the hollow remnants of grief remained.
Without saying a word, Aether gently reached out, his hand softly brushing her cheek.
[ 400 AP]
But the story wasn't over yet...
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