Linda's New Beginning

Linda didn't know how she would be able to cope with this sudden change in living style. Everything she thought she had was gone all of a sudden.

Who are you? She asked in a sobbing tone.

I am Cyrus, the demon lord replied. I am also the one that protects the phoenix. I was your closest family in your previous life.

My previous life? She became increasingly confused. 

Your memories were sealed, so you can't remember me now but I believe one day you will remember everything. 

Linda thought as she sobbed for a while. Cyrus just watched her tenderly and passionately.

In my previous life, the phoenix was also killed by red sun god? She asked looking straight at him with tears in her eyes.

It happened in every life, he said and took a deep breath.

Linda looked down after hearing his reply. She sobbed silently.

Go out please, I want to be alone for a while.

But your wounds shou...

Get out please! She almost screamed.

Okay, Cyrus agreed and left. 

Cyrus went to sit on a rock beside a flowing spring, he watched the water flow, threw stones into the water and sometimes fidgeted with the stones in his hand. As he was thinking about how to make Linda cope with her life, someone touched him on his shoulder. He grabbed the hand tightly and turned to see that it was Alice. He immediately let her hand go when she almost screamed from pain. Alice and Linda were the only people who could ever make him get softhearted.

What are you doing here? He asked. You are an immortal from the heavenly court, this is the demon realm.

I came to see you, Alice replied and sat beside him.

She looked at his face to see his expression before talking further.

I heard about the phoenix, I know you must be sad.

There was silence for a while until Alice broke it after a while. She brought out a beautiful jeweled bottle and gave it to Cyrus.

This is maltose from the heavenly realm, eat it and you will taste the sweetness instead of the bitterness in your heart, she said. 

Thank you, he appreciated and took it. 

Do you want me to chat with you?

No, he replied.

Pulling him by the sleeve slightly, she asked him "how about you just cry?" When other people feel sad, if they can just cry out loud, they won't feel too sad anymore.

Cyrus looked at her in bewilderment, his eyes wide open. He fumed and got up immediately and left without saying a word.

Hey! Where are you going? Why are you ignoring me again?

He didn't reply or look back, he just left straight away.

Ah ya! Did I say anything wrong again? Alice asked herself and struck her lips with her finger tips. 

 Cyrus came back to see Linda. She had come down from the bed and sat on the floor, resting her back on the bed frame and thinking with her head down. He went to her side and took her by the hand.

Come with me.

Linda looked up at him slowly as if asking "where to?"

He caught the hint in her eyes and said "you will know when you get there".

He took her to the house she and Stanley lived in at the between land. He left her in the house and went outside to stay, giving her alone time.

 In the house, everything was just the way she and Stanley had left it before they went on the last walk that turned to a disaster. The unfinished meals, the unwashed dishes and pots, the carved wooden sculptures and unarranged room. She remembered how he made her the pastries for celebrating her birthday, his words when he told her to try it and see if it tastes good. She looked at the carved sculptures, picked up one that looked like her and caressed it's facial features as she examined it. She remembered when he would carve them without facial features, and she told him that they would look more significant if he included all the five senses that are supposed to be on the face. She also remembered when she first discovered she was the one he had always wanted to carve on those sculptures.

 At that time, she was making his bed after he had gone to the market. She raised the pillow up and saw the carved sculptures underneath it. She picked it up and recognized the facial features were like hers, even the dressing code. 

 Remembering all this and knowing they were gone like it was all fake and a lie, she hurt badly and screamed in anger and immediately fire engulfed the house like water filling a bowl. Cyrus looked back at the house and was almost shocked to see the flames, but then he remembered that she was a fire phoenix. The fire was an attribute of the phoenix that would remain with it till death, even if it lost all its spiritual power. 

Shortly after, she came out of the flames and complained of hunger and without waiting for Cyrus's reply, she walked further on the way back to the demon realm. Cyrus was extremely excited and wanted to laugh but it was an awkward one, so he covered his mouth with his hands and followed her. He had thought it may take a very long time for her to recover from the pain. 

 Alice returned to the heavenly realm and visited the empress's court immediately but saw she wasn't there. She had thought she was lucky and thought loudly about it. But her thoughts were interrupted when the empress walked up to her from behind and overheard her thoughts. 

Are you back? She asked.

The thoughts hooked up on her throat, she turned around and tried to shift away from the question.

Aunty! Would like some water? Or would you like some soup? She asked. Wait let me get them for you, she said and wanted to run off without waiting for her aunt's reply.

Where do you want to go again? The question from her aunt rang in her ears.

Hehe, aunt, she smiled and faced her. Aunty, your majesty, I was wrong please pardon me , I won't do it again.

Alice, you are an immortal from the heavenly court, yet you always go to the demon realm and get involved with that supreme lord, how inappropriate! You are grounded from now on to reflect on your mistakes, you will never leave the heavenly realm again.