Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Asche hadn't forgotten Rain's appearance over the years of his since his supposed death; his features were etched into her memory, unaltered by the passage of time. Yet, as Rain spoke of their past and his supposed demise, a flicker of uncertainty surfaced within her.

His last words before his apparent death were something she had pushed to the recesses of her mind, an event she had decided to forget.

Rain's words evoked memories long buried, emotions she had buried with them. His sudden return and mention of the past stirred a mix of emotions—confusion, doubt, and a hint of the pain she had worked hard to suppress…

"Well, what is it?" Rain asked. "Are you going to keep trying to kill me with the bow that I gave you?"

"... If you are who you claim to be, why did you only appear now?" Asche said while still glaring at him.

"The dragon god killed me, around 99.99 percent of my entire being he certainly killed," Rain explained. "I spent this long trying to rebuild my body. There are a lot of other things that I can say, like the things that grandpa and grandma told me, but I want to hear first if Terra, Seara and my kids are fine… I know that Seara and Sealyn are with the sea emperor, though."

Asche contemplated the unexpected encounter with Rain. Despite the emotional turmoil his return had caused within her, a sense of reassurance began to seep through her initial skepticism.

As she reflected on Rain's demeanor, his words, and the aura he exuded, Asche found herself considering the possibility that the individual standing before her was indeed the real Rain. Every aspect of his presence, from his mannerisms to the essence he carried, resonated with the memories she had of him.

The familiar intricacies of his character, the memories of their shared past, and the genuine intent in his attempts to bridge the gap between them—these were facets that painted a convincing portrait of the man she once knew.

However, even as she began to relax slightly, a lingering doubt persisted within her. Her experiences with Rain had led her to believe that if he were the genuine article, he would possess the ability to resurrect himself from death, if such an event had indeed occurred. Yet, the fact that he had taken one hundred years to return cast many douts of uncertainty over the situation.

"... We worked together until fifty years ago, but then we split up," Asche said while studying Rain's expression seriously. "Your kids and Jori's kids had some disagreements in how they wanted to do things, so they took their groups and left. We stayed behind to protect the royal family while we also looked for a place to make a new base."

Rain stood in deep thought while a deep-seated sense of exasperation lingered within him. He moved his hands to rub his tired eyes, a momentary pause amidst the unfolding events.

The news before him stirred a mix of frustration and concern within Rain. His mind echoed with the questions he wanted to ask, the words poised on the tip of his tongue. Why did they insist on splitting into separate groups so often? His frustration increased beneath the surface as he contemplated the situation. He couldn't understand the logic behind their choices…

An inward sigh escaped Rain's lips, a manifestation of his inner turmoil and the mounting frustration he felt at their decision-making. He had hoped for better judgment from his children and companions, instilled with the belief that he had raised them to be smarter than this.

Yet, he couldn't deny the unsettling truth—that his influence was limited by the fraction of their lives he had been a part of.

"...Who stayed behind?" Rain asked. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Liss, and me, aside from the survivors of the Raging Phoenix," Asche said while relaxing her expression a bit more since Raine truly looked more and more with the one in her mind. "Lotto stayed behind as well, but he passed away a few years ago. The high human path can only delay tour death for so long when you are from a certain age and he didn't try to level up Transcendental Youth."

"That is a pity…" Rain said and then sighed. "Can you please tell me what happened exactly?"

Rain told Asche what he heard from his grandparents, this time, he told all the details. Things were exactly as Asche recalled regarding those first few years, so she called Rain in to the warship and then it began to move to their base.

Asche took a moment to observe Rain, her gaze lingering on him before she began recounting the experiences of their group following their departure from the initial hideout. Her voice carried a mix of weariness and resignation, reflecting the hardships and endurance they had faced.

"We lived in relative peace after we left the first hideout," Asche started, her tone carrying the weight of the years. "Encounters with dragons were infrequent, and when we did confront them, the losses weren't as severe as we expected.Living in that cold region wasn't easy. Whenever we attempted to venture further north, we found ourselves facing more dragons.

The more we moved, the more they seemed to appear."

As the years passed, the continuous battles took their toll. Many grew weary of the endless cycle of conflict.They sought a new path, a way to escape this constant struggle, to find lands where they could settle without the looming threat of dragons.

The weariness and fear had divided the group. Most decided to head further south in search of new lands, hoping for respite from the dragons. But some, a few who resisted the idea of continuously cowering in fear, remained determined to confront the challenges head-on.

"Your kids and Jori's got along at first, but they began to follow different paths," Asche said.

"... How exactly?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows since Asche didn't give more details.